These sentence beginnings might help to redirect some thoughts and feelings in difficult phases into positive thoughts and feelings. It might help to reach beautiful memories and to find courage again. Just try!


I´m pleased to …
I like …
I like it …
I enjoy …
It´s nice if …
My biggest wish …

To change unpleasant …
I don´t like …
I don´t like it if …
It bothers me when …
If only …
I remember …

Some writing exercises …

Suitable as an entry:
Collect friendly and nourishing words or sentences and list them in a table. Where did you find them/ hear them?
E.g. „You can!!“ Grandmother
E.g. „It is always darkest before dawn.“ Calandar spell

Exercise 1:
Write about your daily routine of yesterday. What has happend? What did you do? What did you want to do? Describe your mood! Your condition on this day! What went well? What not? How did you feel at the end of the day?

Exercise 2:
Describe your home. What do you like about it? What not? Do you connect your home with certain people? Events? Describe certain objects in your home which are connected to memories –whether good or bad?

Exercise 3:
Write about your favourite book/ favourite movie/ favourite story. Try to tell this story. What did you like best? Why? Would you have written this story as well? Or would you have given the story a different course/ a different ending?

Exercise 4:
Write about a close person/ people. Write down what comes to your mind thinking about this person. How did they step into your life? What do you like/love most about them? What do you dislike?

Exercise 5:
Write about the people who are most important to you. This is only partially consistent with exercise 4. Because here you can write about people from whom you have had to say good-bye. Maybe because they have passed away or the contact has broken off at some point. Write about what comes to your mind spontaneously about these people and their relationship? What did you learn from them and the other way around what did they learn from you? What do you like to remember most thinking of them?

Exercise 6:
Accompany yourself for 10 days. Write daily at the same time. Write unfiltered what you think? Where are you? Describe with all your senses. Write down what thoughts arise? (Read these texts after those 10 days. Write down what you think/ feel about it?

Exercise 7:
No easy exercise…!Write down what you do not like about yourself. What bothers you about yourself? Your appearance/ your body/ your size/ hairstyle/ mass/ the way you dress? What bothers you about your behavior? Are there situations in which you have regretted your behavior?

Exercise 8:
This exercise is even more difficult. Write down what you like about yourself? What do you find good? What do you love about your body? Which colors are good for you? In which situations did you behave well? So great that you are/ were proud of yourself? What special skills do you have? Write down everything that you like about yourself. What satisfies you or are you happy with?

Exercise 9:
Write about yourself. Start with a cluster. Write in chapters about your life. Experiment with different writing techniques…at different times… in different places. Write with all your senses!

Exercise 10:
Make a time travel! Where will you be in 5 years? Who is with you? How do you feel? What are you doing? What has happend since you´ve been in Bad Brückenau in 2018?

My suggestions:

Use a pen with which you like to write! Try different pens, pencils …
• Create rituals (try morning pages, try evening pages) Not longer than 7-10 minutes
• Find a place where you feel comfortable ( e.g. nice view from the window, comfortable armchair, wood stove, etc.)
• Start each day with a new page, make a note of the date
• Start collecting ideas, thoughts, paste written notes in your journal, other memories, e.g. a movie ticket that reminds you of a nice evening, etc.

Please don´t worry about spelling, orthography or a nice font!!
This journal is just for you!!

More suggestions:

Write letters you will never send, e.g. to somebody you may have hurt or may have hurt you! Write openly. As open as you feel and think without censorship.
Write a letter to someone you have lost.
Write a letter to yourself (In modificatin: to certain body parts or characteristics of yourself)

Maybe you´ll write a letter to your dependency. Ask why and what for it is? Answer!!

Write with all your senses! Describe what you see, what you feel, what you smell, what you hear, what you taste!!

Enjoy writing!!

Patricia Sheldon
Bad Brückenau, Germany