Happy New Year, and thank you for visiting my ‘Writing to Help Yourself’ blog. I add a new post every month to explore how writing can help us make sense of life’s ups and downs. If you prefer to watch and listen to this post, I have recorded it as a video on my YouTube channel. Click below to watch.
I have been writing ‘Writing to Help Yourself’ for six months, and have dealt with a variety of issues, from living through the pandemic to the loss of a pet. This month, I am going to focus on the issue of low mood.
As I always say, the blog posts I write reflect issues I have personally experienced and the issue of low mood certainly is. It happens to most of us from time to time. Sometimes there’s good reason - sometimes it’s unexplained. Of course, if this low mood persists, support and help should be sought.
I am certainly affected each winter by SAD, (Seasonal Affective Disorder,) which is where mood is affected by cold weather and dark nights.
This is a common affliction, and coupled with what we are currently living through, in terms of Covid, it is definitely more commonplace this new year. As we often work in isolation, we need to be mindful of our mood. But as writers, we are incredibly lucky to have the power of the pen and the page to help us. It is one of our best allies!
The writing prompts below are designed to offer an exploration into your mood and provide a lift where possible:
- Keep a positivity diary. Every day, find three good things to capture - the simpler, the better. For example, the sun shining, having a friend phone for a chat, or receiving a compliment. In no time at all, you will have a joyful record to look back on.
- Can you identity some of the factors that are causing you to feel down? For each one, what would be the worst outcome? More importantly, what would be the best? This identification with the positive will hopefully enable you to focus on the best.
- Make a list of everything in your life that you’ve got going for you. People, pets, home, memories, things to look forwards to, etc. Keep referring to it and adding to it.
- Complete each of the following sentences:
I forgive myself for…
From [insert experience,] I have learnt…
I will never…
- How is your life different from what it was a year ago? How do you envisage it being different a year from now?
- Free write in response to each of the following:
Your happiest memory.
Your greatest achievement.
Your biggest dream.
A perfect day.
The person who’s had the most positive impact on you.
I hope one or more of these prompts helps to give you a lift.
I would love to hear how these prompts have worked for you so do post into the comments. If you want more, you might also be interested in a FREE twelve day course, which I am offering on YouTube, starting 10th January – ‘The 12 Days of Winter Writing.’ Click here to subscribe to my You Tube channel and you will then be notified of the first video.
Click here to come along to my YouTube channel, be sure to subscribe and then you will receive a notification of Day one. You can, of course, watch the videos and respond to the prompts at any time, and at your own pace.
And if you are not already on my ‘Keep in Touch’ list, you can join by clicking the book cover below – I will send you a copy of it when you join.
‘The 7 S.E.C.R.E.T.S. to Achieving your Writing Dreams,’ will definitely give you a writing lift, but if you are wanting a brand new 2021 writing project to distract you from the madness around us, look no further than ‘Write a Novel in a Year,’ a book that I have just released. Click below for more information.
I have lots of ‘Writing to Help Yourself’ blog posts lined up for 2021 but am always open to requests of subjects or issues you would like me to offer prompts for. I write this blog for YOU and am so grateful for the positive comments I have received about it so far.
Here’s to a productive 2021 for our writing – I know lots of people are saying this, but I truly think the end is in sight. In the meantime, we have our writing to keep us sane!
Stay safe and keep writing.
With very best wishes,
Maria Frankland
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It’s good value (I’m told!) The writers that are currently part of it contribute £3-£5 per month and can choose a free book after 6 months and get access to writing help sheets.
