This February at Move On, we spent a lot of time talking about what motivates us to get out and about – out of the house, out of bed; out of our own heads!
We recently asked our young people and mentors to choose six topics they’d like to discuss. They exchange their thoughts on one topic with our staff each month, and then we share their thoughts and experiences here.
Our six chosen topics are;
- Coping With Stress
- Winter Night Positivity Tips
- Breaking Out Of Your Comfort Zone
- Top Tips For Leaving The House
- Self care
- How to boost your concentration and motivation.
We’ll post later this week with the next in our series of our young people’s brilliant thoughts, advice, and experiences. This month however, we’re also sharing something a little different. Our literacy workers took this month’s theme to their Elevate Creative Writing Group. The group then contributed their own spin, discussing what gets them out of bed in the morning.
Elevate Creative Writing
We run the Creative Writing group in association with Elevate PSP Glasgow, for people in recovery. The group meet every Thursday to share their passion for writing. They exchange thoughts on a weekly topic in group discussion, then put their ideas to paper. Literacy workers Linda and Denise provide a new topic weekly, and suggestions on format. Ultimately, however, each of our participants makes the decision about what, and how, they want to write. The group gives our writers a forum to share and work through their experiences in a safe space, while developing their writing skills, making new connections and, importantly, having fun.
The works the group produce are in turn funny, warm, poignant, and sometimes a little painful. Most importantly all are deeply personal, and yet deeply relatable. We’re extremely grateful to all of our writers for allowing us to share their work, words and experiences here today.
Karen
Karen chose to write a poem entitled One Eye Open. In it she gives a funny, wry and honest account of what it’s physically like for her to wake up in the morning – the initial disorientation, the gentle creaks and aches, and that strict chat we sometimes need to have with ourselves to get moving!
Read Karen’s poem One Eye Open in full here.
Yvonne
Yvonne wrote her poem in a stream of consciousness style. A darkly funny account of a narrative I’m sure we all know all too well, she details the struggle to get out of a comfortable bed, the bargaining for 10 more minutes, the anxiety when this inevitably makes you late…
She also includes some insight, and a great tip, on how she copes with this panic; deep breaths, meditation and a calm mindset.
Read Yvonne’s poem here.
Linda
Not to be outdone, our Literacy Workers always take their turn at putting pen to paper along with the group. Linda’s poem, Seize The Day, muses on the morning routine, taking that vital time first thing to plan and make the most of the day ahead.
You can find Linda’s piece, Seize The Day, here.
Elizabeth
Elizabeth chose to present her piece in the style of a short essay as, in her own words, “it’s not a poetic answer.” Instead, it’s a heartfelt, poignant, and at times bittersweet monologue. In it, Elizabeth considers the seemingly small and yet, in the end, momentous things that constitute the beginning of her day.
Read Elizabeth’s short essay in full here.
Denise
If you’ve ever spent 5 minutes with our Literacy Worker Denise, you’ll know her bright, tongue-in-cheek humour. She lets this take centre-stage in her poem, lamenting the reality of the working day when there’s a comfy bed waiting for you (she loves us really).
Have a good giggle with Denise here.
H McD
Last, but by no means least, a poetry piece from H. She wrote a short, powerful piece on feeling blue when waking up on a dark morning. H takes us through her process of turning this mood around, and what it means to her to get out of bed and meet the day;
Read H’s morning musings here.
Thank you again to the Elevate group for sharing your words with us.
Further Information
You can find more information on our literacy services here. You can also contact Linda on linda@moveon.org.uk with questions on how to get involved.
We know some of our submissions today covered some powerful topics, even when approached humorously. Finding it difficult to face the day is a very real struggle for many people – it’s always OK to admit that you need help.
If you are struggling with anxiety or low mood, and need someone to talk to – at any time of day – we recommend the following resources;
- Call Breathing Space for a free and confidential chat on 0800 83 85 87
- Call Samaritans Scotland for free on 116 123 or send them an email at jo@samaritans.org
- Shout offer free 24/7 mental health support by text – simply text ‘Shout’ to 85258
Until Next Time…
We hope to have more beautiful pieces to share from our creative writing group soon. If you like what you’ve seen here, why not head over to our Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn pages? We’ll be featuring each submission in all its glory – like, share, and leave a comment letting our writers know how talented they are!
In the meantime, keep an eye out for our next Topics For Discussion post, featuring our young people’s top tips on getting out of the house – coming to the Move On blog soon!