Lead Your Day (And Life) With Expressive Writing

Your First Action Of The Day Reflects Your Innermost Priorities — Choose Wisely

SUMMARY: Research supports the efficacy of expressive writing as a tool for emotional regulation and cognitive clarity. This practice reduces stress, enhances well-being, and improves long-term mental health.

Hello Darkness, My Old Friend

Earlier this year, I experienced a devastating personal loss that completely debilitated any semblance of normalcy I enjoyed. Encumbered by grief, my meticulously-crafted morning routine gradually caved in and gave way to the nebulous languishing that lies on the other side of discipline. Whereas I would wake up at dawn, write, and then work out, I found myself lying in bed well into the afternoon, compulsively refreshing Reddit. A few days into this disorienting aftermath, it finally dawned on me that I was slipping back into what Dr. Daniel Christian Wahl describes as a “Fear Cycle” — a vicious vortex characterized by scarcity, withdrawal, and disappointment; a self-destructive narrative of separation. In failing to properly process the loss of someone close to me, I was now at risk of losing myself. So the next morning, I woke up and wrote the following essay…

Wake Up, Mr. Khan

By the dawn’s early light, what first meets you is more than just habit; it’s a declaration of what you hold sacred. Much like yesterday's worries or the residuals of dreams & nightmares, this initial jolt can also be marred by a compulsion to seek distraction through the allure of notifications or, worse, the abyss of mindless scrolling.

Research shows that our actions immediately upon waking can significantly influence our mental state and productivity. Establishing a morning routine is linked to improved mood and cognitive function, as evidenced by countless studies on the benefits of structured morning activities.

Pause and consider: Every morning, you rise, and you undertake an act of leadership—not in the grandiose sense portrayed by a corporate executive or battlefield commander, but in the rawest sense—the physiological, structural, and/or behavior-governed propensity to act first. What you choose to do during the break of day—those first deliberate actions—mirrors your innermost priorities.

So, I pose a challenge: What path will you carve out tomorrow as the day renews? Will you let Slack dictate your rhythm? Will TikTok influence your first thoughts? Will Reddit siphon away your initial burst of mental energy? Or will you choose actions that ground you and align with your highest self—making your bed, embracing your partner, or tending to the simple self-care ritual of brushing your teeth?

For myself, the day must begin with the art of reflexive writing. The initial 25 minutes of my morning are devoted to this practice — I consider it sacred time. As I am now, I sit before a blank page and write without interruption for a quarter of an hour. This sometimes yields a nonsensical paragraph; at others, pages of the next Great American Novel pour out of me. Occasionally, the session extends to an all-day affair; this is my unfiltered expression, my connection to the present.

This practice is not without profound benefits, including (and certainly not limited to):

1. A Personal Check-in: The writing can be an intimate communion, a way to align your head, heart, and hands, creating a harmonious bridge between thought, feeling, and action.
2. Therapeutic Release: It can offer a conduit for processing emotions and experiences, bringing subconscious challenges to the surface where they can be acknowledged and addressed.
3. State of Flow: As a speaker and author, this habit keeps me in a flow state, ensuring that I remain engaged and creative, always ready to tackle the day’s endeavors with clarity and vigor.

Whether or not your life’s work involves public expression, orienting your day with a reflective practice sets the stage for a cohesive and integrated self. Others may find this connection through prayer, meditation, or expressions of gratitude. Writing encapsulates all these — reaching into the ether, examining the soul, and acknowledging our unified existence.

I urge you to write. Write early, write freely, and write consistently. Let this practice become your guiding light at dawn, shaping the trajectory of your day and, by extension, your life.