Do you write letters to yourself?
It might seem like a strange question to ask, but I’m genuinely curious.
Writing a letter to yourself isn’t the same as keeping a diary. Diaries tend to chronicle your feelings or what you have been doing each day. Letters, on the other hand, usually have a specific purpose or audience.
If you’re not writing yourself letters, I absolutely recommend spending some giving it a go.
What does Writing to Myself mean?
There are so many different versions of you.; Five-year-old you is worlds apart from your twelve-year-old self, and both of them are very different from the person you became at twenty-one.
Writing a letter to a past version of yourself can be surprisingly therapeutic. It invites you to reflect on everything you’ve been through, including your achievements, the way you have grown as a person and what lessons you wish you had learnt earlier.
What that letter might look like, will depend on which version of you you you choose to write to.
- Five-year-old you, probably isn’t going to be interested in the deep stuff. They want to know if you ever got a cat (because your parents always said ‘no’), or if you have a cool job Most importantly, do you get to stay up past bedtime?
- Twelve-year-old you might be wondering what it’s like being a grown-up. Do you still love that hobby that obsessed with? Have been on any big adventures yet?
- Eighteen-year-old you is likely worried about the future. Did you go to University? Did you follow your dreams, get the job you wanted, or travel the world?
You might also choose to write a letter to your future self. These letters can be a beautiful time capsule; something to look back on when you’re older. They can be grounding, too. Sometimes they’re a reminder of better days during hard times. Other times, they help you recognise just how far you’ve come; the good, the bad, and the messy in-between.
There are even websites that allow you to upload your letters, and send them to your email address, on a specific day in the future. I
So, do you write letters to yourself?
If not, maybe now’s the time to start. You never know what version of you might need to hear from you.