How do you wake up in the morning? Are you full of energy, enthusiastic about starting a new day? Or do troubling thoughts and emotions arise as you come into awareness?

These days, I wake not just thinking about my own life, but about the many people suffering in our world in ways I can’t even imagine. I also know that the only way I can help them, other than through charitable actions or donations, is to keep my spirit as filled with light as possible.

If you feel the way I do and don’t need to get up immediately, take some time to come into awareness slowly, and do some mindful breathing first thing. Breathe in to the count of four, then out to the count of four. Feel your body resting on the bed.

Keep a journal and pen or pencil by your bed. If you have time, write whatever occurs to you. If time doesn’t permit, then try to find a way to write later in the day.I will often write my dreams and thoughts in a stream of consciousness way, putting down on paper whatever is flowing through my mind.

Research shows that writing can help people cope with troubling experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Although, at first writing about how we feel may bring up sadness, you will gain relief and feel less pessimistic and worried in the long term.In his book, Expressive Writing, James W. Pennebaker, Ph.D. says that we should openly acknowledge emotions when we write in this way. Being able to feel and label our emotions, whether positive or negative, is part of a healing process.

Another goal of writing our thoughts is to make some kind of story. The story will evolve out of the simple act of putting our thoughts and feelings onto paper and getting them out of our minds.

Eventually, you might see a beginning, middle, and end takes shape.

However, if something is too upsetting at the moment, then perhaps it’s better not to write about it at this time. Personally, I have never felt this to be true, and I have written about things at the moment that I felt very upset about. Yes, it perhaps made my emotions stronger for a little while, but then I felt relief over time. It also allowed me to understand the situation better and to gain insight into why things happened the way they did and how I might move beyond the current emotional upset. But do whatever feels right for you.

Writing is like having a best friend who will never hurt or betray you. Writing your deepest feelings is akin to showing yourself compassion. Writing can help you heal, and you don’t need anything other than a piece of paper and pen. For a particularly upsetting event, Pennebaker suggests writing for twenty minutes three or four days in a row. But on a daily basis, you can write for five minutes or twenty minutes, or however long you like. I find that jotting down whatever is in my mind first thing in the morning helps me feel clearer and more focused.

“As the number of studies increased, it became clear that writing was a far more powerful tool for healing than anyone had ever imagined.” — James W. Pennebaker, Writing to Heal