(Originally published at Degrees of Maternity on January 24, 2023.)

Last blog post, Write to Communicate to Yourself, I included a poll for you wonderful folks to complete, regarding where we should start in our “therapeutic writing to ourselves” journey. However, I’ve heard nothing but crickets thus far. Well, not literal crickets. And, not even crickets. It’s just been complete silence that I’ve experienced, really. So, I’m giving the survey another go. One more week to attract some much-needed attention from some folks just like yourself.

You can find the poll at the end of this blog post, where it eagerly awaits your arrival. Please give it a look-see and provide your welcomed response to the one-and-only multiple choice (no answer is wrong) question.

Truly, a painless poll, if I’ve ever seen one. Plus, you’re anonymous. So, no one’s going to know what your response was but YOU.

And on to today’s discussion . . .

Can we agree on one thing right off the bat, before going any further?

Can we just agree to make our writing therapy environment as cozy and inviting as possible? I mean . . . we’re talking about an optimal set up that makes expressively writing our thoughts, feelings, and emotions as easy as  . . .

a-b-c, 1-2-3, doe-ray-me.

And I’m all for it. We’re aiming for comfort here. Comfort in bearing our souls in written form. So, I say let’s create a writing therapy environment held up by an awesome framework that works just for us.

We’re going to get after it by looking at the Who?, What?, Where?, When?, Why?, and How? (the cozy framework) that builds the environment that feels like “writing” home.

Here we go!

Who?

Well, that’s you (and me), silly. You are the guest of honor at your house warming; and, I’m the guest of honor at mine. You and I are going to get our feel-goods through the written word.

And, we’re going to be all in to our new digs, because we helped make them what they are. We’re the builder of our framework, so we’ll be the ones who set up our writing ambiance (and everything in it) for success in its intended purpose . . .

. . .which is to provide some personal healing for the soul – that part of us that makes up the “real” you and me.

What?

For this part of the framework, let’s just hone in on what we’re going to use for our writing purposes. I say use whatever makes it easy for you to write – paper and pen/pencil, computer and keyboard, audio recording device and voice. It really doesn’t matter to anyone but YOU.

Again, we’re going for the comfort zone of all comfort zones – our writing therapy environment. And, it needs to fulfill our needs and wants for a place that will lead to uninhibited written disclosure (for our eyes only) that results in favorable outcomes to problematic situations in our lives.

So, use whatever equipment and supplies that will make that soul-reflection, flow-state writing happen. Simple as that.

Where?

Now, this section is a good one. Because it deals with location, location, location. Let’s just be real, shall we? There are some places and spaces where no meaningful writing is going to take place, so just cross those areas off of your consideration list.

And any locations where they’re SO cozy as to put you completely to sleep probably aren’t the best places to engage in your writing therapy exercises. Because . . . well . . . you’re not going to get any writing done at all. When I stated “cozy” for your environment, I didn’t mean THAT cozy.

So, you’ve got to pick a place and space that will allow for informal, laid-back, relaxed yet productive writing on your own terms. Maybe you’re comfortable in your home office, in your bedroom (oh, but be careful of the sleepy monster that likes to make those eyes drowsy in the middle of anything “work”-related), at a desk, on the couch, at a table in your favorite café, in a lounge area at the local library or bookstore.

Really, no one else needs to be involved in helping you figure this one out. It’s strictly up to you. Your writing environment, your terms. You decide where to write. Just make sure your choice is a place and space where you know you’ll be able to successfully get some words out there.

When?

This one is a tricky one, at best. It can be hard to etch some time into your day for yourself. Isn’t that absolutely off-the-wall? To have to create some time in your schedule to do something JUST FOR YOU? It may sound ridiculous, but this phenomenon affects more people than you think.

I mean . . . we live in a world that’s unforgiving when it comes to sucking up the time in our day without giving us a moment’s thought. If the world could get 24 hours of selfless activity from us, it would. But, life doesn’t work that way, and human beings have to find some time in the day to DO FOR SELF.

We have to replenish our wells, so they don’t run dry. We just have to. And, it requires us being selfish sometimes in order to make that time for ourselves a priority instead of an afterthought or no-thought at all.

So, pick an amount of time each day that you’d like to engage in your writing therapy. Or, if not every day, several times throughout the week. And create some time (you pick the duration of time – doesn’t have to be long just productive enough) to devote to your writing for YOU.

Be consistent with the amount of time daily/weekly you create for your writing and give yourself grace on how you spread it out. And I know this sounds kind of wishy-washy instead of me saying pick a time and duration of time each day and stick to it for consistency’s sake.

But for goodness’ sake, we’re human beings with a lot of stuff going on in our lives. And, I’m not the one to add another stressor to someone’s overwhelm by being rigid with an activity that’s supposed to promote healing in one’s life.

You know what I mean?

Therefore, I recommend that you be consistent with a comfortable amount of time you write per day or week (say 15 minutes a day or 1 hour spread out throughout the week) and pencil time in your schedule for your writing therapy.

No pressure. Make this additional activity work for your life routine instead of against it.

Why?

Well, you’re just going to have to read:

Why Writing Therapy?

What is Writing Therapy in 25 Sentences

Writing as a Communication Enhancer

Write to Communicate to Yourself

to find out the answer to the Why? question.

How?

The How? in the framework has to do with the method of writing you use in respect to electronically or manually. This section is somewhat of a spinoff from the “What?” section. However, I don’t want to focus on what we use to write with but how we write, instead.

When it comes to therapeutic writing, I’ve been known to use both methods, alternating back and forth between what feels good at the time. I used to think that I was more of a manual (handwriting with pen and paper) writer; but since I started writing professionally, I’ve picked up on getting more and more comfortable at sitting down at my laptop and just jamming on it.

I just think writing a lot has opened up both methods for me.

So for you, just use the method of writing that comes naturally for you at any given writing therapy session. It might be “computer day” one day and “paper and pencil” day the next. It really just depends on your mood for the day and where you think you can get your writing flow going best.

I guess what I’m really saying with all of this is JUST DO . . . YOU. Did you think I was going to say JUST DO . . . IT, instead? Well no, because that saying is already taken by a very famous footwear, apparel, equipment corporation. So, no.

But really, just do you when creating your writing therapy environment.

The whole goal is to make writing for healing a welcoming experience. So, decorate your digs in your own unique style.

Oh, and don’t forget to complete the poll question, below. See you next time.

https://poll.fm/11304453