Sharing our deepest thoughts and dreams provide valuable connections.
Writing stories gives us an opportunity to step back and ‘mind map’ the landscape in which we find ourselves. It affords us the opportunity to self reflect and obtain a perspective on the characters we know in our lives.
Writing poems gives us an opportunity to explore our deepest feelings.
Journaling can be a valuable tool for managing mental health, and helping individuals gain insight into their emotions and behaviours. It may also reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.
Medium
Choosing between poems and short stories for journaling depends on your personal preferences, goals, and the specific benefits you hope to achieve. Both forms have unique advantages and can be highly effective in different ways.
Poems
Benefits:
- Emotional Depth: Poems often capture emotions and experiences in a condensed, powerful form. They can help you express complex feelings and thoughts succinctly.
- Creativity: Writing poetry encourages creative thinking and can help you explore new perspectives and metaphors.
- Therapeutic Release: The rhythmic and often symbolic nature of poetry can provide a cathartic release, making it particularly useful for processing intense emotions.
- Brevity: Poems can be written quickly, making them a good choice for busy schedules or when you want to capture a moment without spending too much time.
Examples:
- Expressive Poetry: Write a poem about a recent event or feeling, using vivid imagery and metaphor.
- Haiku: Try writing a haiku to capture a moment in just three lines.
Short Stories
Benefits:
- Narrative Structure: Short stories allow you to develop a narrative, which can help you understand and process events in a more structured way.
- Character Development: Creating characters can help you explore different aspects of yourself or others, providing deeper insights into relationships and personal dynamics.
- Contextual Detail: Short stories offer more room to provide context and detail, which can be helpful for reflecting on complex situations.
- Problem-Solving: Writing a story can help you work through problems and consider different solutions or outcomes.
Examples:
- Personal Narrative: Write a short story based on a significant event in your life, exploring your thoughts and feelings.
- Fictional Scenario: Create a fictional story that mirrors a real-life situation, allowing you to examine it from a different angle.
Choosing the Best Option
- If You Want to Focus on Emotions and Creativity: Poems might be the better choice. They are excellent for capturing and expressing emotions in a concise and powerful way.
- If You Want to Explore Complex Situations and Narratives: Short stories could be more suitable. They provide a structured format for delving into detailed scenarios and character development.
Combining Both
- Hybrid Approach: Consider combining elements of both. For example, you could write a short story and include poetic passages to add emotional depth.
- Journal Prompts: Use prompts that encourage both forms. For instance, start with a poem to capture an emotion, then expand it into a short story to explore the context.
Experiment with both forms to see which one feels more natural and beneficial for your mental health journey.
The AWG is looking to provide Workshops to support Mental Health initiatives under the Neighbourhood Teams (NT) umbrella in Brighton and Hove soon.
What to expect:
Journaling Workshops… “A Leap of Faith!”
To be continued…
We will also look to provide helpful links to support the development of your writing.
Support Links:
Identropy 