Self-efficacy writing: Write yourself back to yourself!

How intuitive, self-efficacious writing helps to hear the inner voice again

Writing for self-efficacy helps us to reconnect with ourselves in the often hectic everyday life and listen to our inner voice. Because let's be honest: there's no need to beat around the bush. We often feel stressed. At least, that's the conclusion of a representative survey conducted by the Techniker Krankenkasse (a German health insurance company): around two-thirds (66 percent) of people say they often or at least sometimes feel stressed in their private or professional lives. Many of us are probably nodding in agreement right now, because: yes, we often chase after our never-ending to-do lists. We want to do everything we do as well as possible – if not perfectly. And if we're honest with ourselves, we often want to please others and avoid causing friction.

The result: We feel constantly preoccupied with fulfilling the needs and expectations of others. But this can quickly lead to us losing touch with ourselves and no longer hearing what our inner voice is actually trying to tell us. So how do we manage to listen to it again and lead a life that we shape ourselves effectively and that truly resonates with us?

The key is to write intuitively, to let go of all expectations, and to be creative. Because when we write quickly, when we don't distinguish between important and unimportant, right and wrong, but simply let our pen glide across the page, we often bring previously unconscious things to the surface. What's written on the paper beautifully reflects – in black and white – what's on our minds at that moment. Completely unfiltered. Pure and authentic.

Self-efficacy writing as a tool to get closer to oneself again

And yes, it might sound crazy, but it's simply true – and that's precisely the beauty of it: Every single one of us who ever learned to write in school can do it – even if your teacher might have claimed otherwise. Because intuitive, creative, and self-directed writing isn't about spelling and grammar, or even any kind of literary ambition – I explain this again and again in my (online) writing workshops, for example. It's solely about our personal, creative expression. Everything that wants to flow onto the page can go there – all thoughts, all feelings, free from any judgment, free from any limitations.

When we write with self-efficacy, we are completely present. We perceive what truly moves us deep inside. We gain clarity, acquire new insights, and are able to shift our perspective. We learn to question old thought patterns and beliefs and develop alternatives. When we write, we unleash our creativity and become aware of things we weren't even aware of before. And the whole process is incredibly good for us.

This is how intuitive, creative, and self-efficacious writing affects us 

Did you know, for example, that just a few minutes of writing are enough to significantly improve our well-being? American psychologist James W. Pennebaker, a pioneer of expressive writing, discovered in 20th-century studies that just 15 minutes of writing a day is sufficient to positively impact our well-being. Furthermore, when we write by hand, certain areas of our brain are stimulated more intensely than when we simply type on a keyboard. This is also confirmed by Professor Dr. Andreas Krafft, a linguist at the Freiburg University of Education, as reported by SWR.de. Consequently, we remember what we write by hand better. It brings more creative processes to the surface. And above all, it makes us more attentive to what our inner voice is telling us.

So how do you get started? Two writing prompts for an easy start

Speaking of "inner voice": How can self-directed writing help us to keep it from being silenced, but rather to listen to it more intently? Below, I've compiled two writing prompts to help you easily try out intuitive, creative, and self-directed writing. All you need is a pen and paper and a few quiet moments just for yourself. Ready? Let's get started.

Writing prompt 1: Freewriting on "Inner Voice"

Now open your notebook or pad, or grab a sheet or two of paper. Take about ten minutes and spontaneously write down everything that comes to mind regarding "inner voice"—without asking yourself if it's right, wrong, important, or unimportant. If possible, write in complete sentences. Grammar and spelling don't matter at all right now. Make sure your writing hand keeps moving. Can't think of anything else? Then simply repeat the topic (e.g., inner voice, inner voice, inner voice). The next thought will surely come, and if nothing more comes, just stop.

What you just did is freewriting, a technique developed by the writing instructor Peter Elbow. Now, read through what you've written again carefully and let it sink in.

• Writing prompt 2: Write a personal eleven-word poem

After you've read through what you've written, circle a word – perhaps even with a colored pencil – that particularly resonates with you, that stirs something within you. This word will now form the first line of your eleven-word poem, a short poem form. It's structured as follows: The eleven-word poem consists of five lines with a total of eleven words.

• Line 1: a word (a word you chose from your text)
• Line 2: two words (e.g. a feeling, a situation/observation, an object)
• Line 3: three words (e.g., where or how this feeling/situation/observation/object is at this moment)
• Line 4: four words (e.g., a supplement to what was written previously)
• Line 5: a word (as a kind of conclusion, e.g. an exclamation, a statement, a question raised)

Example of an eleven-word poem:

Quiet

The voice

Deep inside me

I want to hear them

Loud!

Afterwards, listen to your inner voice: What does your eleven-word poem tell you? Were you surprised by what it revealed? Incidentally, the eleven-word poem's brevity not only forces us to get to the heart of our thoughts and feelings, but writing them, like freewriting in general, can also be easily integrated into our daily lives – especially since it often takes no more than 5-10 minutes. And above all, it allows us to clear our minds, unleash our creativity, and express what's truly on our minds.

Sources:

• tk.de – TK Stress Report 2025: https://www.tk.de/presse/themen/praevention/gesundheitsstudien/stressreport-2025-2206714?tkcm=aaus
• Wikipedia.org – Writing therapy: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schreibtherapie
• SWR.de – “Freiburg linguist: Three good reasons for writing by hand”: https://www.swr.de/swraktuell/baden-wuerttemberg/suedbaden/die-magie-der-handschrift-darum-sollten-wir-mehr-mit-der-hand-schreiben-100.html