If you had to pin down one universal emotion that all humans experience, it’s pain.

To be human means to suffer. We suffer on a daily basis as we deal with the disappointments and frustrations of everyday life. But then, we also suffer when we go through the occasional major trauma such as the death of a loved one, the loss of a job, a major sickness, or divorce.

We are often afraid to share our pain because we’re afraid we will look weak. So, we lock up our feelings in a box, set it on a shelf in the back of a dark closet, and try to forget about it.

This is not a healthy way to deal with grief or loss. One of the best ways to work through your pain is to write about it. The Brazilian novelist Paulo Coelho said, “Tears are words that need to be written.”

So how exactly should you write about your tears? Here are three ideas:

First, you can journal about them. Journaling has been a time-tested method for working out your feelings and getting perspective on life’s events and disappointments.

Second, you can write non-fiction articles, books, or other types of material where you talk about your experiences directly. This is also a helpful way to work through your feelings, with the added benefit of helping others, as well.

And third, you can channel your experiences into fiction. This is an indirect way of processing your pain, but it can also be the most powerful way because you can say things in fiction that you could never say in non-fiction. The way you’re saying them is through events and dialogue in your stories.

Whatever pathways you choose, don’t be afraid of your feelings. Don’t stuff them in a box or lock them away. Writing about your pain can bring healing not only for you, but for your readers as well.