How writing has impacted my life
I guess it’s only fitting that the blogger talks about the importance of writing as this month's “Rachael’s Remedy”. Writing has given me the courage to make important decisions that have altered my path completely. I’ve kept journals all my life, and I’ve written things on paper that I couldn’t admit out loud. When I was going through my divorce, I found all of my old journals, dating back all the way to the beginning of my relationship with my ex - 12 years worth of memories. I was at a big decision in my life - continue with my marriage, or move forward alone. Because of my journals, I made the decision to end my marriage. I read through all of my journals, mapped out certain patterns of how I was feeling throughout the years, when things “changed” in my relationship. When all of the information was in front of me, it was easier to make my decision because of those words I had written to myself. I love my ex and always will, he was my first love. And even though you may want something to work, sometimes it’s best to let it go so that you can become the person you were meant to be. So my recommendation for this month is to write - write a little bit each night before you go to bed. Write when you are feeling emotional and like you don’t have anyone to talk to. Write about the things you are scared to admit out loud. It’s fine if you hide that journal away until you are ready to address it out loud. Journaling is your soul’s way of trusting yourself and knowing that you know yourself better than anyone else. Trust yourself enough to know that your feelings are valid, and should be listened to.
Ways I’ve Written Over the Years:
Nothing beats a classic pen to paper - get a journal and keep it next to your bed! Make yourself write just for a few minutes, whatever is on your mind.
Need more structure? Try writing daily focusing on some of these topics/questions: Commitments for Today, What’s Good, Frustrations/Disappointments/Resentments/Anxiety
Block write based on a topic - I wrote out all the “triggering” moments in my past (relationships, family, any situation that stood out in my mind) and wrote about how the situation went and how I felt - I then brought these into my sessions with my therapist to better understand how that situation had impacted me
Check out Freewrite. They were a recently sponsored Instagram ad that has me hooked now. They focus on free-flow writing. You can sign up for a free account called “Postbox” where you write everything up and it stores it for you. They also sell new-age typewriters that are intended to keep you off a screen and away from distractions so that you can write without judging or editing along the way.
