Table 3.

Representative participant comments.

Intervention Week	Participant Comments
Week 1: Writing to express difficult emotions	•“I was surprised at what I wrote. Didn't expect this wise voice to show itself.” •“With this prompt, I was able to get in touch with deep feelings that brought tears to my eyes. I realized that I have been repressing feelings of sadness and distracting myself from emotions by keeping busy, with walks, watching the birds, playing board games, doing word puzzles, and other ways of keeping feelings at bay.” •“It felt cathartic, as if stuck emotions were released instead of remaining bottled inside. It also felt good to write things I would not share with family or friends in fear of insulting their experience.” •“During this exercise I remembered the pain and difficult times but tried to focus on the future and the strengths that I have gained so that I can deal with my fears of the future and move forward. Putting all of this into words has given me more strength and a better perspective.”
Week 2: Writing to release & integrate difficult emotions	•“I found this writing deeply satisfying because it gave me a sense of my own resources for finding contentment and satisfaction while having my life greatly shrunken in terms of going out into the world.” •“Wow! I realized I like to be in control and don't always accept life's circumstances. Interesting.” •“This writing is about what means most to me and what I can let go of---and those are probably the most important choices we make each day. I felt a little sad when I wrote about my greatest fear---of losing someone I love during this time, either from COVID or another natural cause. But I don't want to dwell with that thought and let me lose the opportunities of today. This writing caused me to both go to the darkest thought as well as understand that living in that fear will rob me of today's opportunities.” •“WHEW!!! I forgot I had a choice to choose how I show up in this world. The writing experience allowed me to examine how I'd like to move forward. It's given me a deeper perspective on my value and worth.”
Week 3: Writing to nurture gratitude	•“Wow. I could have written more. I didn't stop to breathe. I let my pen glide back and forth on my note pad. I am looking at this pandemic as a chance for a do-over, and that came out quickly while writing. I felt as though my thoughts and pen were challenging me to do something, to be happier.” •“I resisted this prompt at first. Ugh, I am not a poet, I thought. I didn't fight it and I used the format and I really like what I wrote. I am so grateful that I signed up for this study because I really like the poem and I would never have written it but for the study. Afterwards, I am feeling kind of proud of myself and hopeful that I may write some other poetry or prose in the future.” •“Gosh-stop already-this is so powerful. I was resistant. Write a dumb poem. Whatever. I used a little of the prompt and then just wrote. I don't know if it is a poem. But it kind of blew me away-I think the prompt is what I really resonated with and I would write a few lines and then write that prompt again and write a few more lines. It took me to a depth that was surprising and peaceful. I wouldn't say I am happy really. But on a scale of 1–10 I am 100 for contentment and peace. (and usually at a 2)” •“This writing put me in a happy place. I ended it with a short positive to-do list of things to remember during COVID-19 such as, listening to music, writing about feelings, looking at photos and other things that are simple mindful pleasures. I noticed today that with each writing session I am feeling happier and more positive. There was definitely a cumulative effect for me.”
Week 4: Writing to invite enhance strengths & resources	•“It took me a few minutes to begin writing, as I felt anxious … but after some deep breaths, and a “drop into mindfulness, “I wrote freely, and I felt more peaceful. I'll keep going with this, as I felt some real purpose and positive energy behind it once I let go of my own judgments toward self … I feel empowered right now.” •“This write felt like waves coming in and out that were building as the tide was coming in. It had a cleansing and refreshing quality that required work but was satisfying for the effort.” •“This exercise made me feel strong and when I reread what I wrote I realized that it was very positive. This made me realize that I do believe in myself and that I do have faith that I can handle all the affirmations that I made. This again made me cry.” •“Wow, this made me feel really good while writing. I do have an opportunity, and I do not want to squander the opportunity, so it put a spark in me.”
Week 5: Writing to cultivate positive meaning & savor goodness	•“Writing trickled out at first as I reflected back to the beginning of COVID. Realized a good number of silver linings in the early days. Not sure if that was hope or fear wrapped up in those silver linings, but capturing them and writing them down made a positive difference in my life, and in the lives of those around me. Felt calm and happy during and after writing.” •“The writing went well I was open and honest and I said how I feel. This week feels harder and scarier and I acknowledged that in my writing.” •“After consciously setting aside my usual pessimistic approach, I found it surprisingly easy and pleasant to look for-and find-the good. It made me feel stronger and more powerful. I intend to practice this!” •“I had a hard time avoiding thinking about all of the negative things but after about 5 min I was able to get on a positive vein. The best part of this writing for me was remembering to look for the positive things because there are so many that we can't know about yet. This writing made me feel a little positive in the end and helped me feel gratitude.”
Week 6: Writing to invite insight, perspective, & growth	•“All this had me realize that life is precious, whether that person is nearing the final decades, or has most of their life ahead of them. Although I have thought about this, here is the first time it's on paper. The writing wasn't difficult, just eye-opening.” •“Writing a letter to a future generation about 2020 was lovely. It was deeply satisfying to frame the chaos of the pandemic in terms of hindsight, and to emphasize my values through that frame. It reinforced that there is a choice --and that I see the heroes, the helpers, the creative solutions, the Love that's bringing us through this time and that is the story I will tell.” •“It was hard at first but I decided to focus on the positive things and that made me feel better. It's very hard to think of a positive thing without going right back to the negative stuff but I am getting better at it.” •“I feel like the writing gives me the opportunity to move verbalize stagnant emotions -out of my mind and out of my body. It gives me the chance to assess and move ideas and concepts. Otherwise these seem to weigh heavily on my heart and in my stomach.”