Writing is the mirror of the soul. It takes me far away to a vibrant parallel universe. When I write, I feel as if my body is dancing to a catchy rhythm and as if my soul is floating in the sky. I write because it takes away all the burdens of life. It ignites life in me. My body is in harmony with writing, as if it were a musical instrument that serenades the audience and my heart. When I write, I am over the moon and I feel as if I were on cloud number nine.
Through many years of writing and throughout all the phases of my life, from the most stressful to the easiest moments, writing has always been a survival tool for me that filled my heart with happiness. It was always a strong motivator that pushed me to develop my skills, delve into reading, and discover myself. It was a cure for many problems I was facing. I look at writing from a personal philosophical point of view through a simple experience that encouraged me to chase my dreams and fulfill my passion.
Author Julia Cameron explains an idea in her book "The Artist's Way" that she refers to as the Morning Pages. This concept consists of writing three pages daily to express your thoughts without reading them. It helps people reconnect with their inner selves and the art that hides deep within in addition to stimulating their creative abilities. By adopting this method while moving from one city to another, I felt relieved, happy, and satisfied. The Morning Pages were my best companion and I started going to work with joy and peace of mind.
The first time writing was ever used as a method for overcoming psychological problems and improving people's health was in 1980. It is a successful way of releasing anger and negative energy and helps individuals overcome various psychological problems, if they know the right techniques and do certain exercices.
A study was conducted over 12 weeks on 70 individuals suffering from anxiety, negative thinking, and depression. After writing for 15 minutes a day, 3 days a week, the symptoms subsided after one month at an average level. After 2 months of continuous writing, the symptoms decreased significantly.
Through my experience with daily writing and focusing on optimistic things and events, my mental health has been positively affected and I learned how to look at events and even people positively, rather than negatively. Moreover, writing was and remains a way for me to fall into a deep sleep. I praise Allah and thank Him for His blessings.
Writing and journaling daily tasks are essential to boosting my self-confidence furthermore. The day I write on my journal and jot down my to-do list, a feeling of accomplishment takes over me, as if a flower was blossoming inside my heart. I start talking more confidently with my co-workers with an overwhelming sense of happiness and a passion for life.
It is a unique and fun experience. In light of the Kingdom's current developments, I believe that teaching how to write about daily events, small details, and the ups and downs of life is a skill that should be proposed and implemented because it would help children develop a keen eye for detail and teach them how to think and improve their thinking tools. This subject should be taught and treated like an art and a useful and effective antidote because it will decrease stress levels among students before their exams, will push them to focus, stimulate their creativity, and encourage them to discover themselves. Moreover, this subject helps first graders, increases their self-confidence, and pushes them to overcome their fears.
In one study, researchers conducted an experiment to find out how happy and comfortable students were in the classroom and how the use of certain tools affected their concentration and reduced their stress levels during class and while taking exams. The study was conducted on 117 students for 12 weeks. The following are some exercises that were used: writing down one's blessings and expressing gratitude towards some events at the beginning of each school period as well as breathing exercises and other exercises to reduce the stress and pressure of studying. The results were as follows: 26% less stress, 14% increase in the level of comfort and relaxation while attending classes, 12% increase in concentration, and 10% improvement in the quality of education.
Writing is an art. It is the world of endless words. The experience of writing gives people inner strength and self-confidence. It allows us to feel love and beauty in every corner of this life. The art of writing plays a major role in reviving the soul and restoring oneself after times of crisis, in addition to painting a new beautiful picture as the day starts.
References:
Julia Cameron ,(The artist's way : a spiritual path to higher creativity),
Los Angeles, CA : Jeremy P. Tarcher/Perigee, ©1992.
Pennebaker, J. W., & Chung, C. K. (2011). Expressive writing: Connections to physical and mental health. In H. S. Friedman (Ed.), The Oxford handbook of health psychology (pp. 417–437). Oxford University Press.
Smyth, J., Johnson, J., Auer, B., Lehman, E., Talamo, G. and Sciamanna, C., 2018. Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Mental Health, 5(4), p.e11290.
Flinchbaugh, C., Moore, E., Chang, Y. and May, D., 2011. Student Well-Being Interventions. Journal of Management Education, 36(2), pp.191-219.
