Mindfulness is the art of grounding yourself in the here and now. When there’s so much around us that causing us pressure and stress, it’s good practice to reflect on what’s happening right now, and give yourself perspective. Writing can be a key part of mindfulness. It works as an outlet, letting you express all of your feelings in a constructive way. Here’s how you can use it to practice mindfulness in your own life.
Try journaling
Did you ever keep a journal or diary as a teenager? Many found that their journals were a source of real comfort to them. There’s no reason why you can’t continue this practice now that you’re an adult. Try buying a notebook and writing down your thoughts at the end of the day. You can put your worries to rest before you head to bed, leading to better sleep throughout the night.
Handwrite your thoughts
Most people now write at their keyboards, or on their phones. In fact, many of us are now faster at expressing ourselves at the computer than they are with the written word. If you want to practice mindfulness though, you’re better off using the written word. It forces you to slow down and really think about what you’re saying. Buy yourself an attractive notebook and pen, and really get into writing about your feelings.
Take inspiration from the outside world
If you rely on your own thoughts to write, you’ll soon find that you’re running out of ideas. Listen to the world around you, and see what’s happening. Everything in your environment has an influence on you, after all. Use the experiences you have to really help you focus on the here and now. What can you hear now? What can you smell? Do this often enough, and you can start feeling less anxious or upset when you need it the most.
Edit your life story
This doesn’t mean change what’s happened to you in the past. When we say edit your life story, we mean really investigate your thoughts and reasoning for what you do. For example, maybe you feel as though you’ve never written that novel because you don’t have time thanks to work and family commitments. However, if you look more closely at your reasons, you may find that in fact, you’re scared that your writing skills won’t be up to the task. Doing this is a great way to get to the root of any problem, and help solve it.
Manage your feelings
If we go back to the journaling, think about how it felt to have a good rant in your journal as a teenager. You could say whatever you wanted, and then let it go. It’s time to reconnect with that skill as an adult.
Studies have shown that being able to write about what’s happening in your life can help you deal with it. For example, one study examined several workers who had been laid off. They were asked to keep journals about their feelings. Those that kept up with their journals reported that they felt much more happy in their situations, and felt less anger towards those who had laid them off. Being able to express those feelings lead to a healthier outlook, and you can harness that power too.
Share your thoughts with others
Of course, you can keep all of your writing to yourself. Why not? They’re your private thoughts and no one has the right to see them. However, you may feel that sharing those thoughts can be helpful. It’s easy to find writing communities online who want to hear what you have to say. You may find you’re not as alone as you thought you were.
Useful writing tools
Everyone can use a little help getting started with writing. If you need a hand, these tools can get you where you need to be:
- Paper Fellows: Want to share your thoughts with others? Try joining this writing community.
- Easy Word Count: Check your word count with this tool, as well as picking up any stray spelling mistakes.
- Cite It In: Use this tool to ensure that you get the right citation for every source that you use in your writing.
As you can see, there are a lot of benefits to using writing for mindfulness. Express your feelings and give yourself an outlet, when you need it the most.
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Author: Mary Walton
Mary Walton is a professional editor and online tutor at Academized. She is an avid traveler, Mary’s favorite destination now is Bali. Mary has a blog – Simple Grad, read her latest post at Sigma Essays Review. Also, she is a content manager at Australian Write My Essay service.
