The Healing Power of Writing
I didn’t realize it then, but I was writing to work through my insecurities.
I started journaling in the fifth grade. My entries were typical preteen dreads: dishwashing, homework, and never having enough snacks in the house. However, towards the end of fifth grade, I learned I was selected for the Gifted and Talented Education program and would transfer to Ms. Lee’s class.
Ms. Lee’s class was the smart class. They had fun science projects. PE was early in the morning, and there were no fights in Ms. Lee’s class. But the curriculum was more challenging, and I was worried. Soon, I was journaling about the transition daily. The more I thought about transferring to Ms. Lee’s class, the more I wrote.
But over time, my entries changed.
Instead of lamenting my impending transfer to Ms. Lee’s class in my journal, I created scenarios of what life would be like in my new class. Some days, Ms. Lee’s class was the best thing that ever happened to me. I knew all the answers to every question, and everyone wanted to be my friend. Other times, Ms. Lee’s class was more awful than I could imagine, and I would have liked to have forgotten school altogether.
I didn’t realize it then, but I was writing to work through my insecurities about moving to the program.
And it worked. Ms. Lee’s class wasn’t as awful as I had written and wasn’t as great either. But having the experience in my mind made the experience palatable and quelled some of my anxiety.
That’s when I discovered the power of writing. Writing was the only thing that I felt confident in. I wasn’t the pretty girl or the girl who could sing or best dressed. I could write. Writing was my superpower.
In my twenties, my writing continued to morph. Sometimes, my journal entries were essays about my failures, and other times, prayers and hope for things to improve. But regardless of my entries or their purpose, writing was how I began to heal.
If you have not tried writing your way through your pain, I suggest you do so. For one week, start writing, whether journal entries or short notes, on your phone. The idea is to get in the habit of writing your feelings down.
Let me know how it goes.
- Tamika