Have you ever felt pent up feelings of frustration? Have you ever been faced with a situation where you felt helpless? Or maybe you’re dealing with a particularly difficult person and are on the verge of exploding?

I’m sure you have felt all of these ways at one time or another. 

Yes, in some instances it is important to speak up and to share your truth. However, in some instances it is better to keep it to yourself. 

Times you should speak up is when a boundary needs to be established or is continuing to be crossed. For example, you ask your partner not to raise their voice when having a discussion with you and they continue to do so. Or you tell a friend something in confidence and they share it with others. These are instances that you must first, make sure you are acting the way towards them that you are asking them to act. Followed by voicing your feelings. Speak up, you deserve to be heard!

A lot of times however, the stress of life and other people can wear on you and it is really not productive to speak up. Like if you have a coworker that sucks their teeth after they eat or you repeatedly have to listen to your friend’s grandiose version of themselves. In instances like these it is best to keep your opinions to yourself. Remember, people don’t have to change just because you think they should.

None the less, over time these situations can wear on you . Just the thought of those situations can raise your blood pressure. 

 Have you ever felt completely helpless? Maybe when a close relative falls ill and there is nothing you can do. Offering love and support is great but can still leave you feeling helpless. Wishing you could do more when the reality is that you can’t.

These kinds of situations can weigh heavy on your heart. It is a weight your heart isn’t meant to hold. 

Emotions are indicators. They carry messages. They are meant to deliver the message and keep moving. Remember, everything is energy and emotions are energy (e) in motion. E-motion.

Journaling is a great way to experience your emotions, heed their message, and keep them moving by releasing them through the action of writing. 

I want to talk about a specific way of journaling called a write, rip, and release.

This kind of journaling is perfect for the situations discussed earlier. 

The issue of privacy in journaling has always weighed on me. It stems from my childhood where my journal was found, read, and harsh consequences followed. It caused me to refrain form journaling for a very long time. Until I learned this technique. 

When journaling was suggested to me as a child, I was told to express my feelings in my journal. To get out my frustrations, relieve stress, and write my thoughts. 

This lead to some not so nice content. To put it mildly. So naturally, when it was found, it was a traumatic experience for me and for my parents, I’m sure.

I still carry this “worry” to this day. Therefore, I have a rule that I don’t journal anything that I wouldn’t want to be found. Yes, I do still express my feelings and journal in a way that people might be scratching their heads but not in a way that would hurt someone’s feelings.

Journaling is a great way to vent but best to be done with the write, rip, and release technique. Not in your regular journal that you’ll keep for years to come. 

This technique is great for two reasons. One, there is no evidence of it when its done. And two, it is very symbolic of releasing those feelings so you no longer harbor them.

Here’s how to do it.

Get a piece of paper and think about what you want to release. 

Start writing anything that comes to mind about the subject. 

Be candid, remember, no one will see this. You will not even be rereading it.

Don’t worry about legibility, grammar, or it making sense. 

Just go until the paper is full front and back.

When you have filled the paper crumple it up. As you do say “ I release these feelings about…(the subject of the release)”

Then proceed to tear the paper up into teeny, tiny, little pieces and throw it away.

And that is it! Repeat as necessary. The first time I did it I did three papers and three different subjects. 

It is so freeing! After my first time I was overcome with a feeling of euphoria. I felt as though a huge weight was lifted from my shoulders.

It is something I do regularly as needed. Whenever I feel negativity bubbling up, I know I need it.

I encourage you to try it! We all have something or someone in our life that we could use a release of negativity from.

This technique does wonders for your emotional state, your emotional wellness.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Please share it with someone who could use this technique.

Thank you for reading!

Stay well my friend!