studies have reported similar results. A now-famous study of expressive writing conducted with people suf- fering from asthma and rheumatoid arthritis – as reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in April 1999 – showed that 50% of the participants who wrote for only an hour total about the most stressful event of their lives showed “clinically significant” improvement in their condition, while only a quarter of the control group did. An editorial in that same issue stated, “Were the authors to have provided similar outcome evidence about a new drug, it likely would be in widespread use within a short time.” The benefits of this kind of writ-
Journaling for the Health of It
by Barbara Stahura T
he impulse to “hear” ourselves by putting words on a page is very human. People journal for
any number of reasons: to explore dreams, develop intuition and creativ- ity, find their voice, survive grief, heal relationships, clarify spirituality, envi- sion the future, imagine possibilities, empower themselves, or to create a re- source for publishable writing projects. Other reasons undoubtedly exist. That’s the beauty of journaling—it is infinitely supple and adaptable. The presence of numerous
journaling workshops and so many blank journals on bookstore shelves testify to the current popularity of this practice. Journaling itself is not new, but much of its popularity today is due to research that has demonstrated how “expressive writing,” such as that used in journaling, is beneficial to health and well-being. The term “expressive writing” was coined in the mid-1980s by research psychologist James W. Pennebaker,
20 Tucson
Ph.D., to describe writing that ex- plores one’s thoughts and feelings. After discovering that people who had endured great trauma (such as natural disasters, the Holocaust, or sexual abuse), experienced better health and well-being if they talked about their trauma rather than keeping it bottled up, Dr. Pennebaker wondered what would happen if people described their traumas in writing instead. To test this question, he designed
a study in which college volunteers wrote about either their feelings sur- rounding a traumatic experience or about a neutral topic. To his sur- prise, many who wrote about trauma needed less medical attention over the next several months after the study than they had required in the months prior to the study. Many also reported that the writing changed their lives. Notably, the students had written for only fifteen minutes a day over four consecutive days—a total of an hour. Since then, numerous other
ing are wide-ranging. In his book Writing to Heal, Pennebaker explains that, for many people, expressive writing enhances physical health and strengthens the immune system. It produces long-term, positive changes in moods, enhances working memory (which can improve performance at school or work), and can improve one’s social and work life. These are impressive outcomes for just a little bit of writing. Journaling as a way of reflect-
ing on one’s life has also become a respected modality in therapeutic counseling. One pioneer of journal therapy is Kathleen Adams, MA, LPC, author of Journal to the Self and The Way of the Journal, and founder and director of The Center For Journal Therapy. She defines journal therapy as “the purposeful and intentional use of reflective writing to further mental,
“All you need is the willing-
ness to write for a few minutes whenever the mood strikes and the desire
to ‘listen’ as the words pour out onto the page.”
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