You know that feeling. The one where something important sits trapped inside your head, wanting desperately to come out. You open your laptop. You stare at the blank page. Your thoughts feel like static. You need to articulate your thoughts, but they won’t cooperate.
Maya Angelou hit the nail on the head: “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”
If you’ve ever felt that ache—the kind that lingers until you find the words—this article’s for you.
What’s blocking your ability to articulate your thoughts?
Working with clients (and wrestling with my own brain), I’ve noticed something: The barriers might not be what you think they are.
- Mental clutter. You’re juggling seventeen different thoughts and can’t focus on just one.
- Perfectionism. You’re waiting to start until you can get it right. Which means you never start.
- Self-doubt. You question whether your thoughts are even worth sharing.
- Lack of structure. You don’t know how to shape what’s swirling inside.
The good news? You don’t have to fix anything before you write. You just need one opening. One crack in the wall.
Here are five ways to find it.
5 ways to articulate your thoughts when you’re stuck
You don’t have to scale the whole mountain. You just need a foothold—something small to get you moving. One of these five approaches might be it.
1. Talk it out before you try to articulate your thoughts in writing
Before you write, talk. Out loud. To yourself. To a voice memo. To your dog. Let your voice lead the way—because sometimes your mouth knows what your fingers don’t.
Start with phrases like:
- What I really want to say is…
- What’s bothering me most right now is…
- The part that feels hard to admit is…
Let yourself ramble. Then listen back. Somewhere in there, you may find a thread worth pulling.
I’m what’s known as a “mental projector” in Human Design. Think astrology meets Myers-Briggs meets energy map. Being a mental projector, I’m wired to talk things out with people I trust. Talking is how I process. It might be how you process, too.
If not, try another way; there are four more to come.
2. Write a letter you won’t send to try to articulate your thoughts
Forget writing for public consumption. Forget “sounding smart.” Write to someone who loves you. Or someone you miss. Or even a version of yourself from years ago.
Say what you need to say. Tell the truth like it’s a secret. No edits, no structure, no agenda—just a letter.
You might find, when you read it back, that you’ve written exactly what you needed to hear. Words of comfort, clarity, or a truth you didn’t know you had in you.
3. Set a timer and let it get messy
Seven minutes. That’s all.
Set a timer and let yourself write, even if badly. Start with, “What’s true for me right now is.…”
Then don’t stop. Don’t fix. Don’t even think. Just write.
Even if the words won’t come, write that. Write, “The words won’t come. Why won’t the words come?” See what happens.
There’s power in forward motion. Even messy motion.
4. Journal about the stuckness itself
Sometimes the best way to begin is to write about the struggle.
- What does the silence feel like?
- What are you afraid will happen if you speak?
- If you tell the truth?
- If you try?
Your journal can hold the hard parts. The fog. The uncertainty. The yearning to be understood.
In a recent post about journaling for my Beyond Copy subscribers, I said I don’t always know what I want. But my journal does.
And it’s true! My journal is where I wrestle. Where I find clarity. Sometimes, it’s even where I hear my truth first.
If you want a gentle way to start journaling (and get some insights for your business), check out my 5-day Journaling Plan for Entrepreneurs. The link is in that post.
5. Permit yourself to articulate your thoughts freely
Sometimes what you need isn’t inspiration. It’s permission.
So give it to yourself.
Write this down and say it out loud:
- I give myself permission to write something imperfect.
- I give myself permission to not know where it’s going.
- I give myself permission to start anyway.
Stick it somewhere you’ll see it. Then, roll back through these options and choose whichever feels best to begin with.
My final thoughts on how to articulate yours
Bottom line? You don’t have to be a writer to express yourself. You may be a better speaker than a writer. That’s okay. Speaking is articulation just as much as writing.
You also don’t need the right mood, or the perfect setup, or more time, or less fear. You just need a door into the work and enough self-trust to walk through it.
Maybe that door is a voice memo. Or a letter. Or seven messy minutes on a page.
Whatever your way in, take it. Because what’s inside you matters. And someone—maybe just one person—needs you to articulate your thoughts and say it.
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