Do you know yourself? How often do you take time out? When was the last time you had a heart-to-heart?
Friends and romantic partners come and go. But the relationship we have with ourselves is for life. So, it’s one we should cherish. How can we go about cherishing ourselves? Answers can be found when we write for leisure.
We define “writing for leisure” as the act of recording one’s thoughts, feelings and experiences in a journal. It doesn’t necessarily need to involve the writing of poetry, novels, or any other mode of creative writing. Writing for leisure is about creating space to have an honest conversation with ourselves.
Synonyms of “writing for leisure” include:
- journal writing (or journaling)
- recording experiences
- psychological catharsis
- stream of consciousness writing.
Here are four reasons why writing for leisure yields tremendous value:
Helps us navigate relationships
Writing for leisure allows us to practice communication. Articulating our thoughts and feelings trains us to be better communicators, a skill that makes human interaction easier and more rewarding.
But on a deeper level, there’s a lot of thought leadership which suggests that we can only know someone as deeply as we know ourselves. Journal writing is a place where we can be our authentic selves. In relinquishing the masks we summon to protect ourselves, journal writing helps us become more self-aware. Becoming more self-aware helps us navigate our relationships. In knowing ourselves, we become more understanding of other people and the many shades of human experience. Journal writing gives us space to process life experiences. This is important! Processing helps us obtain insights that can transform the way we interact with ourselves and the world around us. Writing for leisure sharpens our awareness.
Propels self-actualisation
Writing is a way of speaking into being. Don’t believe us? Think about the sources which inform our beliefs. Whether it be the news, opinion articles, or expert round-ups of information, the intellectual fabric of society is largely determined by what people write. That’s why propaganda has proven to be successful throughout history. Humans are very influenced by stories – narratives that are spoken into being through the words we write.
Norman Denzin, a well-known sociology professor, once said, “Writing creates worlds we inhabit.” We can help create our reality by writing positive affirmations about what we want to see in our world.
Journal writing helps us:
- release thoughts that are holding us back
- clarify our ideas about what we want
- nurture our unique voice.
Everyone has stories and a unique way of expressing them. They’re the patchwork of the human psyche. Journaling our life experiences helps us discover our life purpose. A universal plight of human experience is wondering what the “point” of existence is.
Going down this rabbit hole can generate mental fatigue if we don’t release our inner dialogue surrounding these questions. Writing for leisure puts us in the best standing. It helps us discover what we want and what is best for us. Life is most enriching when we permit ourselves to actualise our desires.
A trigger for a rewarding career
Most career consultants agree that personal development is highly beneficial to those who want to progress in their careers. Why? Because personal development allows us to learn more about ourselves. When we write in our journals, when we reflect on what makes us happy and what we’re most proud of, we realise our traits, capabilities, and potential. Channelling this understanding into how we can give value to people is a great recipe for career satisfaction.
To improve career satisfaction, use journal writing to:
- set goals
- express gratitude
- explore difficult emotions
- affirm greatest moments.
Allows space for emotional liberation
Bottling up our emotions can perpetuate trauma and inner turmoil. Writing for ourselves allows us to express our true feelings in an uncensored environment. We can feel safe in that no one needs to read what we write. So, no one needs to judge the way we really feel about things. Writing our unfiltered thoughts and emotions acts as a mindfulness technique in that it helps us relinquish things that are stilting our existence. In a study conducted by Cambridge University Press, people who liberated their emotions through writing experienced better health than those who didn’t. Many experts agree that writing and journaling are very beneficial for our health. Writing helps to bring a sense of closure because it’s a medium where we can be fully honest with ourselves.
Whether we choose to write for a living or not, writing is instrumental for personal development. It enacts a vessel for us to actualise our truth and what we have to offer.
Want to connect with people who can help craft experiences in words? Elite Words is ready to answer the call. We’re a passionate team of copywriters, dedicated to helping our clients achieve their goals with great content.
Contact us today! We can’t wait to work with you!
