How do you manage stress or difficult emotions? We all have our own strategies–exercise, yoga, meditation and journaling are just a few of the go-to stress relievers for many people. Today, we are going to share one very easy technique that is proven to be an effective way to process emotions and clear your head.
Free writing is a tool that many writers use to combat writer’s block. The process of free writing liberates you from expectations, opens up space for creativity and allows you to download all of the thoughts, feelings and stresses that are floating around in your head. It’s kind of like riding a gentle, emotional wave without worrying about where the wave takes you.
Even if you aren’t a writer, free writing can still be used to enhance creativity and get over emotional blocks. Establishing a regular free writing practice can make a huge impact on your daily life and ability to cope with stressors.
Let’s explore how to free write and list some of the major benefits of the practice.
What is Free Writing?
Free writing is really quite simple. You do not begin a session with a topic or prompt in mind. Rather, free writing is all about stream of consciousness. You write down whatever comes to your head, no matter if it makes sense or is complete gibberish. You do not worry about grammar, spelling or punctuation. You do not fret if your handwriting is not perfect. Free writing is all about putting pen to paper and writing down whatever words come out.
There are many ways people approach this practice. Most people suggest free writing first thing in the morning, even before you get out of bed. Why?
During the night, our subconscious processes all of the events of that day. When we wake up, our brain has sorted and made sense of it all. Free writing upon rising allows you to get all of that processed information down onto paper and out of your head. This means you can start the new day with a renewed sense of clarity and completion.
Some people choose to read their free writing after they are done; however, others feel that it is counter-intuitive to do so. Free writing allows you to unload all of your thoughts without harnessing any of it. Many people choose to tear up their pages or burn them to fully release those thoughts and emotions.
Those who have a free writing practice usually commit to writing for a certain amount of time or a certain number of pages. For example, you might choose to write for 15 minutes every morning. As soon as your 15 minutes are up you put your pen down, even if you are midsentence. Others choose to free write a certain number of pages before stopping.
Whatever method you choose is the right one. You’ll still get the amazing benefits that we’re going to talk about below.
The Benefits of a Free Writing Practice
- Reduces expectations of perfection.
- Provides unimpeded release of your thoughts and emotions.
- Builds self-confidence.
- Brings out emotional blocks and barriers to your success.
- Helps you develop good, healthy habits.
- Offers a blank slate for 100% honesty.
- Provides practice in releasing self-judgment and judgment from others.
- Increases creativity and inspiration.
- Uncovers thoughts and ideas you never knew you had.
- Assists in sorting through difficult situations.
- Acts as a forum for being truly authentic and YOU.
- Allows you to be more present in your day-to-day interactions.
- Fosters a greater sense of clarity and focus.
- Changes your perspective on challenging situations.
- Increases awareness of patterns and themes in your life.
Starting Your Free Writing Practice
If any of these benefits sound good to you, free writing might be a great addition to your daily routine. Go out there and buy yourself a nice, new journal and a good pen. Decide when you will do your free writing and for how long. Then, get started!
The key to being successful with free writing is to avoid censoring yourself in any way. Let the words flow directly from your head to the paper without thinking about them. It can be difficult at first – we aren’t used to writing in this way.
Whatever you write is just for you and no one else, so write your heart out. Good luck!
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FAQs
Free writing is a tool that many writers use to combat writer's block. The process of free writing liberates you from expectations, opens up space for creativity and allows you to download all of the thoughts, feelings and stresses that are floating around in your head.
How can free writing help you? ›
The benefits of freewriting revolve around organization, brainstorming, and inspiration, as well as beating writer's block and relieving certain anxieties. Just getting anything written, even if it is imperfect, can jump-start creativity.
What is a key benefit of free writing is that learners? ›
Important Points
It helps to increase fluency i.e., the ability to produce written language easily. Freewriting makes writing easier by helping an individual with the root psychological or existential difficulty in writing i.e., finding words in our head and putting them down on a blank piece of paper.
What are the key features of free writing? ›
Freewriting is a common prewriting exercise. It allows the writer to get their ideas on paper without worrying about spelling, grammar, or even topic. The writer should not pay attention to typos or read over their work until the time is over.
What are 10 benefits of writing? ›
10 Invaluable Benefits of Writing
- #1. Enhanced Clarity of Thought. ...
- #2. Effective Communication Skills. ...
- #3. Self-Reflection and Personal Growth. ...
- #4. Problem-Solving Aptitude. ...
- #5. Learning Reinforcement. ...
- #6. Creativity Unleashed. ...
- #7. Therapeutic Catharsis. ...
- #8. Documentation for Posterity.
What are 3 rules of free writing? ›
Freewriting Rules
- Keep your hand moving the whole time. Don't pause to reread the line you have just written. ...
- Don't cross out and especially don't erase. That's editing, not writing. ...
- Don't worry about spelling, punctuation, or grammar. ...
- Lose control. ...
- Go for the jugular.
How can writing benefit us? ›
It has been demonstrated, across a variety of investigations, that writing activities yield a number of intellectual, physiological, and emotional benefits to individuals. These bene- fits include improve memory function, decreased symptomatology, and greater feelings of happiness.
Is free writing good for Mental Health? ›
While freewriting helps to explore all sorts of issues including ones that will upset us, it can help us move beyond anger or grief to figure out a new path. Writing can help us make sense of difficult and traumatic experiences.
What are the benefits of clear writing? ›
Benefits of Clear and Concise Written Communications
- You will gain your reader's attention. ...
- Your reader will learn something. ...
- You will foster trust and understanding. ...
- You will increase engagement. ...
- Get rid of unnecessary words – take out the "fluff" and avoid using long phrases when a single word will do.
Why should you freewrite? ›
Getting your thoughts down first and tidying them up later increases productivity and yields better work. Freewrite helps you find your flow to do just that.
Freewriting: Cons
It's easy to write yourself into a corner. It's a little like taking a road trip without a map. You might discover all sorts of new sights, but you could also wind up wasting fuel on backtracking and dead ends. It takes practice.
Why is free writing important for kids? ›
Writing provides a safe outlet for young children to express their thoughts and emotions. Through writing, young writers can explore their identity, reflect on their experiences, and develop a sense of self-awareness.
What are the five steps in free writing? ›
How to free write
- Set a time limit. First, decide how long you want to write. ...
- Decide whether to use a prompt. You may use a writing prompt if you'd like inspiration or you're trying to focus your free writing on a specific project. ...
- Prepare your environment and your mindset. ...
- Write. ...
- Review what you've written.
What is the main idea behind freewriting? ›
The main thing about freewriting is that it is nonediting. It is an exercise in bringing together the process of producing words and putting them down on the page. Practiced regularly, it undoes the ingrained habit of editing at the same time you are trying to produce.
How does freewriting help generate ideas? ›
Freewriting reduces anxiety around writing, helps with writer's block, takes the pressure off to produce something 'perfect' and can unlock lots of latent ideas that may not have the chance to come to the surface if you fixate on correcting and editing your sentences – the focus is on producing IDEAS rather than ...
What is the main goal of freewriting? ›
The purpose is to write without worry and without stopping. Writing without stopping means that we resist the urge to edit as we go. We focus on generating ideas of all kinds without worrying about their value or usefulness.
How freewriting can boost your creativity? ›
By freewriting, you develop the habit of outrunning your conscious mind. If you can't stop and edit what you're going to say, you're forced to start working with the first idea that comes to mind. It pushes your active brain into a subordinate position, and that's where real creativity can flourish.