Reflective Writing Prompt for Guilt & Shame

Reflective Writing Prompt for Guilt & Shame

The intention of this lesson is…

The intention of this lesson is…

to explore your feelings of guilt and/or shame. This activity is an invitation to give voice to the emotions or experiences that can often stay hidden (from others and ourselves). It might be useful for you to move through this activity if you are interested in exploring what your guilt and shame have to say or teach you in this moment.

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How to prepare

How to prepare

Before you begin…

Gather your materials:

– notebook

– writing materials

– water

Choose a physical location you feel comfortable to express yourself in. 

Manage your distractions, as you are able to:

– Consider what tends to distract you and minimize those distractions during this time. Consider turning off reminders and notifications on your devices; inform people of the time you need for this practice, close your door. etc.

Activity

Activity

When you feel ready to begin…

Get present:

– Take a few deep breaths in and out.

– Remind yourself that whatever unfolds during this time is honorable. 

– Notice and acknowledge your current mood. How are you feeling? What emotions or sensations are present for you right now?

Let’s Begin

In this activity, you are invited to write a letter in conversation with a part of you that feels guilty or ashamed. 

  • Before you begin your letter, it might be helpful for you to take a few minutes to consider which experience you want to explore more in this activity. You could start by reflecting on a time when you have felt guilty or ashamed. This could be a moment that came up for you recently, or some experience of guilt or shame that you have moved through in your past. 
  • Notice if you’re ready to start writing or letter, or if you need some more time to build out your personal context and understanding of what you’re writing about. It might be helpful to spend some time describing what your guilt or shame looks like and feels like. You can move through these descriptions by meditating on the questions, writing out your answers or talking through them (to yourself or in a voice recording):
    • What name would you give your guilt or shame?  
    • What age is your guilt or shame? 
    • What do they look like? 
    • What do they dress like? 
    • Do they remind you of someone in your life? Do they remind you of you at a certain age or even in your life?
    • Why do you believe they are guilty or ashamed? Is there a specific event that caused these feelings? 
  • After you have considered some of these questions, you are invited to start writing your letter. There are a couple of options for how the letter can be framed: 1. You might write to your guilt or shame from the perspective of you as the person who experienced it; or 2. You might write to yourself from the perspective of your guilt or shame. You can begin with “Dear Guilt/Shame……” or “Dear [Your Name]….

When your letter feels complete…

  • You should sign it (whether it’s from your guilt/shame or from yourself). Take a couple of deep belly breaths. Use this moment to acknowledge the current moods and/or sensations that are present in your body. What has shifted since you started this activity? What remains?

Regrounding Moment

Regrounding Moment

You should decide for yourself what you’d like to do with the letter you’ve written. Do you want to keep it or let it go? Some options are that you are invited to consider are that you could keep it in an envelope or journal for you to read at some other time in the future; you could tear it up or burn the letter; you could visit a river or another body of water, and let it go there; or otherwise dispose of it as you feel called to. Based on what came up for you during the writing, you might decide that you want to share the letter with someone. 

An Invitation to Integrate

When we work through our guilt and shame, we are truly taking our power back. It is not the goal for you to stop feeling these emotions, as they can serve you in your connections with others. Instead, it is more important to work on not feeling them about experiences, moments or behaviors that keep us feeling small and scared. It might feel soothing to incorporate this practice of a two-way conversation with your feelings into a regular release ritual or using these kinds of letters to more deeply understand the root and composition of your feelings of guilt, shame, anger, regret or frustration.

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