Emotional: Write It Down
We’ve been discussing the importance of self-care for caregivers. In a previous article, we posted a brief self-assessment inventory. It divides self-care practices into four main categories. One of the four areas considered is emotional.
And one method of emotional self-care is healing writing. Over 200 studies have supported its effectiveness. This type of expressive writing even helped individuals heal from physical wounds faster.
And taking just 15 minutes a day to write about a particular trauma can help.
Traumatic events from our day (or our past) often get shoved in a “closet.” They may be out of sight, but they’re not gone. And if we don’t sort through them, we can lose access to part of ourselves. The more closets or rooms we shut, the less area we have to “live” out of.
This type of healing writing needs to have a specific format. Tell the story with a beginning, middle, and end. Include specific details and your feelings about them. Part of why it’s powerful is that it can take us from the role of a victim to that of a survivor.
Learn more about it here.
But just remember – this type of writing isn’t for social media – it’s for you!