Writing as self-therapy

My blog has this feature to open a random post. One of over 900 on my English blog alone. I think I’ve mentioned before that I like to use this feature to browse a bit through my thoughts from a few years ago.

Today I noticed something new in the process. I came across an article from October 2017. In it, I describe that yes, showing weakness is a strength. You can’t always just pretend that everything is fine, because everyone is having a bad time sometimes. And it’s ok to show that then.

In October 2017, I just started my dual computer science study program a few weeks ago. My father was again in the hospital for treatment, after he had already been in an artificial coma for several weeks the year before, due to an illness that was not identified until the end. In addition, my grandfather had died at the end of 2016, just as my father was in a coma. That was not an easy time for me. Also, in late 2016, early 2017, I was in the middle of studying for my final exams at school.

I’ve always had a hard time talking openly with other people about thoughts and feelings. I prefer to work most things out with myself.

But one thing, I realize as I browse through posts from that time, helped me in particular. Writing. I got so into blogging, after school work or then later after the work day, I would grab my laptop and do some blogging. I did a lot of reflecting, thinking and writing about my views on certain things. For example, that it would be quite good to have fun with the work you do.

So what do I want to say now with this post here?

Writing is a good therapy! Writing can help to process certain situations better. To organize thoughts. To reflect on points of view.

I’ve been keeping a digital diary for a few months now. Most of the time I just write down what I did during the day, so I can look it up later and remember it. Sometimes, if something is bothering me, I also write down my thoughts about it.

When you write down your thoughts, it firstly helps to sort them and secondly to let them go. They are now on the paper or in the storage, they don’t need to be in the head anymore.

My girlfriend also confirms this. I set up an anonymous blog for her a year ago, where she regularly writes about topics that are on her mind.

And the writing doesn’t even have to be public. A notebook can also be a good repository for thoughts.

P.S.: Maybe I should start writing longer things more often again. But microblogging is just so tempting easy…

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