HOW DOES WRITING HELP IN STOPPING THE STREAM OF NEGATIVE THOUGHTS?
The feeling of being stuck is something I help my clients with every day. This condition is much more common than we think. If this is what you are feeling at this point, know that you are not alone. Most of us have felt this way at least once in our lives, and many of us feel this way regularly from time to time. It is important to know how to deal with these moments on your own or when to ask for help. Many people easily get caught up in a negative thought cycles that keep looping, making it difficult or impossible to get out. The routine and additional stress of everyday life only make it worse and direct our attention to what is wrong not to things that are just fine. Our mind is then dominated by the feeling of boredom and hopelessness that easily turn into sadness and frustration.
Write down what you feel
The best advice that I can give to absolutely anyone when they feel down or overwhelmed is to write it down. It can be full sentences or a completely incoherent stream of thoughts or words poured onto pages of a notebook, written with a pen, crayon or pencil. Phone or a Word file on a computer will do as well. The way you do it doesn’t matter. What matters is getting our thoughts, emotions or frustration out of our heads and making room for new, different ones.
Notebook, cell phone, laptop – it doesn’t matter!
It may sound strange, even trivial, but believe me, it’s a very effective tool. It is always worth having a small notebook and something to write with you, or if you prefer to use a phone, computer or even a voice recorder – go ahead! Anything allowed. You can try each option and stick with whatever suits you best and is the most natural and comfortable. The more you have to think about it and the more difficult it is, the greater the chance you will fail. So try to make it as easy as possible.
Why do we need this writing?
The main purpose of this exercise is to name our emotions and feelings and to recognize when or in what situations they arise. The great benefit of writing when for some reason you feel unwell is that at some point you will become aware of where this feeling comes from. After a while, you will notice certain situations repeat themselves. One of the biggest problems is that people don’t even realize what makes them sad or upset, they just get emotional and give in to them.
What if we could change the way we think?
Jotting down negative thoughts as they arise can help you stop, take control of your mind, and redirect your attention to something else – more pleasant. Knowing what and when saddened you can enable you to better understand your thought patterns and learn how to get out of them quickly or how not to get into them at all. Being more aware of your thoughts can really help transform your current paths of thought and strengthen a positive attitude towards yourself / yourself first, and consequently towards other people and the world. Remember, however, that this is not an overnight process. It will take you some time to change your mindset completely. It is said that it takes a minimum of 66 days to develop a new habit. Our brain is plastic so it is never too late to create a new neural pathway. The most important thing is being systematic and believing that you will succeed.
Sometimes writing negative thoughts isn’t enough
However, remember that prolonged malaise may require consultation with a specialist. Having someone with you who knows what you are going through and how you are feeling can be a necessary support to change and move forward. So if you feel that your negative mindset is fundamentally affecting your mental health, please contact me. I will be happy to help you myself or refer you to a specialist. There is no need to fight it yourself!
