How writing can support emotional well-being

We all go through times of real upset and wonder how we can find a way through. Talking to friends and family can help, but for some of us, or at certain times, that doesn’t feel like a real option.

Did you know that writing can be helpful for our emotional well-being during these times?

Dr James Pennebaker, from Texas, researched this. He asked the people in his research to spend 15 minutes a day, for three to five days, writing about an emotional upheaval in their life at the time. For comparison, some other people were asked to write facts about neutral things, like the day’s events.

Pennebaker found fascinating results. Those writing about their feelings experienced improvements in several areas of well-being. While writing will not affect everyone in the same way, his research suggests that expressive writing may help some people process difficult emotions and feel better supported.

When we can’t find a good and trusted listener, a blank page can help us get our feelings untangled. By writing, we can unpack the confusion in our heart and mind.

Somehow, by getting how we feel about a problem “out there”, it can stop having such a grip on us. We may then be able to think and deal with whatever it is more effectively. We are more attentive and better able to listen to our inner sense of direction.

Get a notebook and keep it confidential. You can shred it after if you want. It is the writing, not the keeping, which is often most helpful. Though sometimes it is interesting to look back on what you’ve written later, to see what’s changed and how you may feel differently.

Give it a try for a while and see what difference it makes for you.