Mental Health and Writing

“Mental health and well-being”, must be a phrase that you have read or heard several times, may it be from your friends, colleagues, or classmates, or even from celebrities, but most people do not explain it well enough to sit in your conscious.

Well, that’s what I felt when my friend from high school started talking to me about it when I was in college. I didn't pay much heed as I thought it wasn't such an important matter.

Then my third year of college came around and I was having severe mood swings, I wasn't able to focus in my classes and had lost the drive to wake up in the morning. That was sort of my wake-up call to take care of myself and my well-being. Writing helped me a lot during that phase and rather has been helping me through my anxious phases.

As a college student it was hard to not be stressed out most of the time, and staying away from family was one of the reasons I also had a downfall in my mental health. Always remember that tomorrow is a new day and you have to take each day as it comes. I didn't have many friends ever so I would have no vent to put out all the negative feelings that I had. If you are like me and have not had many friends in your life art will always be your friend.

It will always support you unconditionally and will help you have more friends. painting, sketching, and creative writing have helped me make friends whenever I have moved to a new country. Some people may feel anxious just thinking about writing, but the beauty of it is that there are no right or wrong, you make the rules that are suitable for you as you go.

Write don't type

Some of you might be better at typing than you are at writing, but writing will do wonders than typing, for me, it feels like all the burden that I am feeling is traveling through my arm to my pen and then to the paper. It feels like lighting is traveling through my arm to my paper. If I type then the feeling doesn't come as it's just till the keyboard and not to the actual paper.

Keep a daily journal

make sure you write every day, if this becomes a habit there will be no issue, I make sure that I have a set notebook that I just write my rants, don't beat yourself up though if you are not able to write every day, just make sure you write when you feel your ultimate low, this way it’s all out of your system.

Have a favorite notebook

I know, this is one of the most difficult points to follow as in your mind you might think “you have a favorite notebook?” yes, I do and that doesn't mean that I start crying if I have filled it up, it’s just that I try to find a notebook that can fit my style of writing.

Put on some music

When I was in school, my parents made sure that I didn't have any distractions when I was studying or working on my school projects, so no tv or radio would be on. It would be complete silence in the house. But that didn't help me as my mind would wander far and wide. But one day while my uncle was working on his office work he turned on some music, no lyrics just simple instrumentals. I was seven at the time and to me, my uncle working from home was like homework for me. But what surprised me was how at peace he was while listening to his music. I tried that technique in my third year in college and it worked wonders. To this day, whenever I sit down to work on projects or anything that requires me to focus my attention, I put on some instrumental music.

Put your phone on DND

Don't put it on silent as if someone is trying to reach out to you for an emergency, they won't be able to therefore just leave your phone on “DND”

Try this out and see if you see an improvement in your mental health.