The Art of Mindful Writing: How to Be Your Reader

Maybe you know the feeling.

Hunched-over, frantically typing, furrowed-brow?

Coffee jitters, 15 tabs open, anxiety mounting?

For many, writing is a drawn-out struggle to find the right words.

But it doesn’t have to be.

In this post I will share a powerful practical exercise for writing with mindful awareness, something I call being your reader. It will bring calm, clarity and simplicity to your words. To your mind, too, as you are writing.

Sound good? Let me explain.

It all comes down to whose perspective you are taking when you write.

Is it yours, or your reader’s? Let’s explore the difference.

Firstly, the fact that you are sitting here, doing your best to turn thoughts into words, already means that you have something to share. If you didn’t want to share it, you’d just sit around and think about it. But no, here you are — coffee, laptop and keyboard, ready to make something.

And if you plan to put these words out into the world, then you’re making a gift. A gift for your reader, given freely and generously, without expecting anything in return — and that’s a lovely thing to do.