Intuitive writing: when words can heal the body and the mind
Have you ever heard of intuitive writing?
This concept is also known as "journaling", or "spontaneous, automatic writing", but also "writing therapy".
As you may have understood it, intuitive writing is about using writing as a tool to help us clarify our ideas in our daily life. It can help us to find solutions, understand ourselves better, realize our dreams, and finally, find happiness.
Why? Because learning to routinely write is learning to take care of yourself. And it does feel good!
What Are the Benefits of Intuitive Writing?
Scientific research has demonstrated the psychological benefits of writing, particularly in reducing anxiety and depression, and improving sleep. The interests are multiple and unsuspected for people who have not yet embarked on this journey.
Intuitive writing is a really great tool to help you go into the unconscious part of your mind to find what is worrying you and what needs to come out. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Or sometimes, it simply reminds you of positive things you are experiencing in your life.
For example, it can be useful to practice daily gratitude. Especially in the evening, before going to bed. We know that generating positive feelings promotes quality sleep, as does freeing your head from the various concerns of daily life.
Writing is about self-discovery, it allows you to clarify your thoughts, become aware of what's going on inside. A bit like dreams, it's a way to take stock, to symbolically digest what happens to you day after day.
Very often our brain works without any real pause. And then, everything intermingles, clashes, existential thoughts rub shoulders with our so-many-projects, fears, "to-do lists", problems to solve, information to remember... in other words, it can bubble strongly and it is sometimes difficult to lower the intensity of this incessant flow that drains our energy.
The intuitive writing method helps us to feel calm, to calm down, and very often to solve problems or answer questions that we ask ourselves. It also helps to play down and overcome our fears more easily.
First Timer? Here’s How You Do It!
Even if you don't know what you're going to write or if you think you're not particularly good at writing, the idea is to go ahead without thinking too much, to let the pencil find its own path on the paper.
Words usually emerge very spontaneously. They invite themselves naturally, it's quite surprising. And once you get past the discomfort of the blank page, once you've put down the first word, writing can be extremely enjoyable.
Above all, you forget about spelling, syntax, and even logic, the idea is just to let yourself be carried away by what comes completely spontaneously.
Then, once you feel that everything is out, that you have nothing more to write, read yourself again. That's where the magic happens! That's when you realize that your unconscious has come to you with a solution or a piece of evidence that sheds light on a situation.
I advise you to focus on the evening for this intuitive writing ritual. As I mentioned earlier, the evening is when you feel an overflow of stimuli and when the need to clear your head is particularly necessary. This way, you can evacuate all the accumulated stress and sleep peacefully, light-minded.
Try it, you'll see!
In any case, I personally find intuitive writing to be very effective. Becoming your own therapist for a session is a great experience.
