Timed Writing as Meditation

Timed writing has quite a few functions. It can generate ideas for stories, or for solving problems. Did you know it can help with your mental health? It can. You can use it to meditate.

You set aside a little time, say ten minutes, to meditate. Then you take a pen or pencil and a notebook and write down whatever comes to mind. The time you take can be short or long, it’s up to you. What you do is to write without stopping the pen or pencil. You can type on a computer or phone as well, should that be your choice. There are a lot of writing apps out there, even some journal apps that can do the job. The point is to let the words flow.

You can even pose questions to yourself. Questions to ponder, like what do I want from life? Why am I here? Is my job fulfilling me? What do I want to do? If you use such a prompt, write it at the top of the page, then begin by setting your timer and write. Don’t stop until the timer goes off. When it does, finish that last thought then stop.

Sometimes all you need to do is sit there and write. I often hurl hurtful words at people I’ve argued or disagreed with, whether they are in the room or not. I can be as hurtful as I like. I know the other person will never read those words. My timed writing sessions go in my personal journal. You can delete your’s or throw the pages away, if you want. That’s symbolic of letting the anger go.
Either way, this form of meditation is good for getting the hurt feelings, the anger or the love out. This is great for when your head gets too crowded with emotional words. What you do with the pages is up to you. The important part is getting those words to the page, whether physical or virtual. Once that timer goes off, your mind should be clearer. If you were pondering life questions, you might even find that you have a better idea of what to do to get what you want.

That’s the brainstorming part of this meditation technique. You’ll end up with a better grasp of the problem and even some ideas on how to fix whatever is bothering you.

So, set some time aside to meditate with pen and paper or your phone’s note app. Write down a life question, or not, your choice. Then set a timer and write. You might find that if you get nothing else from the experience, you’ll find peace of mind. That is huge. Peace of mind is everything. Remember, meditation doesn’t have to be sitting on the floor and chanting. It can be a cleansing period of time that will improve your mental health. It might even be fun.

About pebblepup

I am not one who is comfortable talking about myself but here goes. I enjoy writing, family history, and reading. I decided to do this blog because I wanted to try something new. I decided to make it a weekly blog because I wasn't sure that I could keep up with a daily one, and monthly seemed like I was writing a magazine. I think I did ok with my choices. You'll notice that there are not a lot of graphics on my site. That's because there are graphics plastered everywhere on the Internet and those sites sometimes take forever to load. This blog is a place where you can kick back, relax and be ready to be amused. At least I hope I willbamuse you. This blog is on a variety of subjects from my ficitional cat agency, the FFL, which is monthly, to instructional blogs to editorials, which are my opinions only. I admit that I don't know everything and could be wrong -- I frequently am. Now, stop reading about me and read what I have to say!