The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions
We’ve all cried on a friend's shoulder to mourn a broken heart. Or poured ourselves into a journal to make sense of the world.
And we all know the relief that expressing painful emotions brings.
So happily, one of the most effective acts of self-care is also one of the cheapest.
Writing consistently for short periods of time about your challenges can actually improve your physical and emotional health, as well as boost your immune system. The first and most notable research study was run in 1986 by James Pennebaker and Sandy Beall.
They asked undergraduates to write about personally traumatic life events, and include the emotions they experienced as well as the facts of their experiences. The students wrote for 4 consecutive days, 15 minutes a day.
Short-term results showed those students experienced increased blood pressure and negative mood swings immediately after the exercise. But long term, they had fewer self-reported illnesses and reduced doctor visits over the next six months compared to the students who wrote about trivial topics.
That was the beginning of ongoing studies around the physical and emotional benefits of what Pennebaker calls, expressive writing.
Imagine how this practice could help college kids today as they head back to campuses across the country….hhhmm...
I’ve found writing 15 minutes a day for 4 consecutive days on a specific topic gives me a feeling of support and clarity when life feels chaotic.
A freewriting practice is a way to digest and assimilate the experiences you’re having that you don’t have time to think about. And helps you hover in that half place between dream and story.
You can create your own narrative about a situation. And slow down to digest your feelings once you get the words on the page. Then, you’re able to sift through them.
It gives you distance and perspective from the issue, allowing new insights to bubble to the surface.
Try it for yourself
If you’re struggling with something, try spending 15 minutes a day for 4 days and write about it. Set a timer, create space for yourself (you can find suggestions about how to do that here), and don’t let your hand stop moving until the timer goes off.
A few helpful tips to support you:
⚜️Choose a time of day that works best for you and stick with that time -- like first thing in the morning before you’ve let other things in
⚜️Read what you wrote out loud (even if it’s in a whisper) and underline things that feel honest and true
⚜️Use one of those underlined words or phrases as a prompt the next day if you feel stuck getting started
A prompt to get started could be as simple as, what I’m struggling with is... then write stream of consciousness about whatever is bothering you.
At the end of the 4 days jot down how you feel about the situation and anything you notice.
Wanna try a practice that’s pretty much the cheapest form of therapy available today?
👉🏼Share the love and forward this post to a friend. 💌