When do you write?
I received a question this week that was (paraphrased), when do you write everyday? Do you write all day? I agree it is a daunting feeling when you set out to make journaling a healthy habit in your life. The problem is motivation! If your motivation for writing is “because I’m supposed to write” then you may struggle with creating a healthy habit.
When you are writing because of external motivation the effort to write feels like an assignment. Many times it is an assignment – your teacher or mentor or counselor is asking you to write. It becomes a chore. Conversely, when you are internally motivated then writing is golden.
Internal motivation is when you find that you want to write. You need to write because you crave a peaceful mind. You deeply desire to get the stuff spinning in your grey matter on a piece of paper so you can work on something else. You want to “free your mind”. This is when you graduate into a new level of journaling.
Until it comes naturally here are some nice triggers that will keep you reaching for your pen and journal all day.
Before big events
Are you preparing for a job interview, an exam, or a presentation to a group of people? It is stressful! There are many stressful situations that could like “final exams”. If you write about the stress you are feeling about the exam then you improve your chances of score better. The amazing power of expressive writing! Writing just before a big event about the stress of the big event gives you super powers! It’s in the research!
After negative experiences
Another time to write is after negative experiences. We tend to hang on to memories of when:
- our significant other said or did something that hurt our feelings.
- our boss or teacher unsympathetically dismisses our hard work.
- a friend or relative makes us feel dumb or embarrasses us.
These experiences trigger anger. And although anger is not a sin it can get in the way of us being productive. Research shows that writing about negative experiencesfrees up working memory. Our minds can comprehend and manage more things without the stress! This is one of a couple big benefits to expressive writing
Bookend your day!
Morning bookend
Many writers and writing programs have touted the personal benefits of writing in the morning. An example program is writing continuously for 20 minutes without stop or caring for the quality of the writing. Write about yourself. Write about how you feel. Write for your eyes only. I like to call this kind of writing “Grip-it-and-rip-it writing”. It is something I do each morning in my prayer journal. It works wonders on my day.
Evening bookend
The second part of this bookend approach is writing before you sleep. You guessed it, research shows that you sleep better with gratitude writing at night. So part of your nightly ritual after you brush your teeth(!) grab your pen and journal and essentially count your blessings. 😁 Write “I am grateful for…” you fill in the blank. You’ll sleep much better by filling your mind with gratitude.
Make it happen!
You now can see how people who are internally motivated to write can write all day! They are doing what research has shown
- to perform better at stressful events.
- improve your productivity.
- improve your circadian cycle!
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I absolutely love this blog. I write a lot for work and then find that my personal passion for writing gets sidelined then when I sit down to write I end up with the block… I’m going to try your tips.
Writing is my therapy. I’m a huge advocate for writing when things aren’t going well. It helps my mental health and I come up with some great work at times. Other than that early morning writing when I can’t sleep.