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A month ago, the [HivePH](https://peakd.com/c/hive-188409/created) community announced that there would be an upcoming webinar. One of the moderators asked us what topic we wanted to discuss, and we answered quite a lot of topics. I was excited to attend this particular webinar since it wasn’t about a Hive-related discussion. The more I read the description on the Discord server and the promotional banner, the more I realized that it pumped my excitement even more.


<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/dennnmarc/23yToeadnZJUvMJuMszgfretVLrGoErGuai5wD6rrePm9QNi7qMYfpePHW65aUaPYyNYy.png</center>*<sub><center>An image edited in Canva. The original image was from Unsplash by [Nghia Le](https://unsplash.com/photos/V3DokM1NQcs)</center></sub>*

As a writer, we read, write, and communicate every day to the point where we become exhausted. Mental burnout is gnawing at the very fibers of your brain cells, rendering you unproductive for the next few days. It was a problem that I had encountered back then as well. So, my attention to the webinar was wholesome. It got my interest and I’m curious to know what a mental advocate could say about mental and emotional distress.

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***<center>"If you cannot speak, then write about it"</center>***

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When we are overwhelmed by our emotions through the unbearable situations in life, coming from our environment, There is a higher tendency that we keep it to ourselves, overthinking our what-ifs, and it will grow inside of our minds. From the webinar, I learned that we don’t speak because of fear, guilt, and comparing our lives to others. Our fears consume our worries, anxieties, and mental breakdown, which causes us to stop voicing out what is meant to be spoken. I am despondent that I feel weak emotionally and I cannot handle a sudden burst of emotions.

We tend to hide our real emotions because we feel and think we might get canceled. We became silent. We let the heavy burden swim and run amok inside without considering what would happen next. The mentor told us that whatever kinds of emotions, experiences, and thoughts we have are valid. I loved what she said in this part, and she stated, "It’s not too small. It’s not too big. Your emotions are valid. "
<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/dennnmarc/23tSYuKpE6ahzDWuXNjpXLzgcR3RSnevxyEC3PWY5DZsMMWuuXYkqgh48BtPATLMs5PB8.png</center>*<sub><center>A screenshot of the attendees of the webinar.</center></sub>*

<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/dennnmarc/23y8j4417WYimP5w17GfaxuL5DvbVnCTGDnCGn3DUv9eiEvyp5rEDZC6panSG16Koc63v.png</center>*<sub><center>A screenshot of the attendees of the webinar.</center></sub>*


**Deciphering the healing power of writing**

The power of writing is a form of intervention where you can translate emotional experience into words. As mentioned earlier, there are people who struggle to cope, transpose their inner emotions and speak them out. The longer we bear the pain of our misery, the deeper the wound will be. I believe that finding the right balance between emotional wounds and outlets is in the best interest of your health. The speaker highlighted that emotional wounds are hard to cover because they will always reflect on the outside.

We could express our inner feelings through writing and transpose them into words. The words that were meant to be spoken will be written, easing our hearts' rage and silencing the ranting and raving souls. This means that writing could be the band-aid we can apply so that it eases the pain. However, we must take into consideration that not all the time will be sufficient and fit into the picture.

**The speaker listed the healing properties, and these are the following:**

- Help us process what we’ve been through.
- Assist us as we envision a path forward.
- We lower our blood pressure, strengthen our immune systems, and increase our general well-being.
- Reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression.
- Improve our sleep and performance.
- Brings us greater focus and clarity.

When I was having a bad day, I noticed that I had cloudy emotions and a racing heart. Writing leads me to better conclusions and understanding of myself and why I am facing this. It helps me to dig deeper into the root cause rather than the effects of the cause. Journaling is one of the best ways to release the uneasiness of the heart and write your real emotions without thinking about the judgment of others. It’s private, intimate, and relieving. Cry it out in writing if it will help you. Cry louder as much as you can.

When you’re having anxiety, talk to yourself. Speak out about what’s going on with yourself, what you want to happen, and who you want to be after the pain. I believe that talking to yourself makes you understand the real you, and at the very least, you feel the comfort you want. The comfort you seek, the place you want to belong, and the exact same emotions you want to embrace all come together. Brace yourself, for you are about to overcome the great waves of life.

<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/dennnmarc/23wXNY4j29vBYkiuYEmQGTSjq33cyRS53dENdxAv1iTtE1Joq9RxzetRB3Nsw3jT6JaNS.png</center>*<sub><center>An activity initiated by Patricia in Padlet.</center></sub>*

<center>https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/dennnmarc/23wXNjzLnKPKyJ4o3VyGu69uSr2qKKkgQrMxEXKbMGjftpsn2485suRW85GqbLr3XFwCK.png</center>*<sub><center>An activity initiated by Patricia in Padlet.</center></sub>*

**Types of writing (based on Patricia Navarro)**

- Expressive: personal and emotional writing without regard to punctuation, verb agreement, or other technical aspects of writing.
- reflective-ask themselves questions and continuously be open, curious, and analytical.
- Creative—requires imagination as well as, or instead of, memory, and uses literary devices.

Typically, I would write a combination of creative writing and expressive writing because these two harmonize and could describe the best of me. I am an emotional person, so I would definitely kick into expressive mode since my emotions are unfailingly changing over a short period of time. Thus, I would use creative writing to excite and encode words so that I would be the only one who could understand them. Always remember that when it comes to emotions, writing, and healing, you should always think in your best interest because it’s you alone who’ll handle it all.

*<sub>Thank you to kuya @tpkidkai for creating a mental health webinar and allowing us, members of the HivePH community to learn from it.</sub>*

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