Mental Health Month Day 19 – Flex Those Intrinsic Muscles

What are intrinsic muscles, you ask? They’re the smallest muscles in your hands that actually originate in your hands (as opposed to at your elbows or forearms, as many hand muscles do). Why do they need flexing? Because you need to start writing!

The days when it was sterotypical for only adolescent and teenage girls to keep diaries and journals are long gone. Just look at the number of online journal communities on the ‘net – as if you need proof.

Your Mental Health Month tip today is to start writing. Write about your thoughts, your feelings, your fears, your hopes, your dreams – whatever. Just start writing. Eventually, you’ll begin to write with a purpose and words about the most important things in your life will start to flow from your pen (or keyboard, because I know some of you aren’t actually going to pick up a writing utensil if you’re sitting at your computer!).

Maybe it’s not the most important things that will come out. Maybe it’s the most pressing things. After all, isn’t it those pressing matters that linger and build up in our minds, poking and proding and yelling, until we can’t help but find some way to let them out? Sometimes they come out in arguments with friends. Sometimes they come out when we’re overcome with road rage. Sometimes they come out when we snap at our spouses, or children, or parents.

You can help prevent this build-up by writing.

Grab that $7 notebook you bought from your university’s bookstore. You know, the one you haven’t used yet because the school mascot is just so pretty and, hey, you paid $7 for it! Head to Wal-Mart and pick up a cute (or handsome, depending on who you are!) journal for a couple of bucks.
As you can tell, I’m partial to the relationship between pen and paper. There’s a certain romance about it. However, you can always get a free online journal account such as those hosted by LiveJournal, Blogger, and Wordpress. eDailyDiary even offers free online diaries for teens – just for this purpose!

(Most online journals allow you to post your entries as “private,” meaning no one can read them but you. Or, you may want to hit the world of online journaling wide open and welcome feedback from bloggers and readers who can share advice.)

Regardless of the means in which you choose to write, the important thing is that you’re writing. You’re getting your feelings out on paper (or screen), and relieving some of the pressure of keeping them built up. Too, getting your thoughts out of your head and turning them into actual tangible beings (even if they are just words) not only helps you better understand the problems with which you’re struggling, but it also helps you put them in a different – possibly more rational – perspective.

Consequently, you’ll begin to get a clearer picture of your problems and feelings and ideas on how to more effectively deal with them. Maybe you need to address an awkward situation with your sister. Perhaps you need a “vent” session with your best friend. You might even decide you want to try talking with a professional counselor or therapist. Remember, many mental health care professional recommend keeping journals.

Once you start writing, you’ll start to feel better mentally and physically, and your loved ones will appreciate the fewer moody altercations.

Give it a try. If you need somewhere to start, check out the Naikan Challenge in full swing over at Breath by Breath.