On Monday, the unthinkable happened in my own community when a man opened gunfire in the Boise Towne Square Mall, killing two people and injuring multiple others. We have seen tragedies of this sort play out many times in various locations, and dealing with grief, anxiety, and stress related to these events is challenging. One way to process feelings related to tragic events is writing.
One article suggests that a form of writing called Expressive Writing can help process feelings related to such tragic events:
“Expressive writing is often used in therapeutic settings where people are asked to write about their thoughts and feelings related to a stressful life event. This type of writing aims to help emotionally process something difficult.
Research shows that expressive writing can enhance self-awareness, ultimately decreasing depressive symptoms, anxious thoughts and perceived stress.”
The article also explains other forms of writing that can help with self-reflection and processing feelings. Please see the full article at the link below.
Writing can improve mental health – here’s how
While my community grieves and begins the healing process, I send my love and sympathy to all those directly and indirectly affected. If you would like your tributes and other positive writing pieces related to this horrific event to appear on my blog, please send them along to carolynfenzl@gmail.com for consideration.
Finally, I would like to thank the Boise Police Department for their swift response which saved many additional lives.