Digital Mental Health
How to use technology in a positive way for mental health.
Writing as a Therapeutic Exercise
Think back to when you were a child. Writing was a crucial part of your daily routine. Whether it was schoolwork, creative projects at home, or mindless journaling; it seemed inevitable to find yourself staring at a blank piece of paper at some point during the day. This was a daunting task for some. However, from time to time you found yourself writing about something you truly cared about.
Try and remember what it was like being completely lost in thought, scribbling away on the page. There was a sense of freedom to it. When we are young this desire to write and express ourselves comes naturally. It’s only when we get older, and the stress of adulthood begins to bare down on us that we forget about our passion for the pen. Ironically, it is in this very circumstance that we need writing the most. Life can be stressful. It’s easy to worry about what lies ahead. However, research is there to remind us of what we’ve known since childhood; writing is therapeutic. Using writing as a therapeutic exercise can be an outlet for creative expression and help us cope with the negative emotions and stressors we face on a daily basis.
1. Therapeutic writing is a form of expressive therapy that uses the act of writing and the processing of the written word as therapy. For decades we’ve known that writing about your thoughts, feelings, and experiences can bring profound benefits to your physical and mental health
2. Over 200 studies have demonstrated that expressive writing can improve mental health
3. Short and simple writing exercises like setting goals, listing things you love, or journaling about your day can reduce feelings of stress and anxiety
4. In the context of our busy lives, it can seem like these exercises might be a waste of time. Sometimes, experiencing the positive effects of writing for yourself is the best way to understand its true potential.
Over the next week, why not challenge yourself to write for a few minutes every day? Even short sessions of therapeutic writing on a daily basis have been shown to have profound physical and mental health benefits
5. Whether that means opening the notes app on your phone while you wait in line, or scribbling on a post-it note in between meetings, or purchasing a digital journal focused on your particular concern. Just force yourself to write something.
The simple exercise of choosing what to write about is on its own a therapeutic process of self-expression. What will happen when you give yourself free rein to write without any explicit end goal in mind? You might be surprised to see what unfolds day after day.
The Art of Self Care recognizes and utilizes the power of therapeutic writing within our digital programs. Therapeutic products are designed to help people struggling with common mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety, by including writing tools, which are available at your disposal. Interactive digital tools guide you through therapeutic writing exercises at the touch of a button.
It can seem difficult to find the time for therapeutic writing. However, dedicated journals using digital programs provide convenient, on-hand therapeutic writing prompts that make it easy to fit writing back into your daily routine. If you are interested in trying out any of these tools within our programs, find them listed under journals. Whether it is through our digital products or on a piece of scratch paper at home, we encourage you to give therapeutic writing a try. Allow yourself to rediscover the powerful therapeutic benefits writing has on your mental health.
Mind help.info