Hidden Grief & Journaling

CONFUSED OR NOT CONVINCED that Journaling is helpful for grief? Here’s an insight…

You learned that the community picnic you were looking forward to has been canceled, and you burst into tears, unsure of why this news has set you off. Ambiguous loss is grief that you can’t quite define. The brain’s emotion centers are overwhelmed, leaving us feeling, sad, uncertain and powerless.

Bring more clarity to your feelings with “emotionally expressive” writing, which engages the logic center of your brain. This form of grief journaling is one of the best ways to corral elusive emotions after loss. Simply focus on jotting down your feelings without censoring yourself. “Transforming ambiguous feelings into concrete words allow us to escape the emotional quicksand,” assures neurologist Lisa M. Shulman, M.D., author of Before and After Loss. This kind of journaling works by gradually desensitizing you to the emotional charge associated with trauma. “Be patient with this process - even if your writing seems nonsensical at first, it’s helping you become more aware of your feelings.