What if one of the tools that could help you navigate the emotional side of menopause was as simple as a pencil, a piece of paper and permission to write something bad?

In this episode of The Menopause Mindshift Self-Love Podcast, I’m joined by therapist and author Margaret Bryden for a fascinating conversation about what she calls Bad Poetry and how writing can become an accessible form of self-expression and self-compassion.

We explore how poetry can help us slow down when our thoughts feel overwhelming, become more aware of what we’re feeling, silence the judgemental inner critic, and create space for the emotions that can surface during menopause. Margaret also explains why writing doesn’t have to be polished, profound or even traditionally poetic to be valuable.

And perhaps my favourite part of the conversation is where writing and our stories meet: when we begin making meaning from our experiences, we can start taking greater ownership of the story we tell ourselves and how we choose to move forward.

Margaret even gives us a wonderfully simple place to begin: five minutes and one question, “What am I carrying today?”

About My Guest:

Margaret Bryden is a therapist, mom and author of How I Understand It: A Bad Poet’s Guide to Mental Health and Resilience. Through her work as a therapist, Margaret began using poetry to help people increase self-awareness, work through difficult emotions and find language for experiences that can sometimes be hard to express. Her approach, which she calls Bad Poetry, is about quieting the inner critic, getting curious about what’s true for you, and giving yourself the freedom to write without judgement. Her guest form also describes Bad Poetry as an act of self-compassion.

• Why “bad poetry” can quiet your inner critic. Margaret explains why removing the pressure to write something “good” creates space to express what is actually true for you.
• How writing can help during menopause. We talk about anxiety, overwhelm and the emotional changes that can accompany this transition, and how slowing down and putting thoughts on paper can help you see what you’re carrying.
• How writing your story can help you move forward. Near the end of the conversation, Margaret introduces the idea of narrative authority, taking ownership of the meaning you give your experiences. This ties beautifully into your whole “write your own story” philosophy.

Connect with Margaret:

www.SageInsightTherapy.com

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/margaretbryden

Therapy https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61586527275910