Writing for Better Mental Health

Mental Health in Your Own Hands

Writing has always been my therapist, and the last month or so is more proof of its effectiveness. While I understand it isn’t the best option for everyone, I believe it can only help, regardless of what else you’re doing to help keep yourself mentally healthy.

Take for example, gratitudes. I’ve learned it’s well nigh impossible to stay in a funk if I sit and write a list of things for which I’m grateful. Sure, it’s not going to pull anyone out of a deep, dark place miraculously, but it definitely helps, especially if you write them longhand. You establish a connection to your brain and lift yourself up a bit from the pit of darkness we all fall into at one time or another. Sometimes, all it takes is a tiny spark; a tiny glimmer of hope to make you see there are other possibilities you had yet to discover.

You may or may not have noticed, when I write something here which starts on a low note, I eventually manage to write myself around, if not to a brighter, shinier day, at least to the source of my problem, and maybe a couple of potential solutions. If nothing else, it reminds me I am the source of my own solutions; the master of my own life. I can choose to react and to sulk, or respond and move on with my life. The choice is always, always mine.

Solutions Lie Outside Your Comfort Zone

Sure, when the solution means stepping outside my comfort zone, or facing an old demon, it’s not an easy solution, but it’s still one that’s in my power to manifest. Frankly, when solutions are easy to perform, I don’t usually learn much from them. It’s when I have to actually put myself out there, make an effort, and do something difficult, I learn how strong and resilient I truly am. When I get to see another demon moving out of my life; all the better!

Even if writing isn’t your thing, you can do what I used to call a “brain dump”. All you have to do is sit down with a pen and paper, or fingers on the keys with an open Word document, and start writing whatever comes into your head. It doesn’t need to make sense, or be grammatically correct. The idea is to pull all those thoughts which are keeping you awake out into the light of day, so they don’t keep bouncing around like a pinball, wreaking havoc on your peace of mind with no other purpose.

Many was the night I’d be tossing and turning with my head full of jousting thoughts that I’d get up, open a Word document, and let my fingers do the talking. Once I’d gotten all the babble out of my head and onto the page, I was able to sleep. Sure, the problems and worries were still there, but they found a place to rest for a bit so I could too. And maybe, in the flurry of words, I’d manage to find, if not a solution, a way to deal with the goulash on my plate until I was in a better place to clear it entirely.

Facing Life’s Challenges

Life will always toss you challenges. There’s no way around it, even if you locked yourself in a room. You’re meant to find your way around, over, or through those challenges, and become stronger and better equipped for the next round. It’s even OK to take a few minutes to congratulate yourself for your latest successes before diving into the next wave of chaos.

For me, writing became one of the tools I use to help me through those challenges; those rounds of chaos. If nothing else, it helps me corral the chaos until I can find a chink in its armor allowing me to start pulling it apart into manageable pieces. Heaven knows, I face overwhelm my share of the time, if not more. Even now, when I’ve organized my life to be more or less chaos/stress free, I’m finding the chaos manages to find me.

Finding Purpose in the Chaos

The funny thing is, I’m learning I need the chaos to help me maintain a sense of purpose. If left in too peaceful an environment for too long, I get antsy and bored; nervous and frustrated. What a hoot to discover that chaos and even the stress make my life more interesting and enjoyable! (and once again, I’ve written myself around to that conclusion!)

You deserve good mental health, and in this crazy world, it can be hard to find. Whatever it takes to help yourself be mentally healthy, you need to figure it out, whether you do it by yourself or with outside help. I may be one of the lucky ones who discovered my best therapist lay in my own subconscious who was scrabbling around until I let them have their say.

Whether it works for you or not, what do you have to lose, putting pen to paper, or fingers to keys? You might even learn something about yourself that was buried underneath all the warring thoughts and feelings inside.

My gratitudes today are:

1. I’m grateful for learning writing is my best therapist.
2. I’m grateful for being brave enough to face my demons; even the scariest ones buried deep in my psyche.
3. I’m grateful for a freer flow of words since facing the last set of demons head on, and discovering their fearfulness was more because of the darkness than they, themselves.
4. I’m grateful for opening my world up again after a long, dry spell.
5. I’m grateful for the people in my dance community who will always be there when I pull myself from the darkness yet again.

About the Author

Sheri Conaway is a Holistic Ghostwriter, and an advocate for cats and mental health. Sheri believes in the Laws of Attraction, but only if you are a participant rather than just an observer. Her mission is to Make Vulnerable Beautiful and help entrepreneurs touch the souls of their readers and clients so they can increase their impact and their income.