Baby Week: WriteWell and Improving Me

NHS Cheshire and Merseyside’s women’s health and maternity programme, Improving Me, is partnering up with WriteWell Community for Baby Week and beyond to focus attention on health creation for the healthcare workforce and the public by harnessing the mighty pen.

Jo Ward Improving Me’s creative health consultant said, "We are absolutely delighted to be working with WriteWell and jointly advocating the power of writing yourself well. Writing for 10-15 minutes a day as a regular habit can make you feel better both mentally and physically."

WriteWell has  launched a free online private journal to make daily writing a breeze. You don’t need to be a writer – just be willing to try something new.

The easy-to-use journal will encourage you in your writing habit. Clearing your head with writing is therapeutic and can help you to see issues from a different perspective. It doesn’t matter what you write about. It can be about things that are on your mind, random thoughts, a diary or you can use one of the WriteWell prompts to get you started on your writing journey.

Research has found a whole range of benefits of developing a writing habit from reducing stress, improving headaches, clarifying your thoughts and helping you sleep better.

Andy Bell, deputy director of the Centre for Mental Health is clear that creativity in the form of writing can be helpful for people.

“We need to create more opportunities for people to benefit from these approaches and to learn more about what works for diverse groups of people to improve their mental health and wellbeing.”

 

Christina Bunce, the director of WriteWell Community, who have developed this private free online journal, is excited about how it gives people who have never done any writing the chance to get involved. 

“We know that writing can bring comfort and fresh insight, particularly during difficult times. I would urge anyone to give it a try. Writing regularly is a powerful self-help tool.”

Jo Ward adds, "The journal will be shared throughout Baby Week and there will be a series of facilitated writing workshops led by Rachel New a BBC producer and writer who is part of a wider BBC Creative Lives team helping Improving Me amplify creative health opportunities. The journal also complements a reading yourself well resource we will also be launching with library partners."

WriteWell journal has been developed by WriteWell Community which is an online learning community which offers a fun and stimulating range of daily activities and courses in writing for wellbeing.

The digital journal can be used on your computer, tablet or on your phone. It will store what you have written so you can go back and see your entries on previous days.

WriteWell is a unique low-cost resource to help make writing for wellbeing available to all. Sign up to a free 14-day trial today.