Writing - A Pathway to Self-Awareness and Healing (Part-1)

A few years ago, while discussing with a mentor of mine, I was inspired to write articles on subjects related to my work and beliefs. After the first article, I wondered, what do I write on?

Despite the innate desire to write, I always remained sceptical of my ability to write articles or blogs until then. As an activity, today writing allows me to express and communicate with my readers as much as myself. It has also been, to an extent, therapeutic since it has enabled me to become more self-aware of myself and my feelings. It has also helped me gain insights to manage my life with better focus.

As American Social Psychologist, Professor and Chair of the Psychology Department at the University of Texas, James Whiting Pennebaker may observe, was it because that I translating my "emotional experiences into words"? Pennebaker is today recognised for having led the modern writing therapy movement in the late 1980s. His innovative approach to comprehending individuals' personalities and wellness is related to how our writing can provide insight into our wellbeing. His research study led to the promotion of global awareness of the benefits of expressive writing.

Besides enabling us to express our thoughts and help us communicate, writing is a pathway to reveal who we are to the world. The awareness of individual differences, cultural backgrounds, beliefs, language and traditions is heightened through our writing. What is interesting to note is that unconsciously, at some point, many of us may have benefited from expressive writing through the activity of journal writing. During my mid-school years, I used to keep a diary religiously. Years later, those diaries provided a good source of entertainment, conveying the poignancy of the innocence of childhood years. Thinking back to those years, my journal entries related more to school days – fun with friends, undone homework, test results, and T.V programs that were thrillers (I would mention in my diary just who I think the culprit maybe!). Even though I was fortunate to enjoy a great and loving childhood with no pressure at home, writing in my diary provided a unique platform to express in secrecy. It also made me realise the challenges noted in them were not as stressful as I had thought them to be after writing them down. ?

So how does writing become a therapeutic tool in our life?

By writing our negative experiences down, we allow ourselves to consider the perspective of the concluded situation from a more solution-seeking consideration. In the process, we focus on an outcome to the stress-causing problem that is more positive and optimal in combatting the anxiety involved. Writing helps us manage life more effectively through the exploration experience involved. This process of exploration which means reliving the background also enables us to consider the pathway of progress made as we improve and emerge from the crisis.

What are the main three types of therapeutic writing?

We need to start treating writing as a personal and life-enhancing strategy for enhancing wellness and wellbeing in our life. Each of us writes, it is not just authors or writers who write, but it is a tool and ability accessible to all who can write. Writing can support us in cultivating our attention to our emotional and physical states all the time. The process also questions our innermost thoughts (including disturbing memories and anxieties), making us insightful about who and where we are.

Years ago, I had the privilege to attend the fabulous and fun program on creativity in Dubai, 'The Creativity Workshop'. The best feature of "The Creativity Workshop" is that it provides a fascinating opportunity for the participant to explore, gain insight and enjoy a learning experience to face life with insightful vigour. For more details, please log on to - creativityworkshop.com.

During this inspiring program, I had the opportunity to come across an enlightening creative exercise known as 'Automatic Writing'. This challenging 10-minute exercise initiates us to write what comes to our minds. There is no permission to consider what we write from the perspective of logic or grammar –write! The key here during the process is to keep away from distracting the mind as much as possible; hence we are urged to write at a quicker pace than the flow of our thoughts. The exercise calls for traditional writing through pen and paper rather than today's technology-assisted option.

Automatic writing is similar to Freewriting since it compels us to write without caution or care. Yet unlike Freewriting, where we may be still conscious of the thoughts that we write, Automatic Writing occurs without the consciousness of what we write. It furthermore promotes ideas that may appear unclear but represent a revelation to insights that may hold scope for greater elaboration and comprehension of previously unrecognisable thoughts. On completing this exercise, it is necessary to carefully read what has been written while highlighting any word or sentence that appears to interest us. These sentences, phrases or words hold the keys to more insightful investigations that could be made in repeated sessions of Automatic Writing. How much we gain through this exercise relies on our interpretation of what we have written.

While this exercise can prove to reveal our state of mind from the perspective of stress management, it is also a revelation for the feelings and emotions we harbour during the moment we write.

As someone once said,

"Just get it down on paper, and then we'll see what to do with it".

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