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Writing As A Therapeutic And Creative Outlet

Writer's picture: Surviving Breast CancerSurviving Breast Cancer

Writing can serve as a therapeutic and creative outlet. More specifically, journaling offers opportunities for expression and reflection and can help those going through a cancer diagnosis process the emotions and loss that come with the territory. Writing isn’t necessarily just for the patient either. It is a powerful tool that can be useful for families, caregivers, and children.

There is no right or wrong way to start this mindful practice. Set aside 10 minutes during your day, it could be the first thing when you wake up (before you pick up your phone and start scrolling through news and emails), or it can be during your lunch break or in the evenings as part of your nighttime routine. Writing can take on many forms such as journaling about your day, keeping a gratitude journal, or even making lists of all of the accomplishments from the day (think – opposite of a “to-do” list!).

Research from the University of Rochester Medical Center suggests that writing and journaling can have numerous benefits and help:

  • Manage anxiety

  • Reduce stress

  • Cope with depression

It can also improve mood by:

  • Helping you prioritize problems, fears, and concerns

  • Tracking any symptoms day-to-day so that you can recognize triggers and learn ways to better control them

  • Providing an opportunity for positive self-talk and identifying negative thoughts and behaviors

So how do you get started? It’s simple. Set a timer and let your mind relax as you write your stream of consciousness. Don’t worry about penmanship, grammar, or punctuation. Writing helps us make sense of our lived experiences. It can help us process what we are going through as well as provide an outlet for decompressing.

Whether it is journaling or writing expressive poetry, it is a beautiful and therapeutic art form that we encourage you to try!

If you are stuck on what to write about, try any of these writing prompts:

  1. Three things I value about myself are….(perfect for fostering abundance and self worth)

  2. I feel like myself when…