Throughout our lives we go through different changes and emotions. Consequently, some of these situations cause us to overthink. It’s as if our minds are overflowing with noise and these thoughts look for a way out, a way to spill over. We may end up desperately looking for peace of mind. There are many solutions for this common problem but for many people, the solution is: writing.

I myself struggle with what I would call “an unnecessarily busy mind”. Luckily, I realised I’ve always had a way of escaping through journaling. I’ve been keeping journals since I was 9 years old. My journals are full of adolescent struggles, from silly childhood troubles to ones that are full of teenage rage. And now even in adulthood, it is clear to me: writing grounds me.

Writing for your mental health is not a new thing of course. And many do it without even realizing. For example, have you ever sat down and just let your thoughts flow onto the page? Not caring about grammar or structure, just expressing whatever's on your mind? If you have, you've already dabbled in something called therapeutic writing.

What is Therapeutic Writing?

Therapeutic writing isn’t about crafting a perfect story or a polished essay. It’s a way to explore your emotions, thoughts, and experiences by getting them out of your head and onto paper. This process can help you understand your feelings better and make sense of things that might otherwise seem overwhelming or tangled up in your mind.

The beauty of therapeutic writing is that there’s no right or wrong way to do it. You can sit down with a notebook or open up a document on your computer and write whatever comes to mind. You might start by describing how you’re feeling today or recounting an event that’s been on your mind. The point is to write freely without judging yourself.

This act of expression can help you process difficult emotions like anger, sadness, or anxiety. It’s like having a conversation with yourself, giving those bottled-up feelings a space to exist without pressure.

Studies on therapeutic writing

Furthermore, there is evidence to show that writing has real effects on our health. The American Psychological Association notes that a groundbreaking study on the physical effects of writing was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (Murray, 2002). A study conducted by psychologists James Pennebaker, PhD, and Joshua Smyth, PhD, revealed the physical benefits of expressive writing for individuals with chronic illnesses.

In the study, 107 patients with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis wrote for 20 minutes on three consecutive days. 71 participants wrote about the most stressful events of their lives, while the rest focused on a neutral topic, such as their daily plans. After four months, clinical evaluations showed significant improvement in 70 patients from the stress-writing group, compared to only 37 in the control group.

Moreover, those who wrote about stressful experiences not only improved more but also experienced less deterioration than the controls in both diseases. As Smyth explains, “So writing helped patients get better, and also kept them from getting worse.”.

An article published by Mugerwa & Holden (2012) also touches on this subject:

“How writing potentially brings about health benefits is unknown and the underlying mechanism is likely to be complex and multifactorial. One theory is that of emotional catharsis whereby the mere act of disclosure, essentially ‘getting it off your chest’ is a powerful therapeutic agent in itself. Writing may facilitate cognitive processing of traumatic memories, resulting in more adaptive, integrated representations about the writer themselves, their world, and others. It is also possible that development of a coherent narrative over time results in ongoing processing and finding meaning in the traumatic experience.”

A study “An everyday activity as a treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder” (Krpan et al., 2013) is the first to show that expressive writing can actually help people dealing with major depressive disorder (MDD).

At the start of the study, everyone had similar levels of depression, but those who wrote for just 20 minutes a day for three days in a row had lower depression scores than those who didn’t write—just one day after finishing! Even better, four weeks later, the writing group still had lower depression scores that were below the clinical level. This suggests that expressive writing could be a simple, cost-effective way to complement existing treatments for depression. It’s easy, quick, and anyone who can put their thoughts into words can try it.

There are different ways for one to try out therapeutic writing

The most common form is journaling. Set aside a few minutes each day to jot down your thoughts, whether it's what happened during the day or what’s been weighing on your mind. Another one is stream-of-consciousness writing. This involves writing whatever comes to mind for a set period of time—without stopping, editing, or filtering. It is also commonly known as a narrative style. T.S. Eliot uses this technique in his famous poem “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”.

Sometimes writing a letter (that you don’t actually send) to someone—whether it’s to a friend, a family member, or even yourself—can help you process unresolved feelings. This technique helped me many times before during rough times. I usually prefer to write them in separate papers that I keep closed as a way of reminding myself that I’m done with whatever has troubled me at the time.

If you’re not sure where to start, you can use writing prompts, like “What are three things I’m grateful for today?” or “What’s something that’s been on my mind this week?”.

Who Should Try Therapeutic Writing?

Honestly, anyone can benefit from therapeutic writing. It’s especially recommended for people who:

• Feel overwhelmed by emotions. Writing can provide clarity when your emotions feel like a chaotic storm.

• Experience anxiety or stress. Putting your worries into words can sometimes help lessen their power over you.

• Are going through grief or loss? Writing about your experience can help you process and cope with your feelings.

• Struggle to talk about their feelings. If talking about emotions feels difficult or uncomfortable, writing can be a private way to work through them.

• Are navigating big life transitions. Whether it’s a new job, a breakup, or a move, writing can help you process these changes and all the feelings that come with them.

However, it is important to note that according to the American Psychological Association website “[…] initial writing about trauma triggers distress and physical and emotional arousal, researchers have found.” For some of us, working through certain situations on our own may not be the best way to deal with them. In fact, it may even harm our mental health.

“But there is evidence that the nature of a person's writing is key to its health effects, notes health psychology researcher Susan Lutgendorf, PhD, of the University of Iowa. An intensive journaling study (in press, Annals of Behavioral Medicine) she conducted recently with her doctoral student Phil Ullrich suggests that people who relive upsetting events without focusing on meaning report poorer health than those who derive meaning from the writing. They even fare worse than people who write about neutral events. Also, those who focus on meaning develop greater awareness of positive aspects of a stressful event.” – American Psychological Association

But if you are keen on trying writing out there’s another way for problems that require more help, like writing therapy. Therapeutic writing and writing therapy are similar but have some key differences:

• Therapeutic writing is more informal and self-guided, where you can write freely without rules or structure, simply as a way to process emotions and gain clarity on your own. It’s a flexible practice you can do whenever you feel the need.

• Writing therapy, on the other hand, is more structured and happens under the guidance of a therapist. In writing therapy, a professional might provide prompts or specific goals, using writing as a tool within a broader therapeutic approach to help work through issues like trauma, grief, or anxiety. So, while therapeutic writing is a personal, everyday tool, writing therapy is more focused and part of a larger mental health treatment plan.

It’s also worth noting that while therapeutic writing can be incredibly helpful, it’s not a replacement for professional therapy. However, it can be a great complement to other self-care practices and mental health support.

Mugerwa & Holden (2012) start by quoting a Chinese proverb that I also would like to share here as I believe it’s the most fitting:

 I hear and I forget,

I see and I remember,

I write and I understand.

If you’re curious, grab a notebook or open a blank document on your computer and just start writing. You don’t need to have a plan or a purpose—just let your thoughts flow. You might be surprised at how much lighter you feel after letting it all out.

References

Krpan, K. M., Kross, E., Berman, M. G., Deldin, P. J., Askren, M. K., & Jonides, J. (2013). An everyday activity as a treatment for depression: The benefits of expressive writing for people diagnosed with major depressive disorder. Journal of Affective Disorders, 150(3), 1148–1151. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.05.065

Mirgain, S., & Singles, J. (2016). Therapeutic journaling. Whole Health Library. Retrieved October 21, 2024, from https://www.va.gov/WHOLEHEALTHLIBRARY/tools/therapeutic-journaling.asp

Mugerwa, S., & Holden, J. D. (2012). Writing therapy: A new tool for general practice? The British Journal of General Practice, 62(605), 661–663. https://doi.org/10.3399/bjgp12X659457

Murray, B. (2002). Writing to heal. American Psychological Association. Retrieved October 20, 2024, from https://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/writing

Nicholls, K. (2023). What is therapeutic writing (and is it for me?). Happiful. Retrieved October 19, 2024, from https://happiful.com/what-is-therapeutic-writing-and-is-it-for-me