photo by Guy Sie from Utrecht, Netherlands |
Helen
Bennett is a freelance writer previously employed in the healthcare sector for
many years, with a varied career that took in many aspects of helping people,
particularly in matters relating to diet, nutrition and fitness. She joins us
today to discuss the benefits of keeping a journal.
Could Writing a Journal Be Good for Your
Health?
If you have aspirations to succeed as a
writer, than journaling everyday could change your life. Many successful
writers choose to keep a journal: the importance of keeping a journal is
something that Virginia Woolf wrote extensively about,
sharing in her letters: 'My belief is that my habit of writing this for my
own eye only is good practice. It loosens the ligaments...I believe that during
the past year I can trace some increase of ease in my professional writing to
my casual half hour after tea.' Other famous literary journal writers include
Ray Bradbury, Susan Sontag and CS Lewis. The more you write, the more your
writing skills will increase, and for writers of memoir journals, provide
important lessons in chronology and forming a solid narrative arc. However
journal writing is not just for writers because it does so much more than
simply improve the quality of your writing: it can also improve mental and
physical health and wellbeing.
Here are just some of the health benefits
of keeping and regularly updating a journal:
Immune System Boosting Properties
It might seem illogical, but there is mounting
evidence to suggest that jotting down just a few sentences in your journal each
day can actually help to boost your immune system. University of Texas at
Austin Psychologist and Researcher James
Pennebaker has conducted extensive investigations into the
power of journal keeping, and found that regular journaling strengthens the
T-lymphocyte immune cells. By strengthening your immunity you will increase
your overall health, reducing your likelihood of suffering from colds, the flu,
and other contagious viral illnesses. What's more, additional research has also
shown that journaling can help reduce the symptoms of chronic inflammatory
disorders such as asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. It is thought this works
because conditions such as these can be aggravated by external stressors: as
journaling minimizes your stress levels, it reduces the impact that stress can
have on your physical health.
Reduce Levels of Stress and Anxiety
Reducing your levels of stress and anxiety
is thought to be the biggest health benefit of writing a regular journal. This
is why individuals who have experienced stressful life events (such
as the death of a friend or family member, the trauma of addiction, of a long
term health condition) are often encouraged to keep a daily journal. Because
the act of writing unlocks the logical and analytical left side of your brain,
it frees up the creative right side of your brain to process the emotions that
you have experienced throughout the day whilst the left side is distracted and
occupied. Journaling is an excellent way to clarify your thoughts and feelings,
particularly about events that make you feel confused and anxious, and find
solutions to problems more effectively. For individuals working in high
pressure environments or living otherwise stressful lives, writing about your
anger, frustration and pain can help to relieve the intensity of those emotions
and enable you to look at them with a calmer and more logical mind (which means
you are more likely to find a worthwhile solution to your stressors and
ultimately live a more enriching life).
Pick Up Your Pen
Many people that are new to journaling
often ask where they should start: the simple answer is to just pick up your
pen and start writing! There is no right or wrong thing to write about, only
what is right and wrong for you. From a scientific point of view, the most
effective journaling is undertaken on a daily basis and lasts for around 20
minutes each day: this will enable you to be enveloped in the full cathartic
effect of the experience. Ensure that you have a quiet and private place to
write, and keep your journal safe from prying eyes: if you feel your journal
may be read by someone else, you will unconsciously censor your thoughts, and
this will remove many of the benefits of the open stream of consciousness
journal writing experience.
I've kept a diary/journal since I was in elementary school. Writing things down helps me think. Thanks for the post.
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