All of us have been writing since childhood – learning ABC to sentences to paragaraphs and then essays . I have also done that . I started writing a blog three years back . It was started just as a hobby , or you can say an online diary . Over a period of years , I have started finding writing as a stress-reliever . Writing has now become an important part of my wellness .
What is wellness ?
Wellness is much more than the absence of illness; it is our total well-being – in body, mind, and spirit. By wellness , it means that :
- you have a healthy body
- your mind has a good emotional balance
- you live with optimism
- To Live in present – you have learnt this art
- you have a progressive attitude
Are Writing and Wellness really connected to each other ?
Let’s start with a famous Wellness model given by Martin Seligman. . He developed a five core element of wellness and happiness . This 5 element model is known as PERMA model .
- P : Positive emotions
- E : Engagement
- R : Relationships
- M : Meaning
- A : Accomplishment
Connecting PERMA model and the benefits of Writing
1. P of PERMA wellness : Positive emotions
Writing blesses you with positive emotions.
Writing has been proven as a therapy – it reduces your stress . When stress is reduced , positive emotions are sure to come . You write about yourself , your life , your ambitions , your good and bad traits , your experiences . Take writing as a constructive way to look upon your life and your visions .
- You can volunteer as a writer . Volunteering always makes a person happy .
- Write away all the negative emotions on the paper . That’s a stress buster .
- Write all your thoughts and feelings into words , without worrying about grammar or anything . This is called expressive writing and it can be a powerful way to enhance overall wellbeing.
2. E of PERMA wellness : Engagement
The creative work of writing keeps your mind happily engaged .
Engagement is the activity when you feel so engrossed that you forget ‘time’ . The person who loves creating music notes for a song , forgets ‘time’ when he is engaged in that activity . The person who loves painting , may forget even his food and water when he is engrossed . Same is with writers . Writing makes you so involved in the thinking process , making beautiful senetences , plotting a scene or poetry emerging from your pen .
- Writing keeps you happily engaged.
- It makes your mind sharp.
- Writing makes you a better thinker . ( as you start looking for stories to write from daily life )
- Keeping your mind busy in the creative thought process and then giving those thoughts a shape , keeps you away from other negativities of life .
3. R of PERMA wellness : Relationships
Writing connects you with many like minded people .
Writing helps you find a connection with yourself . When you write about your fears , stress , happy moments , dreams , you get to know yourself better . You come close to your shortcomings and that is a help for you to improve yourself . When you write about general topics like parenting , health , stories or may be any other , you find many other like minded people .
As a blogger , I have found many like minded bloggers with whom i like to connect and they too in return . We are all social animals . We all want good loving relationships. As bloggers , we all appreciate and motivate each other to write better and better .
- Good relationships provide us support
- We love and motivate each other in good relationships .
4. M of PERMA wellness : Meaning
Give meaning to life through your writing .
An important part of wellness is the ‘meaning’ of your life . The questions like – Why am I living , What good am i contributing , What is the ultimate life goal – can help you to find the meaning of your life . Religion , spirituality and spreading happy vibrations provide many people with meaning . To me , writing about women happiness and empowerment is one of the meanings my writing has given me .
By writing for good causes or by volunteering as a free writer , you can play your part to make the world a better place . I think the more you keep writing , better ‘meaning’ you would be able to find through your writing .
The ability to leave an impact at scale through your words alone is a pretty amazing concept.
5. A of PERMA wellness : Accomplishment
Writing gives you a great sense of accomplishment.
Having goals and then achieving them gives a sense of accomplishment. When you make a writing goal for yourself , put in your best efforts , think day and night and achieve your goal , the sense of accomplishment it gives can be imagined by a writer only .
It’s a different issue that a writer is never satisfied with his/her write-ups . S/he always has a more improved version of presenting the thoughts .
As I took up the month long blogging challenge and I am just 3 posts behind , I have almost started beaming with joy of accomplishment .
- Giving your thoughts , a shape in the form of words , is accomplishment .
- When people relate to your write-up and share positive feedback , there’s a great joy of accomplishment.
- Achievement or accomplishment is an integral part of growth ,success and wellness .
How you can take up Writing in your life as a tool for Wellness ?
- At the end of the day , write any three good points about – How you spent your day ? You can quickly jot down in your phone notes only .
- Try writing any three good things that happened yesterday in your life . It can be a nutritious meal , rain or a warm hug.
- Why not start writing those hand written letters once again ? You can write by hand , scan it and then e-mail it . What do you think – doesn’t that carry more of love ?
- Send hand written birthday notes to your dear ones . Be original . Don’t copy from google .
- I read somewhere about Morning pages . Though I haven’t researched about it , but Internet has many posts proving it as a stress buster . Write whatever .
- Start a blog .
Adopt writing as a wellness tool in your life . Enjoy the journey of writing , become a better learner , overcome stress , and maintain your overall well-being . You’ll definitely feel a sense of fulfillment .
Comments
Post a Comment