Students face stress due to various aspects of life, such as lifestyle, finances, jobs, and assignments. But, have you ever considered the power of essay writing to help improve mental health and support well-being? Writing is associated with many mental wellness benefits, including coping with stress and depression.
There’s no limit to the type of essays you can write about to get stress relief. Just set aside a few minutes each day to write a creative essay that lets you view the problem differently or helps you let go of bottled emotions. In this article, we’ll explore some ways in which essay writing supports mental well-being, and how you can get started.
How essay writing can support mental health and wellness
Provides perspective
When your mind is racing, sometimes the best way to process your thoughts is to pour things from your brain onto a page. Creative essay writing is one way that you can use to put things into perspective and visualize your emotions. Writing provides a perspective on problems, allowing you to gain new insights on how to manage similar problems in the future.
Provides a break
Essay writing can be an effective stress reduction strategy because it enables you to step away from stress triggers in your life, such as certain people or situations. This is because essay writing requires a quiet place with minimal distractions, making it a form of escape. Breaking away from the stressor can greatly improve your mood.
Releases emotions
You can use essay writing as a way of releasing built-up pressure. Once you make it a regular practice, you’ll probably find yourself using it to calm down and release emotions. Even if the writing process doesn’t change your situation dramatically, the feeling of achievement at the end of the assignment will definitely boost your esteem and mood to a higher level than when you started.
Helps to identify triggers
Sometimes, we may be unaware of our stress triggers, but essay writing can identify stressors and how you respond to them. In itself, the essay writing process is therapeutic. Looking back at what you have written can show you patterns that empower you to reduce stress in the future or improve how you respond to stressful situations.
Allows expression
There are many essay topics you can write about when feeling stressed. Whether you want to discuss your personal perspective on a topic or critique another person’s work, you can do it all. Writing such essays helps you to creatively express your feelings. You may also find a solution to your problem during the research or writing processes. The same thing happens when you talk to someone about a problem.
Increases resilience
When faced with challenging situations, it’s easy to be overwhelmed with feelings and thoughts. Writing an essay that touches on challenges and experiences you relate with can help you feel empowered and provide a greater sense of control over your life. As a result, essay writing boosts your confidence and encourages you to develop a positive outlook on life.
A step-by-step guide to getting started with essay writing
Now that you understand how essay writing can relieve stress and support overall mental well-being, let’s learn how you can get started as a beginner.
Study the prompt
Writing a good essay starts with understanding the guidelines, objectives, and other expectations by your professor. You must analyze the prompt to learn the required paper length, formatting styles, and focus area. However, most students who are starting off find the process intimidating and hard. Luckily, you can get help with essay writing from experts to get started on a positive note.
Brainstorm
Consider your thoughts and opinions about the topic and generate fresh ideas through brainstorming. Are you familiar with the topic? Free-write your arguments without evaluating or discarding anything. Use lists to state ideas and mind maps to inspire your thinking.
Research
Once you list your opinions and ideas on the topic, it’s time to evaluate other perspectives by writers who have handled a similar topic in the past. Use keywords and the prompt to narrow down your online searches. Also, take notes to record important points and their references.
Create an outline
Before you start writing. organize your ideas around a common theme, also called a thesis statement. Usually, an academic essay has an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. An outline will help you know what to include in each section, which simplifies the writing process.
Write a draft essay
With an outline in place, you’re ready to start writing each section of the essay. Use clear sentences to explain your points and add sources that support your argument. If you have a rubric, use it as a guide to identify the main points to discuss in your paper. You can always go back to previous steps if you’re stuck.
Edit
Put yourself in the reader’s shoes to determine if you have reached your goal. Correct any grammatical and structural errors, and ensure every fact has a corresponding citation. You can also seek a second opinion from a friend or even your professor to ensure you have a high-quality essay that you can be proud of.
You can manage stress easily by writing essays!
Life as a student has many ups and downs that can leave you stressed and anxious. Luckily, essay writing can ease the tension by providing an outlet for your thoughts and feelings. Don’t let anxiety and stress hold you back, keep a positive frame of mind by using essay writing as a form of therapy.
