5 Easy Tools To Use Writing For Self-Care
There are many ways to practice self-care and it is a great idea to have a variety of practices to go-to. Writing is one of my personal favorites when it comes to making sense of my thoughts and feelings, or even just allowing myself some dedicated ‘me-time’. The reasons why I often recommend writing as a means of practicing self-care:
you don’t need any special tools or skills for it,
you can do it at any time
and its simplicity allows you to mold it to a variety of needs and preferences.
In addition, there is significant research indicating the numerous health benefits related to expressive writing. In their research article “Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing”, authors Baikie and Wilhelm listed improved mood, fewer stress related visits to the doctor, reduced blood pressure, better immune system functioning and improved memory among the many long terms benefits of writing (Baikie, K., & Wilhelm, K. (2005). Emotional and physical health benefits of expressive writing. Advances in Psychiatric Treatment, 11(5), 338-346. doi:10.1192/apt.11.5.338). There is research evidence suggesting that writing can make you happier and healthier!
Writing protocols are gaining popularity in the field of therapy as an additional and/or alternative treatment tool. When it comes to self-care however, there is no one right way of writing for self-care. I like that it is simple enough to be accessible anywhere, yet flexible enough to address specific self-care needs (like managing anxiety, coping with stress, fostering deeper understanding, clarifying thoughts, planning and decision making to name a few).
Penning down your thoughts on paper or typing (though I have a bias towards the former!) not only provides a sense of release from pent up feelings, it also creates space between you and your thoughts. This allows you to metaphorically take a step back and look at things with a fresh perspective. Here are 5 ways to use writing for self-care:
1 Journal writing
Journal writing or keeping a diary are the most commonly used writing tools for reflection and self-care. You can either choose to write daily at a particular time (e.g just before going to bed) or when you are struggling with something that’s hard to talk about. However, I would advice against writing only painful things, as it is important to process both pleasant and unpleasant experiences. Be wary of this becoming a space that intensifies your misery.
I recommend clients to keep a small notebook handy to jot down changes they notice between sessions, or even things they would like to bring to the next counselling session.
2 Lists
If writing a journal doesn’t appeal to you, perhaps you can start with something less ‘wordy’. Lists are a great tool to help you manage multiple tasks and goals. Making a daily list of tasks will not only help you organize your time better, but will also free up the mental space taken up by repeatedly reminding yourself of something that needs your attention. If To-Do lists seem too daunting, I suggest that at the end of the day try listing everything you accomplished that day. You will be surprised how many uncredited tasks you got done. This list can help you plan the next days differently to manage your time better.
You can also use this tool to make gratitude lists, bullet journal, list of affirmations, list your strengths, list pros and cons of a pending decision etc.
3 Mindful Writing
This one is my favorite for calming anxiety and racing thoughts. All you need is pen and paper for this exercise. Start with a sentence describing your physical surroundings. For example, ‘The wall in front of me is white in color’. As you write this, make your writing slow and deliberate, focusing on every single pen stroke, the sound of pen against paper, how your hand rests and moves as your write. Continue writing this way till you reach the end of the page – you can write more about your surroundings or turn inward to describe your experience of physical sensations in the moment. This deliberate slowing down forces your mind to match pace. I have noticed that slowing down the speed of writing makes my thoughts slow down as well and I feel much calmer by the time I reach the end of the page!
I often recommend this as part of nightly winding down to clients who struggle to fall asleep. This is also a great mindfulness practice to keep your attention on the present moment.
4 Mind Map
When you are trying to work through a complex situation and are struggling to make a decision, it can be helpful to create a ‘mind map’ on paper. Connecting a central question or idea to related issues and possibilities helps you to make an informed choice with better clarity. It can also be used to identify tools and resources available to you. Another way to use mind maps for self care is to process difficult emotions. For this, write the emotion you want to explore, for e.g. anger or jealousy. Now free associate and write around it other words and phrases that come to mind when you think of it. Join the ones that seem closely connected. This exercise can help to identify sources of discomfort and can be insightful for making connections you may have missed earlier. You may want to discuss the insights with your therapist to get the most out of this tool.
5 Prompt-based Writing
If you are looking for a more structured or directive approach to start writing for self-care, using prompt-based writing is a great place to begin. Just write a prompt at the top of the page and allow your thoughts to flow. You could be surprised by some of the things that come up.
There are numerous prompt lists available on the internet that you can start with – a simple Google or Pinterest search for ‘journal prompts’ will give you lots of options to choose from. You can also get one of the journals with a prompt printed on the top of each page. The basic idea behind this practice is to give yourself the space to reflect on aspects of your life, relationships or yourself that you may not have thought about before and perhaps need more clarity on. Pick a list and set aside time daily or weekly to practice this. Here is a list of prompts focusing on self-care to get you started:
What will you do today to look after yourself?
What is your favorite form of self-care?
What change can you make today to improve your self-care?
What is your favorite quality about yourself?
What habit do you need to change?
How do you show kindness to yourself?
What are the biggest influences on your mental health?
Which areas of your life need more attention?
You can pick one or more of these tools depending on the need you are looking to address. If you wish to get to know yourself better, you could create room to self-reflect through journal writing and using prompts to write. If your focus is managing anxiety and panic, or you want to practice mindfulness, then the slow mindful writing task may be better suited for you. If you want to cope with stress or be better organized, lists can be very helpful in this regard. Making decisions can be aided by writing journal, making a mind map or even listing different aspects like hopes, outcomes, risks etc. I hope this article has highlighted how you can use a simple tool like writing in many ways for better mental health and self-care.
I would love to hear your feedback and suggestions for improving these practices!