A written memory. A visual cue. A flash of good. How do you remind yourself of the things you have achieved and the things you are grateful for? There is a lot to be said for keeping records of feelings, experiences and personal successes. Expressive writing has been shown to decrease depressive symptoms, rumination, general anxiety, and even symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. A simple sounding process, with potentially far-reaching benefits. Truthfully, this is an exercise not only worth considering, but persisting with.
Writing is therapy. If you throw the worry of grammar, spelling, and the perceived quality of your writing in the back seat, the floor is yours. The page, the screen, the desk, is yours. Writing out thoughts, feelings, experiences, plans, and stories, is beneficial in many ways. It’s time carved out for you, it’s an opportunity to process and reflect, it’s a memory to look back on, it’s a reminder of small to big changes, it’s the act of being. Putting pen to paper is itself a soothing practice that encourages the slowing down of psychological processes — the way the pen drags, the glide of the ink, the scratch against paper, the repetitive movement of the hand … Writing, typing, or even speech-to-text software, is worth doing regularly and for different reasons. Writing can be just as therapeutic in group settings, if not more. Find what works for you.
It’s important to remember that you can be grateful and depressed/suffer from depression at the same time. It’s crazy to think the years that went by without me realising this. I saw the quote on social media and now I quote it to others. It is vital to remember this, and could be a blog post of its own. I’ll say it again — you can be grateful and depressed at the same time.
Therapeutic writing comes in a variety of shapes, colours, and sizes. Here are some suggestions to get you going or deepen the practice you already have. The can be daily, weekly, monthly, or whatever suits you best:
✒️ Cue cards: write 3 things you’re grateful for on the front and 3 successes you’ve had on the back. This can be made more interesting by using coloured card, stickers, etc. I did this every day for 3 months and put the cards in a 4 x 6 photo album to easily flick through. It’s wonderful to look back on. Some of the things I’ve been grateful for are very basic (like hot water) and some of my successes are very small (like getting out of the house). Everything counts.
✒️ Scrapbook: this uses the same cue card idea but the cards go into a scrapbook instead of an album. I had lots of fun with this one, making it all look pretty. It’s two kinds of therapy combined.
✒️ Nature writing/observational writing: this one is a great idea, especially if you’re not sure exactly what you’re feeling on any given day or if you struggle to write your emotions. Write what you see — an overhanging tree, a duck on the water, a wet footpath. You can be as specific or vague as you want, and as poetic or non-poetic as you please. Nature is everywhere, even on your doorstep, so there’s no need to drive to the seaside for this (although that would be nice).
✒️ Stories/Poetry: take yourself away to a distant land. Write about an alien invasion, a lizard that can talk, or stars in the shape of a mountain. Write poetry. Write a play. Write a game! The joy of imagination is never out of reach.
Yesterday, I went for a challenging sprint run. Whilst I felt sore, tired, and ultimately out of practice for this kind of training, I also felt a lot of joy. The small number of people about in the early morning understood the enchantment of the whole thing and I was able to partake in a kind of shared magic that thickened the further I went. I got home and wrote about nature. Often, this is the greatest written therapy I can hope for. These are tangible notes to look back on, and they reflect so much. You can find my weekly nature journal here.
Writing doesn’t have to be scary, but often the best things in life are! It can be completely private or shared with others for a connection you may struggle to find elsewhere. Mostly, it can help you discover more about yourself, your desires, and how to work through your difficulties. If in doubt, write.
The Dark Alive 