Consciousness & Awakening

4 Steps to Write Your Stress Away

By cjliu | September 7, 2020

C.J. Liu interviews authors Diane Hartingh Price & Susan Ives McCollum about “Write Your Stress Away: Tame the Tension in Your Life.”

Diane and Susan share that one of the downsides of journal writing is that we continue to repeat our stories over and over again without any movement forward. Then, the authors introduce a four-step method proven to bring relief from stress and optimize your health, simply by writing. Instead of rehashing our story, it’s about moving to a place of clarity within ourselves, resulting in continual learning. The 4 step process is summarized with an acronym (S-A-G-E).

Step 1: S: Tell your story. Where are you now?
Step 2: A: Affirm your values: What matters to you?
Step 3: G: What are you goals? Where do you want to go?
Step 4: E: Evaluate and commit: What is your action plan to get there? Reflect on what’s working and what needs to be adjusted.

Next, CJ shares her story and Diane and Susan coach CJ through the process.

Step 1: S: Tell your story.
CJ shares that she is experiencing an old pattern of seeking perfection and controlling others at work.

Step 2: A: Affirm your values: What matters to you?
Her values are balancing competition with collaboration along with her spiritual values.

Step 3: G: What are you Goals? Where do you want to go?
Her goals are to keep the relationship sacred while honoring her own expertise and wisdom.

Step 4: E: Evaluate and commit: What is your action plan to get there? Reflect on what’s working and what needs to be adjusted.
CJ shares that part of her action plan was contacting her work associates to discuss how they work together.