Benefits of Expressive Writing (Part 2)

Written by Day Marshall, LMHC (Senior Clinician)

When I wrote Part 1 of this post, I had no idea the turns that life would present in the space between writing Part 2. However, as God’s will so consistently demonstrates, it is perfect and provides opportunities for growth and strengthening of faith if we have the willingness to embrace it.

In recent months, one of my most beloved friends was diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis continues to worsen as treatments are applied and tests are run. In the midst of this, my Dad died quite suddenly. As my emotions and mind play leapfrog, trying to find reason while being overcome with floods of feelings, I have used journaling to express the inexpressible. Writing out my incomplete and complex fears, anger, questions, regrets, and sorrow has been powerful. It is, at its core, lament; a way of expressing our hearts and innermost self to God himself. Though it is entirely possible to lament verbally, the benefit of lamenting in writing is profound. It forces me to slow down just a bit; to allow each thought and feeling to linger a bit longer and to be examined a bit more closely. The few seconds it takes to print a word give the brain an extraordinary amount of neurological time to process the thought. The nanosecond required to realize that a thought exists is slowed down and the thought is held under a magnifying glass while the thought goes through the neurological process of moving to the writing part of the brain and transmitting the impulses to the fingers to form the letters or push the keys. This produces a visual representation of the thought before the eyes, which is then uploaded into the visual part of the brain for further processing.

The lament I experience, once expressed in journaling, allows for the powerful part of the exercise to take place — the peace. In taking the time to lay those emotions and thoughts out on the table, so to speak, I am able to move to a place of rest. In a sense, I’ve spoken my truth; I’ve expressed my pain, anger, grief, fear, loss. This clears the way for my heart to find some peace. It is here that entering into a place of expressing gratitude and hopefulness becomes more meaningful, or perhaps at some points, it is what allows it to be possible.

God is Here

Written by Heather Thornburg, MA (Clinician)

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:5b-6 ESV (italics added)

I could tell you that I love this verse, but I would be lying.  Mostly, I find this verse confusing – how in the world do I “not be anxious about anything?” Especially right now?  In 2021…that followed 2020?

Life in a fallen, broken world can easily produce anxiety, and this past year has really hit many of us hard.  Almost every single client that I see is experiencing anxiety symptoms to one degree or another.  And in truth, it impacts me as well.  Anxiety symptoms appear in different ways.  Physically, we can have muscle tension, nausea, hot or cold sweats, headaches, shortness of breath or tightness in our chest.  Emotionally, we can become easily irritated, easily startled, tearful, impatient.  Mentally, we can have difficulty focusing, become spacey, or have intrusive or racing thoughts.  This is not an exhaustive list, but whatever symptoms we experience can be difficult to live with.  So, what can we do?

Believe or not, managing anxiety can begin with some relatively simple steps.

1.      Breathe – Seems too simple, right?  But anxiety can cause us to hold our breath or breathe shallowly and rapidly, and this can make our symptoms worse.  Instead, take five minutes to do some deep breathing.  Breathe slowly in through your nose for a count of 4-6, hold your breath for a count of 4-6, then breathe slowly out through your mouth for a count of 6-8.  Repeat.  Deep breathing reverses the anxiety response and signals your brain to begin calming the body (from TherapistAid.com).

2.      Ground – Do you find yourself worrying about things that haven’t happened yet?  If your thoughts have a repeated refrain of “what if…” then you are.  The future hasn’t happened yet; it doesn’t exist.  The present moment is real, and grounding yourself in it will help you step back from the tyranny of your thoughts.  Look around you - what do you see?  What do you hear?  What do you smell, taste, feel?  Take it in slowly and deeply.  Describe your surroundings to yourself; notice your feelings.  Pause, and let yourself be present in the moment.  Breathe a thank you to God for something in your surroundings.  By the time you’ve done all this, the “what ifs” shouting in your brain will have quieted down and given you the space and the strength to choose your next thoughts, to speak the truth about who holds your future.

3.      Prayer – Do you ever get caught in a thought loop about things that worry you?  Racing thoughts or thinking about the same things over and over are frequent responses to anxiety.  These thoughts can also be some of the most difficult anxiety symptoms to address.  When you experience this, immediately turn your thoughts to prayer. Don’t necessarily try to change the content, just begin directing your thoughts to Jesus.  It looks something like this.  I think, “I have this blog to write, and it’s my first one.  What if people don’t like it and think it sounds dumb?  What if my colleagues don’t like it?  Will it be professional enough?  Is my writing up to par?” …and we’re off to the races.  Now switch to prayer.  “Jesus, I have this blog to write and it’s my first one.  God, what if people don’t like it and think it sounds dumb?”  …etc., etc.  In the first example, my thoughts are spinning inside of myself with nowhere to go, and I don’t have the power to do anything about them.  In the second example, I have directed my thoughts up and outside of myself to one who loves me and created me.  To one who has the power to encourage and direct me, and provide some objectivity. 

To return to our verse, yes, Paul tells us “do not be anxious about anything”, but before he does so, he reminds us that “the Lord is at hand.” God, himself, is the reason we have hope to overcome our anxiety. When you feel a tension headache coming on, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself, “God is here.” When you’re lying in bed and can’t stop thinking, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself “God is here.” When your irritated and don’t know why, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself, “God is here.” Whether you feel him or not, God is here!