Why writing matters

Writing about your life as a therapeutic tool for emotional regulation and processing has been gaining traction in recent years.

I think writing is a great addition to your self-care toolbox. When I was using writing as a tool for emotional regulation I found at the beginning that I was not able to sit still and focus initially. This was because I was not able to centre myself very well at the beginning. I found I was able to write my thoughts and feelings down while I was online. Working online meant I was used to writing on a laptop and this really helped me to embed the habit.

I also researched the literature (mainly James Pennebaker’s work) on the emotional benefits when writing about tricky times in one’s life. So I decided over lockdown to create an online journaling platform to support individuals in creating a writing habit and offer guided tasks to write for greater emotional clarity. The idea is that you have a place to write every day, the minimum you need to write is 250 words a day to earn a streak and gain different prizes in the form of badges. The website also offers an analysis of the tone and content of your writing so you can see yourself change over time and see the fruits of your efforts.

The practice of writing and distilling your thoughts is a small thing that you can do to take control back over your life. It works to help release tension and goes very well with psychotherapy as a way to engage with yourself and process what you need to live with greater ease and strength.

Writing is particularly useful for life-defining events that may or may not be traumatic and the website I created is designed to support you by writing regularly for emotional clarity.

If you are interested in writing for wellbeing and a better life, check out the platform below: