5 Ways Writing Fiction Helps Boost Your Mental Health

Life can be unexpected. From a global pandemic to political upheaval, the world can be a scary and daunting place. That’s to say nothing of the many hurdles we go through daily.

It is easy to become stressed, depressed, and feel like your emotional state is waning. However, writing fiction can help boost your mental health.

Note that I am not a clinical psychologist, and nothing I say should be in place of proper counseling and services, but these are some of the things I have noticed about writing and behavior:

Boosts Your Mood

Have you ever done something that made you feel accomplished?

It can be as mundane as getting all your chores done for the day or something big like finishing a running marathon.

You felt accomplished because you had a task in front of you, you had barriers to that task, but you overcame those obstacles and came out a winner. Writing is like that. When you stare at a blank piece of paper or cursor on a screen, you are met with a task that may seem impossible.

However, when you meet your goal, whether 100 words or 5,000, you swell with pride. Your mood is instantly elevated. 

Writing also gives you an outlet to be as creative and out there as possible. Whether blogging, fiction writing, or journaling, writing can provide us with a sense of pride.

In the long run, it will boost your mood and self-confidence, making us all happier humans. 

Eliminates Stress

Writing is a beautiful way to elevate stress because you can write down your feelings without the fear of judgment.

Yes, I encourage therapy, but writing out your negative thoughts and emotions is also good practice.

I do not use a journal, but I write a lot of psychological horror and thrillers. My fear, apprehensions, and woes are explored through the lens of terror and suspense. It gives me a safety net to examine these fears without the trauma of thinking about them repeatedly and repeatedly. 

Improves Your Memory 

Jonathan Franzen once said, “No memory is real.”

This conclusion was drawn after he witnessed his father deal with Alzheimer’s.

Memory, according to Franzen, is simply a collection of events and recollections that are assembled and constructed together.

While it is unsettling to know that memory can fade and is at the mercy of what we think happened, it is also liberating to know that memory is often tied to communication.

This means the more you write, the more you remember.

Again, while I do not journal, I can look back at my work and recall critical events from my life that I may have otherwise forgotten.

What we communicate and take in the world is what and how we remember.

For instance, what is your favorite childhood memory?

What you choose first will say a lot about you as a person. It may give insight into your age, social background, personality, etc. Simply recalling this moment also helps to build memory.

When we write, we form little memories, even if they are falsified because we created them.

Since writing is tied so closely to communication, it allows us to build upon our skills to interpret and take in the world around us.

Expands Your Emotional Intelligence

Writing helps you explore your emotions deeper by acknowledging them.

Fun fact, emotional intelligence is something that can be learned.

Unattended emotions can lead to depression because you do not understand why you feel the way you are. If there is an emotion you are feeling that you are having a hard time digesting, write it down, and outline the possibilities of why you think the way you think.

Bonus benefit, it also helps with the development of your characters. Thus, you can use learned emotional intelligence to unpack specific thoughts and feelings, but you can also use that same EQ to explore your character’s motivations and desires.

For instance, why would a knight decide to climb up a dangerous mountain?

Sure, there may be a dragon that needs to be defeated, but why go through the trouble?

Fame, fortune, love, something else?

Maybe, to prove to themselves that they can best the most extraordinary beast of all?

Tap into why your characters do the things they do. Explore each character perspective in your book. Doing so will help you understand character motives, making them more authentic.

Helps You Realize That Thoughts and Feelings are Not Permanent

When we go through something difficult, it is hard to comprehend that how we feel at that moment is temporary.

When you write about your own experiences or the experiences of others, it is easier to address and understand your own and their emotions and behavior. By managing and understanding those emotions, we identify them quicker each time.

The faster we get at recognizing those emotions, we realize that we do not always feel anxious, depressed, or angry; it is constantly changing and adapting to our environment and our situations.

For fiction writing, it is the same scenario. We specifically create obstacles and challenges for our characters to go through.

When we write, we go with them through the flames. In some cases, we ARE them. Or a different form of them.

Fiction writing allows us to explore our thoughts, inner desires, and fears and helps us to realize that life also can change. In this sense, writing can truly help you become a better you.

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