How to Write When You're Depressed: 7 Strategies To Keep Your Writing Intact

For many people, writing can be a source of relief and release. It is an opportunity to connect with others, explore new ideas and create something different. But writing can also be a creative outlet that temporarily manages depression or anxiety. For those who struggle with depression, it can even become the only way they feel safe expressing themselves. If you find yourself in this position, here are some tips for keeping your writing intact so that you don't lose yourself in the process.

  Understand the importance of getting your thoughts out

If you are in a period of severe depression, the mere thought of writing may be more terrifying than terrifying. It is easy to let your thoughts get tangled in the negative story you tell yourself, and so it may be difficult for you to get the idea out on paper. One way to make this easier is to try Assignment Help Malaysia the scary thought in another format, like a poem, and then writing a piece of fiction around it. This way you aren't being ruled by your own thoughts, and can bring your own characters to life.

  Find what works best for you

Some people find it more effective to write in one place and then, when they're done, place the text on a virtual memory stick that they can access whenever. Others prefer to write in bursts of Study Help Me, then cleanse the work in chunks, then get back to it. I personally found that taking a chunk of time out helped me to recharge and gave me time to build up my courage to tackle another piece. Of course, it's worth giving yourself time to rest in between and avoid too much sustained, unstructured writing if you're feeling any symptoms of postpartum blues.

 

Identify your triggers

 

Write about the things that make you happy. If you start to feel anxious or depressed while writing, take a break. Change the writing context.

  Write with a purpose

Sometimes, the reason we're depressed can be difficult to pinpoint. Maybe our job is too demanding, or we're facing a traumatic event that has taken over our lives. If this is the case, it is very important that you focus on what you can control when writing. When I've been depressed, I've found that a lot of the time the best thing for me to do is to focus on my work or my creative goals. Making my goals concrete and measurable helped me focus on the outcomes I could control. If my mind feels like it's so full of things I can't control that I can't focus on anything, there's no way I can be productive.

 

It's important to remember that writing doesn't have to be perfect. When I was depressed, I wasn't motivated to write anything, so I'd just make random notes in Word.

  Be mindful of your moods

As writers, we often lose ourselves in our work when we experience depression. This is often the case when you’re caught in the “Writer’s Zone,” when you have writers block and there’s no deadline looming. But if you find yourself in this kind of situation, make sure you take time for yourself, whatever that might look like. In most cases, creative expression is therapeutic, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t also frustrating, frustrating to write but to your own self.

 

Write when you are excited, don’t write when you’re down or on a roller coaster

 

Once you find your rhythm with the idea that is consuming you, you’re ready to write and share your work with the world. You’re more likely to find some distance from your real-life, and your writing will reflect that.

  Take breaks when necessary

Many people who are depressed cannot handle long periods of time without distraction. When it gets hard to write, take a break. Maybe it's an hour or two at a time, or sometimes even just go get a break when you need it. You can always come back and work through your writing block.

 

Create a writing routine

 

Once you get back to writing, develop a writing routine so that you don't have to rush. There are many ways to achieve this, but I personally like to use a writing timer. Before I start writing I set a timer for 30 minutes and try to write about 10 words a minute for that time. After that time, I'm done for the day. You can use whatever works for you, just do it a few times per week to really break up the writing process and have more time to work through writing blocks.