Relieve Stress the Write Way

There are 24 hours in a day… so why can’t we dedicate a few minutes to ourselves to reflect, ponder, and enjoy life for all it is? Instead of dealing with our stress head-on, we tend to either eat our feelings, drink more vodka sodas than we should, or binge watch a TV series that requires no thinking (or in my case, all 3). Although this may seem harmless at first, I’ve come to realize that these are only temporary fixes and that there are far more productive ways of relieving myself from the everyday anxieties of an average 21 year-old unemployed and struggling student. 

Thankfully, I was able to get a ticket to the Vent Over Tea and Her Campus writing therapy workshop to learn healthier coping mechanisms. A few hours after launching ticket sales on their Facebook event page, it completely sold out! (I guess I wasn’t the only one sold on the promise of unlimited coffee) 

Coffee brewing before the workshop started

Journaling wasn’t something I had ever tried before, let alone in a public space with strangers (I must be a millennial or something). However, I decided to push myself outside my comfort zone, make the best out of the experience, and soak up as much information as I could from the facilitators, Claire & Clara. Both were very well-organized, insightful, and entertaining. They had a clear agenda and transitioned smoothly from one activity to the next. There was enough time allocated to each section that I never felt rushed. The pair played off each other effortlessly, making it a joy to watch and be apart of. Whenever one of them said something that seemed a little unclear, the other would step in to clarify.

Sometimes participating in a large group can be intimidating. However, the facilitators made sure to create a safe space by sharing personal anecdotes that helped break the ice. This allowed people to eventually join in with their own thoughts, experiences, and opinions. Mindful journaling may seem self-explanatory, but many don’t know the benefits or where to begin. Claire & Clara were conscious of this and made sure to guide us through each exercise, step by step. They also gave us examples and writing prompts that helped us put our pens to paper.  

Facilitators: Claire (representing Vent Over Tea) and Clara (representing Her Campus)

Bolton, a research fellow in medical humanities at the University of Sheffield, recommends chucking the rules of writing out of the window. Begin with what she calls a ‘mind dump’. ‘Just write for six minutes, whatever comes into your head, don’t edit, don’t worry about grammar, spelling or style and don’t stop writing,’ she says. ‘After that, you can focus on a theme. Choose something concrete, not abstract. Childhood memories are very useful. For example, imagine that you are holding an object that was once important to you. Describe it and then write what follows.’

The ‘mind dump’ was the first activity we did. It allowed us to write freely without worrying about grammar, spelling, style or editing. We also did an activity that asked us to write out the pro’s and con’s of being ourselves. This served as a reminder of the things we could improve on and what we were already good at. All the activities, were simple and easy to remember. This way, if ever we wanted to try them again on our own, we could. This workshop was designed to help individuals obtain benefits similar to therapy, without the cost and stress some associate with it.

Participants journaling about the Pro’s and Con’s of being themselves.

Overall, it was a vibrant and constructive workshop that engaged its audience. I didn’t even see anyone take out their phone to look at the time or respond to a text! (something most professors can only dream of accomplishing) 

My only critique of the event was the venue. Kafein is a local coffee shop in Montreal that doubles as a bar in the evening. This meant that you could hear JCole playing in the background, which was distracting and made it challenging to find inner peace and clarity while journaling. Although, I guess that’s just life. There’s always going to be white noise. Therefore, we just need to practice tuning it out.

Walking home, my mind felt at ease. So you could say my first attempt at writing therapy was a success! I would highly recommend anyone interested in this topic to follow Vent Over Tea and Her Campus on Facebook for future similar events. You might just end up pleasantly surprised by the results!

Kafein Café-Bar before the workshop (I got there early to make sure I’d get a good seat!)