Searching For An Emotional Outlet? This Ritual Can Help

Letter-writing, whether to one self or to others, is a very under-rated form of emotional catharsis. Nikita Vyas shares more about what she has learnt from the practice of letter-writing.

I was in my teens when I first wrote a personal letter to myself. I had to give myself a pep talk about how things have changed but everything was going to be fine. I wrote it and forgot about it. Recently while cleaning the loft I found it in one of the suitcases, along with some photographs.

That letter caught me by surprise. Today I’m a Psychologist and a Coach but I get upset and impatient way too quickly whereas my younger self was free and quite confident about her life. Of course, she was naïve because life threw her many curve balls after that. Nonetheless, I was so thrilled to read that letter.

I started writing letters again post my M.Phil when I was trying to understand certain changes in my life. I cannot tell you the ways in which writing letters helped me move on, stay strong, get closure and treasure memories.

I felt a very strong urge to write this blogpost for you hoping this practice of letter-writing will help you reap the benefits that I did.

1. Helps you to navigate your emotional life.

2. It’s like a blueprint of your thoughts and beliefs

3. You’re the only audience, which means it’s a private ritual

   

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4. Helps you de-clutter the mind and relaxes the noise

5. Increases awareness toward self and your surroundings

6. Helps you preserve some great memories

7. It’s a log that can help you track your thought process after years

8. If you’ve written a letter to someone else, you don’t necessarily have to send it

9. You become more expressive not just with yourself but also with others

10. It increases your level of empathy

11. Believe it or not, writing letters to the self has some incredible physical benefits, such as body positivity and improved body image

12. Helps you let go of suppressed or hidden emotions you cannot express otherwise

What kind of letters can you write?

•  Letters of apology (Forgiveness & Forgiving)

• Letters of appreciation (Expressing gratitude or complimenting)

• Letters of love (How much he/she means to you)

• Letters of empathy (I feel your pain)

• Letters to a lost one (Just to say goodbye)

After you’ve written them just read them once. If you’ve written it to yourself, I highly recommend you keep it. Researchers say that reading letters that we wrote to ourselves in the past tends to improve our decision making (Not to mention the memories it gives us).

There are no rules or a template that you have to stick to. This simple ritual can be practiced at any age or time. If you’ve written these letters to other people or your loved ones, you can choose to either send them or keep them or even tear them up. The best part about this practice is that it’s absolutely personal and each time you write it, there’s just so much to say.

Sounds amazing right? Get started right away…

First published at author’s blog

Image via Pixabay

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