I’ve been writing from a young age and have spent countless hours journaling over the years. However, for some reason I’ve fallen out of the habit in my old(er?) age and tend to only pull out my journal once in a great while when I’m in the middle of something big. Recently, I was reminded by one of my favorite YouTube therapists (licensed), Emma McAdam, of the value of writing to improve mental health. She’s the expert, so I’ll drop her video here and let her give you the details on the science. But I thought I’d also share McAdams’ list to make it easier to refer back to. So scroll down to read more and grab that list.
Emma McAdams’ 6 Ways to Process Your Feelings in Writing: How to Journal for Anxiety and Depression
In her video, McAdams suggests that you spend about ten minutes a day writing with the intent to improve your mental health. It’s important to approach this task in the right way however, as focusing too much on “fixing yourself” can backfire. For example, one commenter says, “Emotional processing is writing what “was” and “is” not what “will be” or is “supposed to be.” When I was unconsciously slipping into problem solving mode or hopeful thinking mode, I tried to fix myself instead of processing my feelings of what made me feel this way. It’s like I gaslighted myself unknowingly.” So be sure to focus on processing and understanding rather than fixing yourself. Understanding leads to acceptance, which then paves the path to healing.
It can be intimidating to start journaling if you’ve never attempted it before. Or if you have written in a journal to record day-to-day occurrences, you may find it hard to make the shift into writing about your feelings and emotions. That’s why lists like this one can come in handy. You don’t have to sit down and stare at the page for ten minutes trying to determine how to start. Instead, pick one of these six strategies that I pulled from the above video to help you get started:
- What’s stressing you? Write out your feelings and emotions: process, don’t fix.
- Brain dump: just write down everything that comes to mind. Get it out of your head and onto the paper.
- Make a diagram: place your individual stressors, feelings, and emotions into their own boxes and then map out how they connect.
- Write a letter you won’t send. It could be to your abusive ex, your narcissistic mother, or your noisy neighbor who lets her kids jump on the ceiling above your bed into the wee hours of the morning. Use the letter to tell that person exactly how they are making you feel.
- Clarify your locus of control: Make three different lists. One list should outline the stressors in your life that are within your control. The second list should identify those things that are outside of your control. The third and final list should consist of those things that you have influence over without being in complete control of them.
- Write an alternative version of the situation that is stressing you out. I like this one because it gives us the opportunity to get creative. And if you’re a writer like me, it might even lead to a new story idea!
“I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear.”
― Joan Didion
Do you use writing as a method for healing or exploring your own psyche? If so, what methods do you use, and how have they worked for you? Please share your experiences in the comments below.
Write on the World 