Writing As Therapy - Here are 6 Science-Backed Ways To Do it.

Do you keep a diary and keep writing on it every night? Well, if you don't then you probably know at least one person who keeps a diary, gratitude journal, etc. But can writing be a legitimate therapy to improve our mental health? According to science, YES.

Many people already know the therapeutic benefits of reading, but not as many people realize that they can simply turn to a pen and a notepad for some serious mental health support.

Also Read: Pleasures of Reading

Writing is an accessible and cost-effective option that has proved excellent benefits. And the best part about it is that it's available whenever you need it, and you can take it with you wherever you go - anytime anywhere. Whether it's 4 a.m. when you can't sleep, after the first day of work at your new job, or even on your wedding day, it's always there when you need it.

The fact is, almost everyone can benefit from some kind of writing as therapy because everyone has problems, and writing things down can eventually help you understand how you're reacting to the things that are occurring around you.

Self-understanding and self-awareness are fundamental components of personal growth.

Want to try writing as therapy? These are the 6 Science-Backed Ways To Use Writing as Therapy. Pick out a method outlined below and put pen to a paper. It's as simple as that!

1. Free Writing as Therapy

This type of writing as therapy is pretty simple. All you have to do is write down whatever comes to your mind. It could be like images in your mind, ideas, experiences, scenes, scents, sounds, etc. Be free and don't worry if it doesn't make sense at the time. When you go back and read what you put on the paper, you'll likely be able to draw some knowledge or perspective. Notwithstanding, writing things down freely can have a purifying effect.

See Also: How to Control Anger, Depression, Anxiety, Stress and More?

2. Expressive Writing as Therapy

This type of writing as therapy can help us deal with negative feelings and ordeal. Keep in mind, however, that if a shock is still raw and you feel bewildered, it may be too soon to deal with it through writing.

Be patient with yourself. If you are ready to try expressive writing, start by putting your deepest thoughts and feelings about a traumatic event down on a paper. Examine how this trauma has affected you in your life. You may write for as little as five minutes or as long as half an hour. Writing down things that bother you can often help you stop thinking about them. Physical health has been found to improve through expressive writing. Some examples include:

• A decrease in resting blood pressure levels.
• Improved mobility and reduced pain in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
• Reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms among patients with maladaptive rumination.
• Reduction in depression symptoms, trauma-related cognitions, and behavioral problems in children with post-traumatic stress disorder.
• A decrease in disease symptoms and improvement in cognition in irritable bowel syndrome patients with longer-term disease.
• Reduced health care visits and reduction in physical symptoms in patients with colorectal, breast, or prostate cancer.
• Improvements in lung function in adult asthma patients.
• Immune functioning was found to be boosted with expressive writing. HIV/AIDS patients who wrote about negative life experiences produced higher CD4 lymphocyte counts. In another study, people who wrote about traumatic experiences before receiving the hepatitis B vaccine had a stronger immune response, producing more antibodies.

Also Read: Mobile Phones Rewire Our Brains Just Like Drugs Proves Neuroscience

It is important to note that both Dr. Pennebaker, one of the major researchers on expressive writing, and Dr. Susan Lutgendorf, a health psychology researcher who has also done research on the subject, stress that in order for expressive writing as therapy to generate benefits, people must find meaning in the traumatic memories and allow themselves to feel all the associated emotions.

3. Reflective Journaling as Therapy

In your reflective diary or journal, you write down your positive or negative experiences, any associated thoughts, and what you learned from them. For example, if you joined in an event or class, write down what happened and include your thoughts and ideas about what you learned and how it helped you grow as a person.

It's best to reflect as soon as possible after the event; don't wait too long, or you won't remember all the details! This is why you should always have your journal nearby and make it a habit to make regular entries.

One of the best things about a reflective journal as therapy is that when you look over at earlier notes, you can gain new insight. It's always gratifying to see how far you've come. Reflective journaling has been found to promote critical thinking and self-reflection.

4. Gratitude Journaling as Therapy

It's always a good practice to slow down, take a deep breath, and ask yourself what you're grateful for?. It's even better to write these things down once or twice a week. Gratitude induces brain activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex, areas that are associated with moral cognition, value judgment, and theory of mind. Dr. Robert Emmons, an eminent researcher on gratitude, has found that counting blessings by gratitude journaling can have a positive effect on the subjective well-being of participants. Even more? Research has shown that gratitude can help you sleep better, care for your own health, and help reduce depression.

5. Letter Writing as Therapy

Do you have unfinished business with a friend, partner, or family member? Maybe you wish to fully express yourself to someone but haven't been able to or never will. You can write everything that you want to say in a letter, and you don't even have to send it. This type of therapy will help you release the burden you may be carrying and can be an intensely cathartic experience.

6. Poetry Writing as Therapy

When writing down a poem, you draw from your own life experiences to craft something that expresses your thoughts and feelings, allowing them to take flight. It's been found that palliative care patients—as well as healthcare professionals, have been able to use poetry—find meaning and viewpoint in cases of "serious illnesses and losses toward the end of life."

You may finally be able to let go of the hurt you've been carrying once you write an unsent letter to someone that wronged you in the past. Perhaps you can allow yourself to feel the negative feelings, and not numb out when you feel ready to write down how a particularly traumatic event affected you and reflect on what it means to you.

Writing as therapy will always be there for you, even if a therapist cannot be present. So take advantage of this accessible therapy, and write your heart out!