Campaign to celebrate how writing can support mental health and wellbeing

World’s first online writing for wellbeing community invites people to share their own experiences of what #writingcan do

WriteWell, the online writing for wellbeing community, is inviting writers and ‘non-writers’ alike to take part in its campaign to celebrate the power of the written word. The final result will be a book that draws on real-life experiences to show what #writingcan do to enrich our daily lives.

Writing has long been used by individuals as a way to support mental health and wellbeing, whether through diaries, stories or poetry. Now, a growing body of evidence demonstrates the wide variety of ways that writing can have a positive impact on our minds, bodies and lives - from stressed out students to overworked nurses to anyone dealing with change or trauma. *

While many published authors and poets are already familiar with writing’s wellbeing benefits, it can be just as beneficial for people who may not consider themselves to be ‘writers’ in the traditional sense. From gratitude lists and positive affirmations, to heartfelt letters, pros & cons lists, journalling, morning and more, writing can be used in many different ways.

Kate McBarron, writing for wellbeing practitioner and tutor at WriteWell, says:

‘I’ve been really touched by some of the feedback we’ve received so far. People are using writing to make sense of tricky situations, to solve problems, to bring relief and to connect with loved ones. Simple writing activities can make such a difference. It’s wonderful to read people’s experiences and thoughts on how writing has helped.’

WriteWell is inviting anyone who has found writing to be beneficial for their wellbeing, in whatever way, to get in touch**. Individuals can send in as much or as little detail as they like, from just a sentence about the value of writing to a longer example of how writing has helped them. There are a range of ways to send in feedback. In this first stage, submissions will be used to develop core themes for the #writingcan book.

‘Over the years, we’ve seen how writing can support people’s wellbeing through our courses at the Professional Writing Academy. Now we are seeing people who have never written anything achieving real benefits so we want to spread the word even further. Writing is affordable, accessible and can be used in a huge variety of ways. There are so many reasons for people to include writing in their wellbeing toolkit.’

Paul is a mental health professional who’s also recently completed a doctorate in mind body medicine through Saybrook University in the US.

How has writing (of any sort) made a difference to your own mental wellbeing?

"The art and practice of writing have been a cornerstone of my own mental health for over 20 years. I was introduced to this in secondary school when I took a creative writing class with an amazingly passionate teacher. She inspired me to fall in love with laying my thoughts and feelings on paper.

I was encouraged to be as expressive as I wished, and such freedom was unknown to me until then. I did not realise how healing it could be to experience the joy of allowing my thoughts to spill forth unencumbered. Through short stories, journaling, and poetry, I was able to discover myself. You see, I never felt comfortable or welcomed to be myself within my family of origin, so writing was a particularly meaningful gift.

To this day, I have the various journals I kept over the years. It started with recording my vivid dreams and throughout the journals are a plethora of poems inspired by both life and dreams. Using this medium granted me the opportunity to explore my life’s purpose more wholly. Poetry facilitated self-expression in a way that thoroughly guided me to the process of individuation.

I only trusted a few people at a time to read and experience my writing, but despite that everyone I allowed in was incredibly respectful. They were often surprised at my ability to craft words and stories, as well. I was never a highly articulate teenager so the practice of writing helped me to feel as though I could finally share my perspective with the world in a safe, controlled, and contained fashion.

Had I not had this outlet, I can only imagine where I would be today with my own mental wellbeing. The art of writing lends me the opportunity to buffer against the trials and tribulations inherent in this mortal coil. I will remain eternally grateful for having been exposed and supported to expressive creative writing."

TESTIMONIALS FROM WRITEWELL MEMBERS (MORE ON REQUEST)

"I have found it's not always easy to find enough time in the day to focus and write but I absolutely love it when I do. I have found the prompts so helpful and the sense of having a task that I need to complete also really helpful, as it's making me do something I have thought for so long about doing but never got round to!"

Elizabeth - Week 2 Fiction course

"I work in an emotionally demanding job and have found writing for well-being absolutely transformative in dealing with the impact on my psychological health."

Ange

'Wow, just the act of putting pen to paper has opened up a new and exciting avenue on my journey to embrace my changed life, thank you.’ - Amanda

"WriteWell offers an eclectic collection of writing prompts, courses and events in an approachable, and easy-to-use format that will be sure to help anyone on their own writing journey no matter their experience level." 

Hannah

"I really enjoyed this warm up - I ended up in the Swiss alps, breathing in fresh air and just listening to the birds and insects. No background traffic noise in the distance and so easy to switch off from the busy hustle of every day.Really looking forward to revisiting my postcard to take me out of the day to day circle of life. I am now going to get crafty and create a postcard that I can pin up beside my desk in the home office to use daily for relaxation breaks."

Christine - postcards creative warm-up

*For more information about the science behind WriteWell, visit: read our briefing paper Ready, Steady, Flow here: take part in WriteWell’s campaign, visit: is a wellbeing initiative from the Professional Writing Academy. From diaries to letters, emails to shopping lists, texts to social media, many people write on a regular basis. WriteWell is about tuning into the power of writing and creativity for self-care. Through its online platform, individuals can add simple but effective strategies to their wellbeing and recovery toolkits. There are everyday activities for those finding their way with writing alongside bitesize classes and longer courses. Plus, there is a weekly writing group, monthly workshops with writing and wellbeing experts, a Book of the Month and a library of online resources. For more information visit: Writing Academy (PWA) was the UK’s first online writing school. It offers a wide portfolio of writing courses where would-be authors can come to learn regardless of their background, level of experience and location — at a time of the day or night that suits them. We offer a learning path that allows writers to make their own map and navigate to different destinations as they progress. PWA run courses around fiction writing, academic writing, writing for wellbeing, and writing for business. To date around 5,000 learners from 84 countries have completed PWA courses.