Monday Musings – Writing is therapeutic – 7 ways for using writing to release stress

Letters have an impact. They get people to listen. Back in the day people wrote to Dear Abby, others wrote letters to the Editor. Then there are folks from the Bible like Paul who wrote letters to the people guiding them in how they should live.

Unlike Paul my letters would be short.

Dear God – Help!

Letter writing is one way that helps alleviate a little stress. Writing is therapeutic. For me, adding an element of humor to writing can provide a new perspective on any situation.

I was having a conversation with my son the other day. He was telling me about a time he hung out with a group of friends. They were giving him a hard time about the large amount of food he was eating.

One friend said, “D, why do you eat so much? Where do you put all that food, you’re not that big?”

My son’s childhood friend K chimed in, “You know his refrigerator was empty growing up, so he’s making up for it now.”

Laughter erupted from his friends.

I chuckled at my son’s retelling of the incident. Then I paused mid thought and said, “wait, K didn’t just take a dig at you, that reflects me. I buy the food for the house.”

“Next time you talk to K, tell him our fridge was NOT empty. I always kept a fresh box of baking soda in there.”

And that is how humor makes it to the top of my list of ways to reduce stress.

Below are seven ways to use writing to release stress.

1.      Letter writing – write a letter to yourself, your future self or past self. It’s a reflective exercise that can offer perspective and clarity.

2.      List Writing – making lists of your favorite things, bucket list items, or things you want to try. List making can be fun and calming.

3.      Write a Travelogue – imagine a trip to your dream destination and describe it in detail.  This is a way to mentally escape and relax.

4.      Songwriting – try writing lyrics for a song. It’s a great way to express emotions through rhythm and rhyme.

5.      Stream of Consciousness Writing – set a timer for 10-15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind without stopping. This is a great way to clear your head.

6.      Expressive Writing – write about your feelings or a specific event that’s causing stress. This can help you process emotions and gain insight.

7.      Gratitude Lists – write down things you’re grateful for, focusing on the positive can help shift your mood.

What is your favorite method for relieving stress? Is there one thing on the list above that you have not tried?