How to Sort Out Anger with Expressive Writing — The Basics

When you're holding strong anger, or an unpleasant feeling you can't quite reconcile, you put that feeling into words and write it out. This simple method — one that has drawn attention for a long time — is "expressive writing."

It's a technique studied in the field of psychology, and it's said to be able to help you sort out your feelings. In this article, we'll talk about the basic method for handling anger and unpleasant feelings, and how to take it up without strain, without overstating the effect.

What expressive writing is

Expressive writing is a method of writing out — without worrying about form — an event that weighs on your mind and the feelings that welled up at the time. Writing well, or reaching the "right" conclusion, isn't the goal. Moving what's piled up in your head and chest, just as it is, onto paper or into an app — that's the basis.

Several studies report that putting feelings into words and getting them out can help sort them. That said, how much you feel it varies from person to person, and it can't be stated as fact that everyone experiences the same change. It's best to begin with the attitude of simply "giving it a try."

The basic method for sorting out anger

What's often introduced is a loose approach like this.

• Write on the premise that no one else will see it. This is the foundation for letting honest words out.
• Write out what happened, and what, and how, you felt — just as it is.
• Don't worry about grammar or form. If your thoughts shift as you write, carry on anyway.
• It's often introduced as writing for around ten to fifteen minutes a day over several days, but there's no fixed right answer.

The tip when handling anger is to point your view at "what, and how, did I feel," rather than lining up attack after attack at the other person. When you move to the side that observes the feeling, the temperature tends to drop, little by little, as you write.

Notes for taking it up without strain

Right after writing, touching a painful memory can leave you feeling temporarily heavier. That isn't abnormal — it's a reaction that can happen. If it feels heavy, don't force yourself on; it's fine to set it aside for a while.

If the heaviness lasts for weeks, you can't sleep, or daily life is disrupted, don't carry it through writing alone — consider talking to a physician or counselor. Expressive writing is not an all-purpose fix, only one tool for handling your heart with care.

Yurusen is a quiet place for keeping this expressive writing up as a daily habit. File the person you couldn't forgive gently into a ledger only you can read; rather than just hurling the feeling out, set it down as a record. If you'd like to understand more deeply the process by which writing gives your feelings a name, searching the Wraith Codex for the "type" tormenting you can be one entry point.