Stuck in a Funk? Writing Down Your Feels Could Actually Help (2024)

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Putting pen to paper feels a bit like an anomaly in a world obsessed with texting, tweeting, and sliding into people’s DMs. But let’s try something different. The next time you’re in your Notes app, give your thumbs a break and grab a pen and piece of paper instead. If you don’t have any paper handy, grab that Starbucks receipt and start writing whatever you were about to type. See how it feels.

It might feel a bit awkward at first, especially if you haven’t had to physically write anything down in a long while. But as you keep writing, you may feel really engaged with the words you’re jotting down. Tapping letters on a screen isn’t the same as drawing out each letter of every word. Writing things down will inherently bond you to the words you write. And because of that, writing becomes quite powerful for the psyche. Aside from being a feel-good activity, writing can also let us process negative emotions and trauma in what turns out to be a pretty soul-cleansing experience.

In fact, singer/songwriter and season three winner of The Voice, Cassadee Pope, seconds this. Pope, who's been in the music industry since she was 11 years old, has been pretty open about her mental health struggles—from bad breakups to the emotional impact of her parent’s divorce. Pope told Minaa B., LMSW, host of The Verywell Mind Podcast, “I needed an outlet with everything that was happening with my family. So that was really what I leaned on most, was songwriting.”

Now, you don’t have to be a gifted songwriter to reap the benefits of writing, but let's talk about why writing can be so good for your mental health.

What to Know About Writing Therapy (Write This Down)

Writing therapy (aka emotional disclosure or expressive writing) is pretty much exactly what it sounds like. It involves using writing of any kind, like creative writing, freewriting, and poetry, as a therapeutic tool. Writing therapy can be especially for those who are more withdrawn or have trouble opening up to others.

Writing therapy can be so beneficial to our mental health because it’s basically a form of venting. You know how good it feels to come home after a long day of work and go on and on about how much you dislike that one coworker for a reason you can’t even put your finger on. Or when you spill all of your dating frustrations to your bestie over the phone. It’s a nice release of stress. You can release stress in a similar way when you write, too. Just pretend that piece of paper is your therapist, closest confidante, or even yourself.

The Major Benefits of Writing Therapy

The next day, I hopped online to meet with my therapist and tell her I had completed my assignment. In response, she asked me to read it aloud. What?! I quickly grew nervous since I was not expecting that. But, considering she’s never led me astray, I reluctantly recited my poem. It was an emotional experience, and my voice audibly cracked a few times, but it felt really good—euphoric, even. So when Pope says that singing her lyrics is "cathartic," I completely get it. She says her singing can be a bit “disarming” because “I’m believing every word so intensely, and I feel them so intensely.”

So, not only does writing release some deep-seated feelings, orating them breathes life into them. There’s this particularly beautiful Chinese proverb that says: ‘I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I write and I understand.’ Once our thoughts are written down, we can see them in front of us, through this practice they become real. Then, we can dig in and unpack what it all means to us.

Ready to Get Started With Expressive Writing?—Here’s How

The great thing about writing is that it can be about anything you want. There are zero restrictions on what you can say. If you’ve had an upsetting experience or need to release some frustrations about daily stressors, try writing about it.

Pope talks about how she’s been using songwriting to get more authentic about her life as of late. In fact, she was kind enough to dish on the details about a new song of hers that’s set to release soon titled “Three of Us.” In this track, she details what it’s like being the “third wheel” when you’re in a relationship with someone who’s dealing with a substance use disorder:“It's about me, you, and the drugs.” In describing the lyrics, she says, “It's probably the most revealing song I've ever released.”

Now, if you’ve already got an experience you want to write about, feel free to get started when you’re alone and in a private space.But if you don’t know where to start, here are some prompts to start flexing your writing muscles.

Writing Prompts to Help You Get to Know Yourself Better

When you’re ready, get something to write with and a blank sheet of paper. Here are some prompts you can use to get started:

• What does the perfect day look like for you? Think about the activities you’d engage in and who you would be spending your time with. Try engaging your five senses to dive deep into your imagination.
• Write a story about the last time you were embarrassed. This time, reframe the experience into a positive one where you learn something new about yourself.
• Think about the best piece of advice you've ever received from someone. How has it helped to shape your life?
• Write a song or a poem about what it’s like to eat your favorite dessert. Consider the flavors, textures, and how you feel when you eat this specific treat. Where are you eating it? Did someone special make it for you, or did you make it yourself?
• What does self-love really mean to you? Who taught you what loving yourself looks like? What have you learned to embrace about yourself?
• If you’ve experienced a painful event, free-write about it. Don’t worry about grammar, spelling, or legibility—just write whatever comes to mind. You can even draw if that helps.

When you connect through storytelling, you begin to strengthen your support network. Pope shared how much she leaned on her friends after a bad breakup. “If you have community, lean into it and don't be afraid that someone's gonna judge you if you made a mistake or a bad decision, a poor decision, don't be afraid of that. It's so much more healthy to just let it out,” she says.

Pope also cautions that doing this can also reveal the people who accept you just as you are—flaws included: “If somebody judges you or tries to make you feel bad about it, then OK, great. That one person is not a safe space for you.”