I guess writing is a kind of therapy in the sense that there are things you need to say and you say them, and better out than in. ~Hanif Kureishi
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Being in my students' exams period again, the stress does make me reluctant to continue with my one-post-per-day, as I have already squeezed extra hours out of my normal schedule to be tutoring one student after another and be away from my family.
However, writing (on Steemit) has become a little habit cultivated within me after doing it for more than 21 consecutive days and I find it therapeutic for me. The duration of 21 days is set as a mark because any habit can be formed and be unformed in 21 days.
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Story Time
When I was still a teenager in high school, I had this habit of keeping a journal/ diary for each year over the span of five years. I would write about the things I needed to do, write about interesting happenings of the day, how I felt about certain things (such as the butterflies in the stomach feeling if my crush came to talk to me longer that day, Hahaha), regrets of words that I may have spoken, how words from someone made me feel, new resolutions etc. It was my happy thing to do, as I would wrap my diaries up with nice wrappers and decorated them with nice quotes and fonts. Another thing that was really funny was I would defend it with my life because some naughty friends would try to read it, so I remembered I even coded different people in my diary with different names so only I would know who I was referring to. No one would know who my crush was. For example, if the guy's name is Gary, then it would be "Grace" in my diary, if a girl is Alice, then she would be mentioned as Adam in my book. Sounds childish, right? It was a fun thing to do and I still keep them at my parents' place. I sometimes also wrote letters to myself to encourage myself or wrote sad letters to process some feelings. Of course, I didn't have a total clue what I was actually doing.
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When blogging was introduced, blogspot.com and word press.com were a hit at where I am. I was already a young working adult when I started blogging about some devotions that speak to me and also about some of my thoughts on relationships, especially. I noticed that over a span of a year, my thinking changed but I was able to notice it because I purposefully jotted them down.
Though I am not a great writer with bombastic vocabulary and I still admire other greater writers,
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I learnt that through writing, my thoughts on my values in life are examined and processed. It is as if I'm always doing reflection in life. Sometimes, it also gives the confidence a boost!
I learnt that through writing, I have to work on communication skills to translate my thoughts into words. The things I couldn't say face to face, I could write them out as I think on how to express them.
I learnt that through writing, I could walk myself through pain, disappointment and even unforgiveness. I noticed that in my lower part of life, I was always writing, whether on blog or on paper.
I learnt that through writing, I can connect with people I couldn't connect before. Our relationships drew closer as we can explain ourselves better through writing. Whenever there is communication breakdown in my family since young, we would be writing. I remember writing to say sorry to my mum after a rebellious yelling at her.
I learnt that through writing, I am "forced" to calm myself down and examine my words before I post something. I can spot positivity better rather than talking about something over and over again.
I learnt that through writing, I can look back to what I have gone through and be proud that I can grow. It records what I have gone through and I can check on the progress of my thoughts.
I learnt that through writing, I also am teaching myself something besides just thinking that I am right. It makes room for learning.
I learnt that through writing, my emotional health and sanity can be intact. I can actually take care of my mental health. It creates a space for me to be comfortable with myself. I learn not to suppress things down within myself but to let them out appropriately. It helps me know myself better too in a way.
I learnt that through writing, my spirit can be uplifted and I can also uplift others!
Since writing and blogging is such a therapy, why wouldn't I write on my "stressful" day? Hahaha it is therapeutic anyway! It is not because I have so much extra time so I am writing everyday, but rather I need it and it helps me. Just like drawing, gardening, baking can be therapeutic, writing is too. Try it for yourself.
Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation. ~Graham Greene
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