Can Writing Really Improve Your Mental Health? Three Benefits a Psychotherapist Recommends
Updated: Jun 11
Eva Gordon works with individuals, families, and organizations to promote safety, well-being, and self-care. Eva is the founder and director of Life Guide LCSW, P.C., a mental health practice providing psychotherapy and community mental health education.
There are several ways to improve our mental well-being and our lives. Some methods include exercising, psychotherapy, healthy eating, sunlight, and sleep. Building on this, it is important to understand that mental health encompasses the well-being of our emotional, psychological, and social lives. The focus is on how you feel inside. Mental health influences how we handle stress, relate to others, and make choices. When we manage mental health, it prevents us from having serious mental health issues.
In addition to traditional methods, as a psychotherapist, I have my clients use writing at times to enhance their mental health and treatment. Writing allows a person to write without judgment, a dictionary, an academic grade, or anyone else’s opinion. Writing gives us a warm space to be ourselves in a world that feels lonely and cold at times.
What is journaling?
Journaling allows you to slow down, process your thoughts, and reconnect to yourself through writing. You express feelings or thoughts that need clarity or the release of suppressed ideas. Journaling is great for thinking about moments of gratitude and what is happening in your life daily, weekly, or monthly. It allows for self-reflection of our experiences, sorting out our feelings, and creating self-awareness.
Related article: 10 Journaling Prompts for Better Mental Health
What is expressive writing?
Expressive writing is a technique that allows people to write about stressful experiences. The method is to write for 10-20 minutes a few times a week to release emotions or thoughts that have been replaying in a person’s mind. It is best to do this 3-4 times a week.
Related article: Speaking of Psychology: Expressive writing can help your mental health, with James Pennebaker, PhD
Now that we have explored the types of writing for mental health, let us explore how writing improves your mental well-being in the next three steps:
Writing is good for mental clarity. Writing provides insight for problem-solving. Having more insight improves your confidence and helps you make healthier choices for your life. New perspectives are gained on current or old issues or experiences. Allow yourself to explore your unconscious mind and brainstorm solutions for a problem. Studies show that when people write for 5-10 minutes before a therapy session, they feel more focused and express themselves clearly in sessions.
Writing improves your physical health. Writing helps with stress reduction, including your blood pressure and breathing. One study showed that 50% of people with rheumatoid arthritis and asthma had “clinically significant” improvement after using expressive writing for 4 months. Writing can also help boost your immune system. Journaling what bothers you or causes you stress helps reduce the risk of disease or illness. Research states that managing stress can reduce the risk of illness.
Writing is a container for your emotions and spirit. There is a cleansing and release that happens as writing gives words and language to a highly stressful state. When you give language to an experience or feeling, a definition is made that makes way for the healing process. It provides a container for your feelings, instead of burdening your spirit. Writing creates a place to release your emotions. The famed psychologist, Ira Progoff, says, “Journaling allows us to savor the beauty and stare straight into the pain.”
In my private practice, many of my clients struggle with anxiety, or the “what if” of life. When we focus on our worries too much, it impacts our functioning. Keeping our emotions bottled up can result in depression and anxiety. People who have had traumatic experiences show better health outcomes when they do expressive writing for 10 minutes a day for 4 days.
When we think about writing, we often think we must be a novelist or a poet. The reality is that writing belongs to all of us, since we all learn to write as a source of communication. The beautiful thing about writing, mainly journaling or expressive writing, is that you are in control and no one is there to judge you. There’s something powerful about reclaiming your power when you feel it’s been taken away by a highly stressful experience, and your emotions get the best of you.
So, whenever you think about self-care, or not feeling well emotionally or mentally, open one of the millionth notepads you receive for your birthday or from your job. Start writing for your heart’s content and not worry about spelling or grammar, but release the load of thoughts you have been carrying.
If you would like to learn more about writing or other methods to improve your mental health, schedule a consultation with me and see how we can work together.
Read more from Eva M. Gordon, LCSW
Eva M. Gordon, LCSW, Psychotherapist and Mental Health Consultant
Eva M. Gordon, LCSW, is the founder and director of Life Guide LCSW, P.C., a mental health practice providing psychotherapy and community mental health education in the New York City area. Her focus is on providing mental health treatment to the Black community as a source of healing and hope. She mainly works with Black professional women ages 30 and up who struggle with unhealthy relationships. The goal is to help these women recognize that self-care is their birthright and not a privilege. Eva uses several strategies, including exploring behavioral patterns, emotional management, and understanding how multiple factors contribute to a person’s mental health during their lifespan.
