Why I Keep Writing
Writing has quietly become one of the most important habits in my life—not because I planned it that way, but because I needed it to be.
So far in 2025, I have written 22 blog posts, including this one. Even though I did not set out with any numerical goal, 22 is the most posts I have ever written in a year, consistently. Therefore, I’m genuinely pleased with how this has unfolded. If you’ve been following my blog, you may have noticed that I write across a wide range of topics—usually reflections of my state of mind, my reading, or general observations of the world around me. A few weeks ago, I also started a separate journaling website with dated entries. These posts are longer than a social-media update but less structured than a traditional blog post, and I occasionally publish them here as well.
The primary purpose of all my writing is to support my mental health. When I put a lingering thought into words, it often loses its grip on me. Writing helps me process what’s been bothering me and, more often than not, brings clarity. The secondary purpose is to communicate with a broader audience beyond my immediate family and close friends. Not everyone in my social network comes from a technical background, is widely traveled, or lives in a foreign country. I believe my experiences place me in a unique position to discuss ideas and perspectives that might not otherwise reach the people I care about.
“I don’t have a lot, but I have a lot of notebooks. They comfort me by reminding me that no matter how hard life gets, I can always write.” – Emm Roy, cartoonist
Beyond writing, the other activity that helps my mental health the most is spending time outdoors. For me, the combination of writing and being in nature works wonders and keeps my sanity in check. This is what I recommend to anyone dealing with non-clinical mental health challenges. The more you understand your own thinking by writing it out, and the more time you spend in nature, the better off you are likely to be.
“Yes, the writing was one of the things that helped – that and the sea.” – Philippa Kabali-Kagwa, author of Flame and Song
In addition to writing, I enjoy reading other bloggers who, alongside their niche interests or areas of expertise, also write honestly about their lives and struggles. Most of the people I follow through RSS are individuals I’ve never met and who are not part of my immediate social circle. I often wish that more of my friends and acquaintances would write about their work, interests, and lives. One of the great advantages of writing is that we get to learn so much from the people already in our network. We live in an age of specialization, and each of us knows something worth sharing.
At this point, I write exclusively on websites that I manage myself. I’ve tried WordPress, Blogger, Medium, dev.to, and Quora in the past for topic-specific writing, but I eventually grew tired of ever-changing policies and the lack of actual ownership. These platforms do offer advantages—discoverability through recommendation engines and potential monetization—but those benefits no longer matter much to me. I write for myself and my social circle. If search engines happen to discover my work, that’s a bonus. On my own platforms, I own the content and set the rules. I can write about whatever I want, however I want, without cluttering my writing space with intrusive ads or trackers. This is my small way of pushing back against the information silos the modern internet has become.
With this final post of the year, I encourage you to take some time to write down your thoughts (online or offline). You may be surprised by how much you learn about yourself, your surroundings, society, and your craft. I genuinely believe it can have a profound impact on your mental health and, in the process, help people around you better understand you and your expertise. You don’t need to set up your own platform the way I have; the platforms I mentioned earlier are excellent places to start (or you can use a paper notebook if you prefer it to be offline and personal). I used them myself before building my own system. With tools like Grammarly and ChatGPT, writing has never been more accessible.
“I wrote myself towards a stronger version of myself.” – Roxane Gay
If you feel drawn to write in 2026, I hope you’ll share it with me. I’d genuinely enjoy reading your words and responding to them. And if you need a hand getting started, know that I’m always just an email away. Writing may not change the world, but it can change how we move through it—one calmer, clearer day at a time.
“I can shake off everything as I write: My sorrows disappear, courage is reborn.” – Anne Frank
Feel free to write to me at rohit@rohitfarmer.com