Heal and Gain Clarity through Writing
Sometimes I don’t talk about the beautiful power of writing things down because I think it scares people. Why? Because many believe that to write is to go back to sophomore English class. It’s not fun. It’s too much detail. Perhaps it takes you back to the old craggy English teacher that insisted you sit in the front seat right in front of her desk! And it reminds them of the criticism and maybe even that D they got on a paper, showing up in bright RED for the whole class to see.
The beautiful power of writing things down.
But that’s not the kind of writing about which I’m talking. That experience as a sophomore can be helpful to you now because you surely remember the skills to put sentences together. And nobody is grading you. Except yourself, of course. But that kind of grading, your emotions, feelings, and limiting beliefs, will show up one last time to point out their uselessness. And you’ll move on to clarity and possibly heal old wounds.
If your “noisy brain” is lingering on old experiences that should be long gone, getting a blank piece of paper and a pen can whisk you away into new thinking. You begin utilizing the knowledge you’ve learned over the years and start the process of re-framing your past stories.
4 Steps to Writing for Clarity and Healing
*Find a quiet and safe place to begin your writing. By this I mean, a place that you can go back to regularly. Like every time you write down your story/feelings/personal questions and so on. You’ll find that going back to the same space after you’ve done it a few times will be like Pavlov’s dog. It’s a stimulus and response kind of thing. You’ll get to the point that you will walk into that space, and your brain will trigger that it’s time to write and be honest with yourself.
* Write for about 20 minutes with no editing…just write a memory with you and your son. Years ago, I read and have many times re-read Stephen King’s book On Writing. My biggest takeaway from that book is what he says about editing. Get into your space and “write with the door closed. You can edit when the door is open.” And for our means, we don’t even need to worry about editing unless it’s something you enjoy or want to do to tidy up your writing.
* Attach your feelings to your writing. I like to ask my clients to add personal emotions that their feeling during the writing process. By doing this, you recognize the fear, sadness, courage, honesty and will write on to explore the why and the what of it. While writing your feelings, try to stay open to other ways to look at your past that can help you find positive reactions that give you relief and clarity.
* Understand that over time, and by allowing your noisy brain to get rid of old beliefs that no longer serve you, you can begin the process of re-framing, giving you new opportunities to resolve your worries.
Want to learn more? My new favorite author, Allison Fallon, who wrote The Power of Writing it Down, is worth checking into.
Love,
Linda