13 Ways that Poetry Can Help You Heal and Find Comfort in Times of Hardship

During life’s most trying times, poetry is a superb resource in a toolbox of therapeutic techniques to help us heal and process emotions. Whether working through a traumatic event, trying to improve your mental well-being, or seeking solace, you can always write. If you are looking for reasons to invest in the process of penning poems, the reasons below might be of value to you.

The Benefits of Poetry During Your Healing Process

Far beyond the page’s contents, poetry has a unique ability to transcend boundaries, connecting us with ourselves and others. If you are seeking some direction during your healing journey, the following are some ways this written art form may help:

• Supplementing Other Therapeutic Practices: Self-care and creative exercises are no replacement for guided professional assistance. If you require mental health help, seeking a qualified expert is essential. Poetry is an excellent tool to supplement therapy, however, and the steps you are taking to improve your wellness.
• Poetry Allows for Emotional Expression: If you want to articulate complex emotions, poems might be an easier format as they allow for metaphors, symbolism, and imagery to express vague concepts such as deep feelings, which are the language of the heart.
• It Offers the Opportunity for Self-Reflection: If you want to explore various aspects of your identity or introspect on something, writing what you feel can give you some meaningful insights and aid in your self-discovery.
• Writing is a Helpful Grounding Technique: Sometimes, the healing journey is full of overwhelming emotions and experiences. If you seek reprieve from something challenging, you can write a poem to help you recentre yourself and stay focused on the present.
• A Way to Validate Your Own Experiences: Coming to terms with difficult events in one’s life may be tricky, but it starts with accepting yourself. Your thoughts, emotions, and reactions may not always be easy to understand, but writing about what you have gone through may give you a more objective perspective and help you validate what you have experienced.
• Creativity is a Healthy Way to Let Off Steam: Channelling your emotions into a creative pursuit is one of the best forms of catharsis. Writing poems can give you a productive way to release some of the emotions you have been bottling up.
• A Safe Space for Personal Transformation: Some people might not yet feel comfortable sharing their innermost thoughts and feelings with outsiders, and poetry may offer a safe first step that requires only honesty with yourself and a blank page. By writing at your own pace about topics you’re comfortable with, you can explore your experiences in a way that promotes personal growth and transformation.
• Create Meaning Where Suffering Seams Senseless: Life often feels unfair, and it can be difficult to find any sense in the depth of trauma and heartache that surrounds us. It is still possible to create meaning for oneself, however, and strive to find a lesson or message in what seems purposeless.
• Reconcile Conflicting Feelings: If you seek clarity about a situation or a decision you have to make going forward, poetry is a powerful way to creatively map out and explore your emotions.
• Working Through Past Trauma: Processing and integrating past trauma takes time, and poetic verses, whether read or written, offer a safe way to heal and build resilience through creativity.
• Emotional Regulation and a Sense of Calm: If you need a haven from the emotional turmoil in your life, you can take a few minutes to focus on self-soothing and finding some serenity in beautiful verses that help you feel better.
• Finding Your Voice and Empowering Yourself: Poetry encourages people to articulate their experiences and truth. By experimenting with writing, you can develop your voice, explore your strengths, and facilitate your growth as an artist.
• Finding Closure After Loss: Everyone’s grieving process is different. Art, especially writing, is a thoughtful way to commemorate someone’s memory, honour their best qualities, and say goodbye meaningfully. This can help the transition through loss and finding a new sense of “normal”.

Are you starting your healing journey using poetry? Take a look at some of the talented writers in our library and how they have used the written word to work through their experiences.