Your Story Matters and sharing it does too!
Telling your story is empowering. The process can help you clarify your thoughts, process your experiences, and create connections. Whether you share a story in person or through a video, in a social post or in writing, sharing your insights and experience can motivate action and help others who may be going through a similar experience.
Five writing prompts
To help get started, here are some questions to prompt your writing or storytelling process. Grab a pen, your phone, or a laptop and get ready to jot down the memories and ideas that come to you. You can write down your responses or record audio or video on your phone.
- What does “self-preservation” mean to you? How do you practice it? Consider the social forces, pressures, and opportunities you face, or have faced. How does self-care and supporting your emotional well-being preserve your energy and health — and enable you to thrive while advocating for justice?
- What practices or rituals help you stay grounded while navigating justice work? Think about routines or activities that restore your energy and focus.
- When have you felt the tension between advocating for justice and maintaining balance? Reflect on how you navigated those moments. What did you learn from them?
- What role does community play in your self-preservation and justice efforts? Consider how collective care supports your personal and collective goals. How does your community support mental health and well-being?
- What societal pressures have you faced to neglect your self-care? How have you resisted them? Reflect on how choosing self-care has impacted your advocacy, mental health, and resilience.
As you write, record, and reflect on your experiences, you might also reflect on feelings that arise. Does this process raise feelings of regret, joy, or empowerment? Acknowledge the feelings. Take a breath. Consider how your story is a part of your mental health journey that can inspire you to live your life authentically and with actions that promote mindful justice.
