When people talk about mindfulness, we might often imagine a technique that comes very handy in stressful situations. Indeed, the practice of mindfulness helps us calm down, relax, and it can often help us find inner peace. Mindfulness and meditation, in general, are mostly about living in the present moment, which means paying attention to whatever is going on right now both inside and outside.
Now, what people would rarely imagine when thinking about the practice of mindfulness are a pen and a paper. Nevertheless, most people don’t know that writing and mindfulness are actually going hand in hand. They are the perfect team as each element empowers the other. Therefore, besides the enhanced self-awareness, mindful writing can bring significant effects if practiced regularly.
With no further ado, in today’s post, we’re presenting you 6 simple ways you can use your perfect writing skills as a mindfulness tool.
1. Journaling
Many people live with the belief that journaling is an activity for kids and teenagers. In fact, this is a healthy activity that should be part of everyone’s routine. A journal is an intimate place where you can reveal your deepest thoughts, emotions, and dreams. It may be the only place where you can always be true to yourself.
While you’re writing about the things you care about the most, you become more self-aware of them and of your past actions. You’ll get to know and understand yourself better, anaspectthat leads to a faster self-development, an aspect that’ll help you become the best version of yourself.
2. Handwriting
We’re living in a world in which technology is applied toeverything. So, eventually, handwriting will become history. However, when that happens, we will be a step back on the evolution scale mostly because handwriting it is a great tool for improving our mental health and cognitive skills. You see, there’s a huge difference between typing and handwriting, especially when we talk about mindful writing.
When we use the keyboard, half of our focus goes on “where is that next letter on the keyboard?” When we write by hand, we’re focusing on our thoughts letter by letter. So, whether we like it or not, we’re engaged in the present moment. Take a pen and start writing. Notice the difference and accept that mindfulness writing is only effective when we’re handwriting.
3. Narrate what You See
Narrating what you see or what you think can be another way to practice mindful writing. It’s all about giving your eyes and thoughts voice in one of your stories. If you keep practicing mindful writing by expressing what you see or think, your final texts will slowly show your true self through several factors: totality, vocabulary, expressions, and the emotion and energy you transmit.
4. Writing from More Perspectives
We can all recall experiences that leave us wondering why things happened the way they did. Now, writing from more perspectives is a part of mindful writing that can help us improve our mindsets, especially in difficult situations. But, for this method to work, you must keep in mind that every story has more versions and it’s hard to say which one is true.
This technique is based on the cause and effect principle, but the trick is that there are more causes for an effect. So, if you keep writing your story from different perspectives, you’ll see the bigger picture and you’ll come to gain a better understanding of your past experiences.
5. Freestyle
As I said before, mindfulness, likeany other type of meditation, is about living in the present moment. Practicing mindfulness through writing keeps you more engaged in your activity because it makes you focus on just two things: thoughts and letters. So, it doesn’t really matter what you’re writing. You can let the words flow and see where they lead you.
As well, this method is used when people find it hard to talk about their issues. They start writing about anything that crosses their mind and in no time, they find themselves writing about their problem. Avoiding your problems can only make the situation worse, so this would be a great way to externalize your inner problems.
6. Introspection
Mindfulness, writing, and introspection are the perfect trio. We know why the first two go along so well, but now let’s see how introspection fits in the equation. As Allan Douse, HR manager at Brillassignment.co.uk, said, “Introspection is all about observing or examining your conscious feelings and thoughts.”
So, introspecting through mindful writing can help you reach to the root of your problems. As well, you can better understand your thoughts, emotions, actions, and reactions. You can gain full control over your mind, so nothing and no one will be able to persuade or negatively influence your decisions.
Mindfulness is a great practice that can help you deal even with depression and anxiety. If you combine it with writing, you can double the trouble. Just remember that we are all different, so don’t have expectations that have something to do with other people’s experiences. Be patient and focus on your own brand-new experience that may change your life for good.
