Try Expressive Writing Out
1:4:15 2024-07-22 904

Now, if you are interested in giving expressive writing a whirl, there is no special equipment or costly time commitment required. Though you may prefer typing, handwriting is the way to go, for it is slightly more laborious, making the writer work at a slower pace that supports deeper thinking. The length and frequency of what you write is a personal preference, but writing for 15 minutes for three consecutive days is a manageable starting point. It is important to note that positive health outcomes have been shown both for those who write about the same topic on each consecutive day, as well as for those who switch topics with each session. In addition, whereas simply recounting a stressful or traumatic event will likely show positive benefits, there are other, more nuanced approaches worth trying.

For example, Pennebaker and Smythe (2016) suggest writing with an eye to the thoughts and feelings surrounding the event, attempting to excavate meaning from the experience instead of simply chronicling the unfolding. Remember, often, sense-making does not immediately bubble up, and several iterations are required to garner clarity. Another strategy is to write about the event from multiple perspectives, starting with the first person, using the pronouns I and we; then retelling the story in the second person, as if you are telling the story from the perspective of the person in the mirror using the pronoun you; and finally experimenting with the third person, taking on the voice of an outsider, using pronouns such as she, he, or they.

Another approach, difficult but rewarding, is to write in an attempt to garner a lesson you will carry forth, inquiring, “I didn’t ask for it, deserve it, or want it, but now that it has happened, what insights can I pull?” Lastly, once you have tried out some of the strategies above, zoom out and fast-forward, writing about the stressful or traumatic experience from the vantage point of your best and healthiest future self, providing you with a road map for your evolution.

Finally, in the wise words of Parker Palmer (2024) in his book Let Your Life Speak: Listening For The Voice Of Vocation, “Some journeys are direct, and some are circuitous; some are heroic, and some are fearful and muddled. But every journey, honestly undertaken, stands a chance of taking us toward the place where our deep gladness meets the world’s deep need.”

 

Why Do We Learn?   2025-08-15
Forgive Others   2025-07-23
Reality Of Islam

A Mathematical Approach to the Quran

10:52:33   2024-02-16  

mediation

2:36:46   2023-06-04  

what Allah hates the most

5:1:47   2023-06-01  

allahs fort

11:41:7   2023-05-30  

striving for success

2:35:47   2023-06-04  

Imam Ali Describes the Holy Quran

5:0:38   2023-06-01  

livelihood

11:40:13   2023-05-30  

silence about wisdom

3:36:19   2023-05-29  

MOST VIEWS

Importance of Media

9:3:43   2018-11-05

Illuminations

overcoming challenges

5:57:34   2023-03-18

bahlool & a businessman

8:21:9   2018-06-21

think well

8:39:51   2022-09-23

a wisdom

8:4:21   2022-01-08

noah & his ark

7:59:14   2018-06-21

strong personality

10:43:56   2022-06-22



IMmORTAL Words
LATEST There is a Surprisingly Easy Way to Remove Microplastics in Your Drinking Water NASA Probe Could Intercept Interstellar Comet, Scientists Say Ants Are Superefficient at Teamwork, Scientists Discover Improving Quality of Life Interpretation of Sura Maryam (Mary) - Verses 6-8 Let us Not Abuse the Blessings of Allah to Commit Sins This Diet Helps Lower Dementia Risk, And We May Finally Know Why Solar Power Reimagined: New Black Metal Device Generates 15x More Electricity Scientists Uncover Mysterious Oases on the Drying Shores of the Great Salt Lake Why Do We Learn? Interpretation of Sura Maryam - Verses 4-5 A Liar, Not Different from a Dead Body