Expressive writing is good for you
A tool to support mental & emotional health
One of the key benefits of expressive writing is in being able to use your journal as a place to express yourself, a place to be open and honest with your ‘self’.
The therapeutic nature of ‘expressing’ by putting pen to paper helps us to naturally interweave our thoughts and feelings onto the page.
For some people this is an easy process, and others more challenging. At first this could feel a little uncomfortable or you may feel guilty about what you are writing. This is where the therapeutic nature of expressive writing begins, as not writing them down doesn’t mean you aren’t having these thoughts and feelings, it just means they remain stuck inside you … ruminating below the surface.
Expressive writing has been scientifically researched, a few of the many benefits include:
boost to your immune system
increase in mental clarity
Adopt a sense of curiosity just like Alice in Wonderland, become curiouser and curiouser with what you find yourself writing onto the page. Be attentive, non judgmental, kind and gentle with yourself as you do so. This is why I call it a practice, you are learning to develop a new skill (journaling) , it is quite normal to feel uncertain or awkward learning something new. Albert Einstein once said “Anyone who has never made a mistake, has never tried anything new.”
So give it a go, try to develop your journaling practice by writing for 10-15 mins every day for 4 consecutive days. Notice how this is for you. You don’t have to know what you are going to write about, be curious about what comes out onto the page as you listen and allow your inner self to express.
“Rather than being your thoughts, and emotions, be the awareness behind them.”
- Eckhart Tolle