Beth Jacobs, Ph.D.

Emotional balance is not a state, but an ongoing process of cultivating awareness and adapting to the myriad influences on our feelings as we move through life.

Writing is a powerful tool of emotional balance. It is personal, creative, flexible and accessible. In the process of writing for emotional balance, the page (or screen) can become a plane between the internal and external worlds. Through this plane, excess emotion can be dumped and contained, confusion can be sorted, and the tiniest seed of hope or of a new idea can flower. How can you start using writing to help manage your emotions?

Experiment with the contrast of writing's powers to let feelings out and bring feelings in. Think of the most upsetting thing that's happened to you lately and use one page to vent. Just keep physically writing and let the feelings flow  out.

On the second page, write a list of things that soothe you when you feel the overwhelming emotion you described. Include sensory experiences, people, activities, anything that can help you feel calm and comfort. Through these two pages, you'll create a brief sample of how writing can help you find both release and structure. Infinite variations can be developed to suit your purpose or moment.