Putting your thoughts to paper can do much more than creating a written masterpiece. Creative writing can give you a deeper insight into what’s going on in your mind. So, let’s learn how creative writing can improve your mental health here.
What do you do when you’re emotionally drained? How do you vent out your emotions at times of distress?
Often, there are times when you go through struggling times when you don’t have anyone to share.
That’s when you should befriend creative writing.
Writing your thoughts and ideas on paper and venting them out gives you satisfaction. Remember, a piece of paper and a pen can be your most trusted friends.
Besides sharing your thoughts and ideas, creative writing has another significant benefit – it helps you heal mentally.
Gone are the days when mental health was a hush-hush topic. Now, one of the best ways to resolve mental health issues is to give shape to your ideas and thoughts, and writing them is a very reliable solution.
In this blog, I’ll share how creative writing can boost your mental health. Also, you’ll get to learn about the different forms of writing that can heal you mentally.
If you’re still wondering how you can start your creative writing and incorporate it into your daily life, read the blog till the end to find an appropriate answer to this.
10 Ways Creative Writing Can Improve Your Mental Health [With 5 Forms of Writing to Heal]
I resonate with one of Ernest Hemingway’s quotes and it says that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts.”
Although Hemingway has written it casually, research has proved time and again that writing about what hurts can improve your mental health.
You’ll be surprised to know that more than 200 studies affirm the positive effect of writing on mental health.
Since writing offers a safe, confidential, and free way to disclose your emotions, it is a secure way of letting go of your hard feelings.
Creative writing can heal you mentally, this is the kind of writing that can help you improve yourself. So, go ahead and read how you can get started.
Is Creative Writing a Skill?
Creative writing is an art form that allows you to express your thoughts, opinions, and ideas with the correct words.
It is the process of creating original and imaginative content that transcends traditional writing to present a unique perspective on situations.
The purpose of creative writing is to:
- Evoke emotions in a reader
- Make the reader think beyond conventional norms
In short, creative writing helps you to know more about yourself. It is a great way of self-discovery. The writer uses a lot of emotions to engage with their readers. As a writer, your idea here is to ensure that readers feel the way you do. Your job is to make your writer feel relatable to your words. The reader must find themselves in your words.
Does Creative Writing Help Mental Health?
In the age of this digital stress, creative writing is like a breath of fresh air.
Being the next emerging hot topic, there has been a demand for creative writers across all industries by almost 16% (Source). Today, it is considered one of the highest-paying skills that serves as a therapeutic aid to most people.
Here’s how creative writing can help with your mental health:
1. It allows you to think clearly.
Do you ever take to writing to get clarity on a particular subject or to structure your thoughts and communicate them more clearly?
Well, writing can be a great way to think critically and analyze your ideas. The legendary Bill Gates has also considered writing as a method to evaluate your thoughts throughout the day.
Whether you’re crafting fictional or non-fictional content, writing helps you think clearly about what you’re writing. It distinguishes your ideas and clarifies what you want to express and what you don’t want to express.
Scientifically, writing is a cognitive activity that activates your grey matter (a tissue in your brain and spinal cord that allows you to function normally every day). So, let creative writing help you flex your mental muscles and set your thoughts free.
2. It is a lifelong learning process
While some prefer taking courses on creative writing, others stick to reading books on various writing techniques.
In both cases, one thing is common – it is a constant learning process.
When you’re into writing, you need to keep two vital things in mind:
- You must strive to deliver the best.
- You must continue practicing to improve.
Writing involves an in-depth research process. Well, this can be fulfilling provided you work on a topic you love. As a full-time writer, I cannot agree more with the flow of continuous learning this profession has to offer.
3. It helps you to master the skill.
Don’t you feel elated about achieving something? What happens to your mood then?
Once you accomplish something you’ve been working hard for, it gives you immense satisfaction. That is when you experience an adrenaline rush which makes you feel a lot of emotions.
If you fail to convey all these emotions to your near and dear ones, writing can help you feel better.
Whatever the size of your achievement, put it to paper. With time, you’ll notice that you’ve already mastered the skill of creative writing.
4. It is a means to process tough situations and emotions.
When your emotions bottle up, you stress yourself. You push yourself into the darkness of loneliness and negativity.
Considering the quote of Ernest Hemingway I mentioned at the beginning of this blog, research has proven that writing about what hurts can improve your mental health. It frees your mind from things that hurt your feelings.
According to research, psychologists call it expressive writing that improves both your psychological and physical health.
If you’ve had a bad day, you’ve experienced something utterly awful that you can’t share with anyone. It’s killing you within. These are the times to grab a pen and your diary and start writing your inner thoughts.
By the time you finish writing, you may not have solved the problem, but at least you’ll feel lighter.
5. It increases your self-awareness.
Creative writing is not just about expressing yourself. Researches show that writing is a means to become more self-aware about yourself.
The moment you put your thoughts on paper, it helps you stop overthinking. You turn your attention to your inner self and introspect on what you’re good at. It is a highly sensible way to indulge in self reflection.
Once you become more aware of your feelings, ideas, and thoughts, your mental health ultimately becomes better.
It helps you to make better decisions, leads to greater job satisfaction, and improves both your professional and personal relationships.
6. It makes you a part of a writers’ community.
You must have become tired of hearing that writing is a solitary profession, it’s boring, you don’t make friends, blah, blah, blah!
Well, it doesn’t have to be, provided you create a social presence in the digital sphere.
There are several communities for writers on different social media platforms. Join them and see how you grow. Or better, join my writing community by being a part of it on:
So far, I’ve made the best decision to create a personal brand on these platforms and have built a community of thousands of writers. It’s wonderful to see how your community misses you when you’re on a digital detox.
7. It enhances your focus and writing flow
Have you ever felt the presence of too many tabs opened in your head? This is because you lack clarity and are utterly confused.
One of the best ways to improve your focus in life is to start writing. Keep your phone away from you, switch off your social media, and get into a distraction-free workspace.
You can use the Pomodoro Technique to commit to a specific time to write. The greater the focus, the better your mental health.
With time, you may also enter into a flow state where writing will come lucidly to you. In such a situation, you become fully immersed in writing, under the right conditions.
8. It gives happiness and fulfillment
Do you enjoy writing? Do you love the process of putting your thoughts into paper? Then, do it more.
However, busy you are in life, it’s important to set aside time for yourself. When you carve out time to do something you enjoy, it’s a great stress-buster. Creating writing is a great choice for the same.
Not only does it release your stress, but also makes your heart and soul happy. It’s a fulfilling feeling.
9. It channels your negative energy
Every day you’re exposed to a lot of negativity. Be it at work or home, you might interact with a lot of negative energy throughout the day.
To stay happy and with good mental health, you need to release these negative energies and a good way to do so is to engage in creative writing.
Creative writing is a sensible and gentle way of healing your mind.
10. It takes your mind off things
While you write creatively, your mind gets transcended to a sphere where you indulge in the free flow of writing.
Not only does it help you to let go of the mundane world, but sometimes it also takes you to travel into a different sphere mentally. This works wonderfully, especially if you’re struggling with any mental health concerns.
Different forms of writing to heal your mental health
What kind of writing can heal you mentally? If this question is bothering you, I have an answer.
Here are the different forms of writing that can heal you mentally:
1. Journaling
- Involves writing your thoughts, feelings, and experiences
- Should be written in a personal notebook
- Particularly helpful for self-reflection
- Helps to explore emotions and gain insights
2. Expressive writing
- Includes more structured prompts and exercises
- Aims to offer more processes to work through the feelings
3. Creative writing
- A powerful tool for mental health and wellness
- Can be incredibly therapeutic
- Gives clarity
- Reduces stress and anxiety
- Helps develop a sense of self-awareness and compassion
5 Tips to Start Creative Writing
If you’ve never maintained a journal or not developed a daily writing habit, here’s how you can start:
- Commit to yourself to write at least half an hour every day.
- Write in a personal and private space where you’re free to open up.
- In case you’re stuck, use some interesting prompts to restart again.
- Get rid of all kinds of distractions.
- Even if you write poorly, don’t judge yourself.
Conclusion
So, creative writing can be a great way to heal your mental health and take care of yourself.
Remember, there is no right or perfect way to write. To write, use anything that you’re comfortable with. Here, your primary idea should be to focus on your feelings and let them out.
Start writing today. Practice it for a month and see how it makes a difference, especially in your mental health.
