Do you ever get the feeling that your mind is running a million miles per hour? Some of us are so accustomed to this background buzz that it has simply become a norm. How often do we tune into the thoughts, self-talk, and internal dialogue that is taking place in our subconscious as we rush through the activities of our day or go through the motions of our routines?
My mind is usually a relatively quiet place. However, in recent months, I have noticed myself subconsciously releasing deep breaths in an effort to calm a background anxiety that I wasn't immediately aware of. Next, I became aware of thoughts bouncing around my mind and creating a sort of noise that made me feel less peaceful as I moved through my day. Craving the quiet I used to enjoy when alone, I took to automatic or free writing in a journal to quell this newly discovered barrage of thoughts and leave my burdens on the page. Let me tell you—it works.
I simply write down anything that comes to my mind, writing continuously, for 3 pages. If my mind goes blank, I continue to write things like, ‘I don't know what to write,’ until other thoughts spring to mind or until I hit 3 pages. Through this exercise, I have discovered many of the thoughts, narratives, questions and anxieties that have been taking up prime real estate in my mind, and subconsciously blocking me—not only from reflecting on and working through them, but also from moving beyond them, toward more dynamic and creative ideas, and from the less distracted and peaceful frame of mind I prefer to experience as I sink fully into each moment of my day.
As readers will know, the importance of mental health cannot be underestimated and its role for paramedics is particularly pertinent. In this issue, Joel Phillips delves into the role of paramedics in providing emergency mental healthcare on p. 204. Meanwhile, in this month's NQP Perspective, on p. 216, Katy Sofield shares a recent experience of losing a patient on the job as a new paramedic and the impact of this, as well as how she managed to work through it. On p. 215, Dan Wyatt reveals a deeply personal loss that he experienced earlier in the year while continuing to navigate his life and education.
When Dan experienced this loss, he emailed me to let me know as he kept me in the loop on the status of his column. I of course offered my sympathy and support but also suggested that he might find it therapeutic to explore the loss through writing, perhaps even as part of his next column if he wishes. While he was reluctant at first, he ultimately decided to do just this and was surprised at the power of this approach in working through his thoughts, feelings and experience of loss and grief.
Readers will undoubtedly experience challenges, losses and anxieties, both within their careers, and in their personal lives as they continue to navigate other stressors and responsibilities, all the while struggling to maintain some semblance of normalcy. Next time you recognise a cascade of thoughts running in the background of your mind, you experience a particularly difficult shift at work, or you're hit with something in your personal life, why not write it down and leave it on the page?
In fact, promoted as ‘Morning Pages’ by Julia Cameron in The Artist's Way, doing this stream-of-consciousness type of writing first thing every morning before you do anything else, can result in improved mental health and wellbieng, and a lighter, freer and more creative experience of living.