by Charlie Fletcher
Many highly-revered writers throughout literary history suffered from depression.
Classics like Mark Twain and more recent celebrated authors like J.K. Rowling have been known for their struggles with mental illness, and they are far from the only ones. The reason for this correlation isn’t clear, but there are a number of factors that could contribute to it.
For one, writers often engulf themselves in emotionally rich stories, which can invoke heavy and depressive emotions in the writers themselves. They’re also prone to perfectionism, which can increase mental stress.
Whatever the reason, researchers have continually discovered a connection between writing and depression.
While your depression may be quiet or your story may be different than that of more tragically depressed authors like F. Scott Fitzgerald, it doesn’t mean your experience is invalid. Even though people might not know you’re depressed, your struggle is worth addressing.
While you’re researching which professional forms of treatment may be best for you, here are three coping techniques that could help you to write, relax, and heal.
How Music Therapy Can Help Boost a Writer’s Mood
Some people find that music is incredibly instrumental (no pun intended) in treating the symptoms of a mood disorder. While the practice of music therapy can take several forms, the American Music Therapy Association defines it as such:
Music Therapy is an established health profession in which music is used within a therapeutic relationship to address physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs of individuals. After assessing the strengths and needs of each client, the qualified music therapist provides the indicated treatment including creating, singing, moving to, and/or listening to music.
Take the findings the International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology reported a few years back. In their analysis, researchers found that music therapy improved symptoms of depression and other mental illnesses in a large group of male Chinese prisoners, more so than standard care did.
Because of studies like this, other professionals are taking notice. Neurocounselors are beginning to dive into music therapy, which may lead to increased use and improvement in the future. This would note the effect of music not only on the brain, but the body as well.
Of course, engaging with music has long worked as an emotional pick-me-up for depressed people. The physical effects of singing are notoriously cathartic and said to ease anxiety and stress. It only makes sense that music therapy would eventually become a proper form of emotional care, and may be worth experimenting with while you discuss other treatments with your doctor or physician.
Successful ways to implement music therapy to ease depression will vary from writer to writer. The best results usually come from meeting with a certified music therapist, but a writer can also use music to relax after an emotionally tense writing session, or as a means of focus and motivation.
If depression is starting to cause writer’s block, some upbeat music can get any writer’s mind going. Some instrumental music while writing can then help a writer focus.
Guided Meditation Can Improve a Writer’s Focus
Writers are currently using yoga and meditation to boost creativity, and some have even put together a list of meditation exercises that may help writers produce better work.
But what if you just can’t keep your brain quiet enough to meditate? In that case, you may want to consider guided meditation.
This is essentially the practice of being walked through a meditation exercise by another individual. It’s an especially useful treatment for those who struggle to keep their minds calm on their own accord, which, in addition to depression, could stunt the creative process.
Guided meditation works against the physical aspects of depression and mental illness. When depression is compounded by anxiety, racing thoughts can keep you up, interfering with sleep. An external voice can bring to mind more positive thoughts.
Similar to music therapy, guided meditation is beginning to be professionally practiced—primarily by holistic counselors like Marianne Clyde, a minister and holistic psychotherapist from Virginia.
The main goal of Clyde’s work is to combine the spiritual with the physical. She describes her role as “validator, cheerleader, [and] encourager” for her patients, allowing them to work toward self-discovery and inner peace.
If you’re a writer who thinks you could benefit from guided meditation, it is highly accessible. The best results may be yielded by a professional meditation guide, but many people have found plenty of success in using apps, videos, podcasts, or other types of digital media.
It will come down to choosing the best time of day when it will be most beneficial to you. If you find that depression is worst in the morning, making it difficult to get out of bed, you can follow a guided meditation to start your day.
Alternatively, if depressive thoughts keep you up at night, doing a session before bed might be more beneficial. You may even find it helpful right before sitting down to write, giving you focus and determination to fuel your writing.
Visualization Allows Writers to Imagine Success Into Being
If you’re unfamiliar with it, visualization is a sort of mental teleportation in which one is able to put themselves into a desired frame of mind by using the imagination. For those who struggle to write due to their depression, visualization may help.
As explained by bestselling author John Kehoe at Learn Mind Power:
Visualization is simply a mental rehearsal. You create images in your mind of having or doing whatever it is that you want. You then repeat these images over and over again, daily for about five minutes a day. In your five-minute practice, use your imagination to see yourself being successful in whatever goal you may have.
The observable effects of visualization were first highlighted on a global scale by Russian weightlifters. In the 1976 Russian Olympics, all eyes were on the country still under Soviet-rule. To everyone’s surprise, they ended up winning gold medals in almost every event, and this is because they had figured out that visualization could produce notable results.
Writers struggling to find their footing again may find themselves growing discouraged at the notion of regaining what they lost. Visualization can give them the strength and confidence to write the way they did when they were most inspired.
Additionally, it can be used in conjunction with guided meditation. Guided visualization helps scattered writers harness their brain’s natural responses to positive images, and they may then be able to put that forth into their work.
Additional Methods Can Help Benefit Depression and Creativity
Writing itself is a form of therapy for many, but what happens when depression disrupts a writer’s wellbeing?
Tools like music therapy, guided meditation, and visualization can help, not only in addressing depression, but in improving the creative process as well.
None of these things should necessarily replace professional mental health and addiction recovery services, but they can certainly provide additional benefits.
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Charlie Fletcher is a freelance writer from the lovely “city of trees”- Boise, Idaho. Her love of writing pairs with her passion for social activism and search for the truth.
When not writing she is a part time wedding planner and spending time with her nephews. And yes, she does love all kinds of potatoes!