Write the Hard Part, Then Put the Pen Down

For a long time I just lay there and let it run. That never helped. By morning I was tired and no closer to an answer.

Writing it down changed the pattern a little. I keep a notebook on the nightstand, and when a thought won't leave, I write it out in full. No editing, no tidy ending.

Then I stop when I've written enough, close the notebook, and go to bed. I don't go back to the thought until the next day.

I'm not a therapist, and I'm not claiming this treats anything. It's just what I do.

After I write, I ask myself two things: What did I feel while I was writing? What can wait until tomorrow? The second question gives me permission to stop.

If something feels heavier than a notebook can hold, please talk to someone you trust, or to a professional.

I keep prompts for this in my Midlife Self-Reflection Workbook, a few pages of questions I go back to when I'm stuck.

Put the hard thing on paper, ask what's true, and close the book. You don't have to solve it tonight.

Midlife Self-Reflection Workbook on Etsy