Well done you have completed your 3 day writing experience. So what next? See our frequently asked questions below.
You could expand your story. If you have found this useful consider writing in a more regular way. Remember though to look at what you learned, how you coped rather than just getting things off your chest. If you find you go over the same thing try to move on by sticking to the format described in day 3.
Q1. How will I know when writing to heal might be a good idea?
A. Be guided by your own sense of what’s not feeling right. A good indicator of readiness to write is the feeling that something has been bothering you and keeping you awake at night. Other indicators are losing concentration easily and sensing that you have thoughts and feelings churning in your head.
Q2. What do I need to get started?
A. Some paper or a notebook and pen or you could type into your computer or talk into a recording device.
Q3. How long and when should I write?
A. Set aside 15 to 20 minutes for 3 days in a row (or once a week for 3 consecutive weeks). Time of day doesn’t matter but you may want to make sure you won’t be disturbed.
Q4. Is there a best place to write?
A. Where is a personal choice. Some people prefer safe comfortable areas, others a cafe or in the park.
Q5. What do I write about?
A. You might want to write about your stroke and how you live with it. Alternatively, you may wish to write about another significant event. What you choose to write about could be from the recent past or from a very long time ago. Ideally, it should be something you haven’t shared very much about with anyone else. However, even if you have shared your significant event with others you may still feel you would benefit from writing a story about it.
Q6. Can I write about more than one thing?
A.It is best to write about the same event across the 3 days. However, if you have found this writing activity useful and have other event(s) you would like to process then by all means engage in more 3 day writing sessions. Just remember to follow the guidance across the 3 days as faithfully as you can.
Q7. I'm worried that if I do this I will feel worse
A. It is quite normal to feel a bit low after writing about upsetting and significant events. It is wise to keep in mind the ‘looking after yourself’ statements listed in the Key Point box in this section.
Q8. What do I do when I have finished the 3 days?
A. It depends what you want to do with your story. You can get rid of it, or re read and review it – looking at it to see if your thoughts or feelings have changed or moved on in some way.
Download writing frequently asked questions [.pdf, 68KB ]
Key point
Don’t forget to look after yourself when writing, remember;
- Small doses rule…be strict and keep to just that 15-20 minutes writing each time.
- Breathing space….keep some time and space afterwards to think about how you felt during your writings.
- Build in something to do that you know makes you feel comfortable following your writings.
- Move on…..Let your self simply stop writing if you want.
- Privacy…take steps to make sure your writings are private unless you choose to share them.