Xpress it

Everyone is different. For some, expressing themselves is easy. For others, it’s hard. Find ways that suit you, because letting your thoughts and feelings out can make a significant and positive difference to your grief experience. It can release a lot of the tension inside.

In fact, sometimes it’s hard to know what you’re actually feeling and thinking exactly. You can be reacting in different ways all at the same time.

Finding a way to let out even a small amount of what’s inside can help ease the pressure.

Maybe you could use words... like...

  • talk - email - phone - text - blog - post on an internet message board 
  • write someone a letter - even if you don’t send it 
  • keep a journal or a diary 
  • write your story - a poem - a play - a song

You could do something else creative... like...

  • sing - make music - drum - play an instrument 
  • make a video 
  • dance - choreograph 
  • draw - sketch - paint - design - make - build 
  • plant - create a garden 
  • take photos

You could get physical and you could play... like...

  • play a sport - kick a ball - throw a ball - chuck a frisbee 
  • go to a gym 
  • hit a pillow - yell and kick empty boxes 
  • breathe deeply - stretch 
  • climb a hill - run - walk - tramp - swim 
  • swing at the park

check out these VIDEO CLIPS of young people who've faced tough times

Read more for young people 

"I started to write stuff on bits of paper – and would throw them away afterwards. Somehow it helped the yuk stuff to get out of my heart. I don’t need to do it now, but it helped then."

Annie

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