Numerous studies have shown the benefits writing can have on mental health. But what is it about putting pen to paper that truly helps to improve our mental health? We’re about to explore the answers to that question as we take a look at the different types of writing and their benefits. You’ll also learn how mental health treatment in Scottsdale can help if you’re battling mental illness.
4 Ways Writing Can Improve Mental Health
Writing Clears Your Head
Writing helps you clear your head of thoughts that can spark anxiety. Keeping a journal can help free your mind of distracting thoughts and teach you how to let go of stressful situations. This is especially helpful when thoughts and feelings start to flood your mind and begin to make you feel stressed.
Researchers have found that when people wrote about their thoughts for 20 minutes, they had better mental clarity than those who did not.1 The study found that writing may help people improve mental clarity because they must organize their thoughts and process information. This, along with expressing their thoughts in words, helps to clear the mind, possibly leading to improvements in mental health.
Writing Allows You to Express Emotions & Be More Aware of Feelings
When people write, they can also release their emotions. This can help improve mental health by not keeping emotions bottled up inside. You can also become more aware of your feelings as you write your thoughts. By expressing yourself through writing, you can work through those feelings and learn how to better understand yourself.
Writing Can Boost Self-Esteem
If you decide to share your writing, you can also get a self-esteem boost if you get a compliment about something you’ve written. If you decide not to share your writing, it still allows you to reflect on who you are and find value within yourself. It can boost self-esteem as you find self-worth through your writing.
Writing Helps to Focus
Writing helps people focus because when they sit down to write, they shut out all other distractions. When you are focused, you feel more productive and less stressed. This can help to improve mental health.
Different Types of Writing and Their Benefits on Mental Health
Expressive Writing
Expressive writing is a writing style where people write about their thoughts and feelings relating to a stressful life event. This is used during therapy sessions to help people work through difficult situations. Research shows that expressive writing can decrease stress, anxiety, and depression.2
In one study, people who participated in expressive writing for 15-20 minutes daily had better physical and mental health indexes than those who wrote about topics unrelated to emotions.3 Expressive writing teaches people to be in the moment and focus on what’s happening. By writing regularly, you can better understand your actions and relieve any anxiety you may be feeling.
Reflective Writing
As the name suggests, reflective writing is a way for people to think about their beliefs and actions for the main purpose of learning and development. While many professionals use this writing type, everyone can do it. It can be used as a way to get clarity and think about what’s most important to you.
Creative Writing
Creative writing can be very liberating as people use their words to write poems, short stories, novels, or whatever else comes to mind. This type of writing encourages people to use their imaginations to communicate ideas.
People can use creative writing as an outlet to talk about the challenges of grief or whatever else they may be feeling at the time. This is especially helpful for those who may have trouble directly discussing their feelings.
Choosing their words to tell their story creatively can improve mental health and increase self-awareness. It doesn’t need to be creative writing to evoke self-awareness. You can choose to write about your feelings during a stressful event. Being more in tune with your feelings can help you to become more self-aware and improve your mental health.
It’s important to note that writing can be used as a tool to improve mental health along with a mental health treatment plan in Scottsdale. It is not a cure-all but can be a wonderful addition to a healing plan. Many people find that different techniques, such as writing, can be helpful in their journey to improve their mental health. People also find that trying different types of writing can be helpful in different situations.
Mental Health Treatment in Scottsdale at Healing Foundations Center
At Healing Foundations Center, we use a variety of treatments to help people dealing with various mental health issues. We work to customize each plan because we know each patient has specific needs that need to be dealt with.
Our mental health treatment in Scottsdale includes cognitive behavioral therapy, anxiety treatment, and more. Our team of experienced professionals will help develop a treatment plan that may include different techniques to help you deal with whatever issues you face. We are dedicated to helping our clients heal self-destructive patterns and achieve emotional well-being.
To learn more about how our team can help, call us today or message us online.
Sources:
[1] https://writingcooperative.com/this-is-your-brain-on-writing-f393d68a4687
[2] https://theconversation.com/writing-can-improve-mental-health-heres-how-162205
[3] https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/advances-in-psychiatric-treatment/article/emotional-and-physical-health-benefits-of-expressive-writing/ED2976A61F5DE56B46F07A1CE9EA9F9F