It's clear that word processing has become an essential part of our lives, but how often do we actually write for pleasure? Adults usually note things they need to remember and last time they jot something down for pure pleasure is usually in their youth. Recent research studies prove that writing down daily events in a journal is beneficial for our mental and physical health. Have a look here to find some good reasons why journaling can help you to lead a life of fulfillment, satisfaction and pure happiness.
Why writing at all?
What is so special about the act of writing? In short, writing helps us to remove mental blocks which prevent our minds from reaching their full potential in understanding ourselves, others and the world surrounding us.
Journaling is an excellent way of coping with things that happen in our lives – it helps us to clarify our thoughts and feelings, which is just perfect for situations when we're unsure about what we want or feel. That's why writing is such a great tool for delving into our inner world – it's simple a way to learn something new about ourselves, a way towards happiness.
Moreover, when we write about events that made us angry, sad or evoked other painful emotions, we automatically tend to distance ourselves and consequently lessen the intensity of those feelings. This is how writing can help us feel calmer and in control.
Many people find that writing a problem down is the first step to solving it. Writing also helps us to organize information in our minds and assume a different perspective, effectively helping us in resolving conflicts or misunderstandings.
Researchers prove writing works wonders
One interesting report was published in 2008 by the Journal of Pain and Symptom Management. It was about a group of cancer patients, who were asked by the program coordinator to spend at least 20 minutes once a week writing a story about how cancer affected their lives. Three weeks were enough for them to report experiencing less pain and a general increase in well-being.
One psychologist interested in the impact of writing on human health is James Pennebaker from the University of Texas at Austin. He claims that regular journaling can actually strengthen our immune cells called T-lymphocytes.
There exist other research studies which suggest that journaling has the power to decrease the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. Many psychologists point out that writing down stressful events provides an effective way to cope with them, reducing the impact of such stressors on our physical and mental health.
What is writing therapy?
Writing therapy is a specific kind of therapy where writing is used as a tool to help patients regain their health and improve their well-being when suffering from a disease such as cancer. An instructor who got her PhD in education focused on narrative inquiry once suggested to a group of patients suffering from cancer a set of writing exercises each week. Instead of writing about their sickness, patients were to explore topics in the vein of a book that changed their life or a letter to themselves as children.
Naturally, grammar and readability weren’t crucial – the only aspect of importance was connecting to the positive feeling underlying the narrative. Reconnecting with a childhood memory or a positive moment of their lives, patients were encouraged to recognize that their sickness is just a part of their existence, not its sole aspect.
Blogging and health
It's clear that for some people writing in a private journal isn't satisfying since they feel as if their words were ending up in a vacuum. This is when blogging comes in – the wonders of modern technology are there to help anyone with a little courage to write and publish a blog.
A blog is an excellent outlet for our thoughts, but also a tool for communication. In fact, many bloggers appreciate blogging for the support they receive from their audience. If you're caring for a sick person or you yourself are suffering from a disease, this is the best way to keep everyone informed without having to answer prying questions from all your friends and family.
Writing for health – for whom?
Researchers agree that some forms of writing perform better than others if we look at their effectiveness in healing process. It's paramount to find the right balance between a structure imposed on writing, building a new narrative and revisiting stories from the past. Otherwise, writing might bring more harm than good.
A psychiatrist at Toronto Mount Sinai Hospital, Dr. Allan Peterkin, emphasizes the public aspect of writing in his project with a group of HIV/AIDS patients, who use the narrative tools of professional writers to write stories addressed to a specific public.
Their imagined audience is an excellent tool for boosting the motivation of patients to share and invent news stories, as well as make them clear and understandable to someone outside their circle. Explaining a problem to others, they're simultaneously explaining it to themselves and all the while, they foster better understanding of the issue in question.
Today, writing is becoming gradually recognized as a viable solution for helping people to become healthier mentally and physically – regardless of whether they're suffering from a disease or they simply have a lot on their minds. It's surprising how easy journaling is and how it takes just a few minutes of our time each day, but it's at the same time vital factor in our mental health.
Bio: Torri Myler is a Project Manager at http://www.bankopening.co.uk/ - a UK bank branches locator. She is very passionate about journal writing and strongly believes in its therapeutic potential. She is also a great fan of new technologies, internet and anything digital and recognizes their power to foster business and personal development.
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