Health First’s Behavioral Wellness: May Is Mental Health Awareness Month, Write It Down

Jotting thoughts and feelings down can really help someone get in touch with themselves

At Health First’s Behavioral Wellness, we know that small changes in behavior can have big impacts on outlook.

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – At Health First’s Behavioral Wellness, we offer mental health support beginning in early adulthood with Licensed Therapists in intimate group settings, and now in one-on-one appointments, too.

Like other areas of our health system, we often rely on drug therapies to produce measurable, positive results, but we talk at least as much about changing behaviors that change perspectives that improve well-being.

One of the things we tell many clients is – write more.

“I am not a writer,” you might be thinking.

Neither am I! But not all writing is lengthy or creative. When I say write I mean record, list, even sketch. Pick up a pen or pencil and take a timeout, or better, a time in.

Writing or jotting thoughts and feelings down can really help someone get in touch with themselves.

Journaling

Journalling has been shown to be a great tool for working through issues as well as helping people to solve problems. As one writer put it, “writing is thinking, but it’s thinking slowed down … to a point where dimensions and nuances otherwise invisible to you appear.”

I’m more of a meditation and prayer type of person, but there’s a lot of research supporting the benefits of writing. One of the cool things about writing, or just envisioning your preferred future, is that it can set you on the path to success and help motivate you to achieve an end goal.

It’s also a great way to help someone see how far they’ve come. For some, writing is a path to healing and helps them in self-discovery. 

Jotting Down Your Wins

I love the idea of having a running list of “wins”. A win could be as big as getting through the day without indulging a bad habit, or as small as getting dressed, depending on where you’re at.

When I was doing group sessions, I had clients take small strips of paper and write down a ‘win’ and put it in a box. Then, if they were having a difficult day, they drew from the container for a pick me up.

The practice of noting big and small successes is extremely meaningful and motivating.

Gratitude

There are multiple reasons to practice gratitude including that it creates positive emotions while lessening feelings of stress, anxiety and depression. Oh, and it makes our world a nicer place!

One of the most common forms of practicing gratitude is through writing. Noting, then writing down the things we’re grateful for, gives us something tangible to reflect on later.

Being grateful can be as simple as waking up in the morning or feeling a cool breeze on your skin. It doesn’t have to be a favor someone does for us or a bit of good fortune. Gratitude journaling is often a gateway to more intensive writing and can help someone ease into writing.

Reaching Out to Others

Not all writing is inward. I’m old enough to remember letter writing, and not just the occasional letter from a distant grandparent or aunt but “passing notes” around school.

Whether it landed in my mailbox or on my desk, a note was always a little bit special. To think that someone took the time to craft such a thing! That person spent quiet time with their thoughts. Later, I spent quiet time really listening. I think we miss it today.

Writing like this – the technical term is epistolary, or an epistle – is a practice both of mindfulness and communing, and both show positive results for mitigating depression and anxiety.

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Writing as a Physical Practice, Sketching

Finally, the physical act of writing can be very calming and therapeutic, and sketching would fall under this as well. When you’re physically engaged and mentally focused on a repetitive task such as this, it creates a healthy disconnect from your running thoughts even when the topic is your running thoughts!

At Health First’s Behavioral Wellness, we have resources to help you on your journey to mental wellness and improved feelings of well-being. There are multiple levels of care available to meet you where you are.

To learn more, or to schedule a confidential consultation with one of our clinicians, call 321.434.7604 or visit HF.org/BehavioralWellness to learn more.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DeAnn Collins is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and manager at Health First’s Behavioral Wellness where she oversees an intensive outpatient program, therapy service, and collaborative care management. She has specialized in senior mental health needs and treatments. She is committed to daily mindfulness practice, and is a devoted animal lover who may be spotted “in the wild” at Disney theme parks with her daughter or friends.

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