Writing Poetry to Help You Feel Grounded and Calm
Written by Claire Thom
Life is busy, worrying, stressful and chaotic at times, but it's also marvellous, awesome and full of little moments of joy when we take the time to look around us. In my experience, writing poetry can help us feel grounded and calm, so I have put together my five top tips for both new and experienced writers.
The senses
Tapping into the five senses is a wonderfully grounding exercise. Try writing a poem with the prompts 'I see... I hear...I taste... I smell... I feel/touch..." Poetry is a great way of pausing to notice the world around us, but it also helps us to identify how we feel at that moment. Focusing on the five senses can distract our minds from negative sensations, but it can also allow us to observe negative feelings, write them down, accept them and then let them go.
Get your walking shoes on
Take a walk, ideally in nature, in a local park, a forest, by a river or the sea or even just round your garden. Even if you live in a big, bustling city, you can still find elements of nature. Remember, and this is key, to leave your phone at home (or avoid looking at your phone throughout the walk) and take a notebook and pen. Write down what you see and try to describe things in an unusual way. For example, the branches of a tree could be like an old person with wrinkled limbs. Spending time in nature and really studying its small details and writing about them is so calming and grounding and great for our mental and emotional wellbeing.
Practice some self-love
OK, I will admit that this next idea is a tough one, but I encourage you to try. Write a love poem....about yourself! The internal conversations we have with ourselves about our flaws can be so detrimental. However, if we take time to focus on what we actually like about ourselves and express that in a poem using words of love and tenderness, we will notice the benefits. To help you do this, try to see yourself through the eyes of a loved one. What words would they use to describe you? You don't have to write about your physical body, you can write about positive aspects of your personality. Be kind to yourself and give yourself a break.
Practice gratitude
Gratitude….ah, I love this word. Write a poem with the title "Gratitude". First, make a list of all the things you are grateful for, and then shape your poem from that list. When we remind ourselves of the lovely things we have in our lives, we take our focus away from negative thoughts, and we move into a state of calm. I suggest making this a daily practice, and by just taking five minutes to breathe and take stock of what we are thankful for can be so grounding.
Sharing is caring
Share your writing with others. This can be through social media, an online poetry group, or even sending someone one of your poems by snail mail. Poems have always been written to be read aloud and shared with others. That is one of the things I love about this craft, and I get so much joy from seeing someone smile when they read one of my poems. When we feel part of a community, it boosts our self-esteem. In addition, reading poetry by others can open our minds and change our perspectives. Undoubtedly, it can be daunting at first to have others read what we have written. There will be personal poems that you wish to keep just for you, and that is absolutely fine. Let your notebook be the keeper of your secrets.
Now, get writing...
Originally from Scotland, CLAIRE THOM currently lives in the south of Spain, where she works as an English teacher and examiner. Claire loves languages and has been writing poetry since she was a child. To read her poetry and find out about her creative projects, follow her on Instagram @poetrycadiz.