Writing your way to healing

Writing has helped me to look at things from a different perspective. If I put my thoughts and feelings down on paper, my words seem to have new life and people take more notice of them for some reason. ~ Tony*

Sometimes the voices in my head speak loudly. They tell me I’m not good enough, I’m not trying hard enough and the bad things that happen are my fault. The words crash into each other inside my brain and press against the inner surface of my skull.

I find when I need to find clarity, when I need to make a decision or when I need to work through an emotion then the best way to do it is to write down my thoughts.

I don’t craft beautiful sentences, I don’t fix my grammar and spelling, I don’t write a blog post with a five-part formula, I just put words on a page. I let them explode out on to paper or the screen. And then a miracle happens. Not only do the voices disappear, but the words form into beautiful fragments, fragile sentences and interesting phrases. I see an honesty and vulnerability that comes from my heart. My true voice has a chance to speak.

Sometimes we are crippled by the feeling that we aren’t good writers. From our teachers at school we learnt that we need structure, form and we must follow rules. The constraints of writing are as restrictive as the restraints on our personalities.

But there is no such thing as a bad writer. Every person can write well when they let go of the inner critic and connect with their inner voice.

What is your inner voice trying to tell you? Is the noise of the world drowning out the whisper of your soul? Is the pain and frustration you feel trapped inside you because you don’t have a place to let it out?

I recommend you try stream of consciousness writing (writing without stopping to read what you have written or correct anything). Experts have found that a daily writing practice of even five minutes a day can both heal, soothe and spark creativity. If you have forgotten who you are and what makes you feel alive and connected then writing will create a bridge from your thoughts to your inner wisdom.

Of this I am certain: Writing is creative, cathartic and curative. When I don’t have anyone to talk to, or I don’t feel like talking, I put words on paper, pixels on the screen.

So the next time you feel overwhelmed by your emotions, uncertain of your decisions or totally alone in the world, find a blank page and simply start writing. The results will astound you. At the end of the process there will be beauty on the page and peace in your heart.

Writing take what is in your mind and makes it tangible. To see it and hold it in your hands and look at it gives you an objective view that kind of feels outside of yourself. ~ Lee*

→ Have you found that writing has helped you heal, grow and have more confidence to be who you really are? 

*Thank you to my friends on the Suicide Survivors forum for sharing how writing has helped them.

Tagged as: inner voice ink, writing