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How can writing help you process trauma, build resilience, and find strength in adversity?
📖 Writing as Healing
Writing as a tool for healing is a phrase often referenced in today’s society. But how can writing out a few words help you process trauma, build resilience, and find strength in adversity?
Well, first off, no one wants you to be a P.O.W. — a Prisoner of Words unsaid.
🎥 Watch: Alicia Keys - P.O.W.
💭 Words We Should Have Said
Alicia Keys’s poem helps us understand what happens when we hold everything inside — all the things we should’ve said, wanted to say, or didn’t feel safe enough to express. There are so many moments, especially for young women, where it feels easier or safer not to speak up.
Her performance shows how holding that stuff in doesn’t just affect us mentally. It shows up physically, too. After she says her last line, Alicia stumbles toward the edge of the stage. That visual sticks with you.
If you’re mentally struggling, it eventually makes its way into your body. Don’t let it get that far.
🌿 What Resilience Actually Looks Like
Resilience is the capacity to withstand or recover quickly from difficulty.
Sometimes, it starts with something simple, like taking a moment for yourself. Visiting a library. Lighting a candle and pulling out your favorite journal. Write in silence for 15 minutes.
That might not seem big, but it’s a moment of reclamation. A moment where you remind yourself that no matter what you’ve been through, what you’re facing now, or what’s ahead, you are your best asset. You matter.
🖋️ The Power of Processing on the Page
Writing lets you explore emotions you might not be ready to speak out loud. It gives you a place to go deep, in as much detail or as few words as you need.
If your trauma comes from things that were out of your control, writing gives you something back: control. You decide what goes on the page. You decide when and how the healing begins.
✨ No Rules, Just Release
Grammar and punctuation don’t matter here. You’re not writing for a grade. You're writing for you.
If your sentences run on, if your spelling is off, if it doesn't look “perfect” — good. Healing isn’t perfect. You’re allowed to be messy. You're allowed to be human.
💌 Try Ending Your Writing Like This
Here’s something that helps:
End each writing session with a positive thought or reminder.
Try something like:
“I will get through this.”
“I am doing the best I can.”
“My words are powerful.”
Positivity creates more positivity. Writing can remind you that you already have the power within you to face whatever’s in front of you.
🌈 Writing Across the Six Domains of Resilience
If you made it this far, take a second to look at this image from Boise State University. It breaks resilience down into six domains: vision, composure, reasoning, health, tenacity, and collaboration. Writing touches every single one.
✍🏽 When you write, you’re creating vision by imagining a better future.
🧠 You’re building reasoning by organizing your thoughts.
💓 You’re strengthening composure by sitting still with your feelings.
💪🏽 You’re affirming your tenacity by showing up, even when it’s hard.
🫶🏽 You’re practicing collaboration when you share your story and let others do the same.
🌿 And with every breath you take while writing, you are choosing health—mental, emotional, and spiritual.
Writing isn’t just healing. It’s resistance. It’s clarity. It’s proof that you’re still here, still growing, and still powerful….
So write your way toward resilience.
