I call it “rule-lined psychoanalysis.” Since
grade school, I’ve been racing down thoughts on sheets of paper and, in
later years, on blank computer screens. The act of journal writing has
always brought me quiet contentment, but little did I realize the
far-reaching health benefits that can stem from it.
Now, modern science is revealing the powerful
healing effects of recording our thoughts. Recent studies of journal writing
are finding that it not only helps relieve stress, release deep emotions and
gain insights into the authentic self, but can actually help heal the
physical body.
Journaling: Healing
the Mind
It’s been said
that “writing is an aggressive act because you are NOT leaving well enough
alone.” That’s the underlying intent of journal writing—to NOT leave well
enough alone. It’s a chance to delve deeply into things that are on your
mind, and allow emotions about these matters to breathe on paper. In the
process, you literally get to read your own mind.
“Life-based
writing is one of the most reliable and effective ways to heal, change and
grow,” says Katheen Adams, founder of the Center for Journal Therapy. “It
creates a bridge between the past and the future.”
Its ability to
heal the psychological side of ourselves is, perhaps, the most profound
impact of journaling. It can help you reflect back to yourself who you are
and, as a result, find answers within. Daring to write your own truth is
immediately empowering, and the result is better emotional health.
Perhaps this is
why the word “diary” derives from the Latin root for “daily food or
allowance.” The act of tracking our experiences can serve as our daily
ration of sanity, providing necessary sustenance for life’s complex journey.
Journaling: Healing
the Body
Medical science
began studying the therapeutic benefits of journaling in the mid-20th
century, and since that time has discovered that capturing our human
experiences in words is good for our physical health.
In the late
1960s, Dr. Ira Progoff—considered the “father of modern journaling”—created
the Intensive Journal Method. Using this technique, he found that
psychotherapy patients who recorded their fears and worries were able to
deal with their specific problems more quickly than patients who did not.
During the
1980s, a number of independent studies uncovered that people who write about
their most upsetting experiences not only feel better, but visit doctors
less often and have stronger immune responses. Researchers found direct
physiological evidence; for example, writing can increase the level of
disease-fighting lymphocytes circulating in the bloodstream, and can cause
modest declines in blood pressure.
Then, a giant
leap forward in the field of journaling studies occurred in the late 1990s,
particularly as the result of research published in the April 14, 1999 issue
of Journal of American Medicine. The JAMA study was the first to examine
writing’s healing effects on people who were ill; until then, investigation
focused largely on healthy individuals.
The JAMA
research included patients coping with a variety of chronic health concerns,
such as asthma and arthritis. Participants were asked to journal 15 to 20
minutes per day for three to four consecutive days. Each patient was
examined before the study, then two weeks, two months and four months
afterward. During each exam, the asthma patients’ lung function was
measured; and the severity of arthritis patients’ symptoms was measured
using a standard scale.
At the
four-month interval, researchers unearthed something startling: writing was
actually improving physical symptoms of disease. For example, they found
that asthma patients who wrote about experiences such as car accidents,
physical abuse and divorce improved lung function by 19 percent, on average.
In patients with rheumatoid arthritis, the experimental group showed a
28-percent reduction in disease severity. (Patients in the control groups
who wrote about inconsequential things showed no improvements.) Overall, 47
percent of the experimental patients had what researchers described as
“clinically relevant improvements” in symptoms.
The study
concluded that writing about traumatic events helps a person come to terms
with those events, which reduces stress. By altering the physiological
stress patterns in the body, one’s health improves.
Getting
Started with Journaling
So, what to
write about, and in what format? Here a handful of ways to enter the
journaling process:
-
Personal
Timeline: Write about a specific period of time or meaningful event in
your life.
-
Unsent
Letters: Write a letter to someone (alive or deceased). Say what you’ve
always wanted to say to this person. It is not necessary to actually send
the letter.
-
Body
Dialogue: Talk with the part of your body that is in pain. Write both
parts of the conversation; i.e., what would the pain say back to you?
-
Core Self
Dialogue: What terrifies you? What disgusts you? What is your biggest
secret? What would you never do? What is your deepest wound?
-
Dreams: Write
and interpret your dreams.
-
Travel: Take
a notebook when leaving home; record all the sensations of places you
visit.
-
Prompts:
Start with a single word, phrase, poem, book passage, song lyric, or
quotation from the Bible or other sacred text. Draw inspiration from these
sources and write on.
Tips to
Keep You Writing Toward Your Healthiest Self
-
DO select a
notebook or laptop carefully. Choose one that feels comfortable.
-
DO create a
calming atmosphere. Begin with a calming breath or simple prayer.
-
DO date every
entry.
-
DO tell the
truth.
-
DO re-read
what you’ve written. It’s in the re-reading that we tell ourselves what we
know.
-
DON’T edit
yourself. Forget polish. The point is to dig deep into your emotions and
translate them into words.
-
DON’T limit
yourself to one style of writing. Write poems, narratives,
stream-of-consciousness, or create word/picture collages.
-
DON’T be
discouraged if you aren’t a good writer. The benefits can still be
therapeutic.
-
DON’T share
your writing with others unless you feel confident you’ll be supported by
that person. It can be devastating to share a journal with someone who is
not in a position to receive it in the spirit in which it was intended.
-
DON’T use
journal writing as a substitute for medical care or psychotherapy, if
needed.
Regardless of
the format or rules you apply to your personal journaling process, writing
can open windows into parts of yourself that may be awaiting a healing
breath of fresh air. Because journal writing is inexpensive, easily
accessible, not time consuming and requires no special skills and
experience, you have very little to lose by giving it a try, and a lot to
gain—including your most valuable asset of all, your health.
Journaling
Resources
Here's a roundup of resources to get you
started on your way to journaling:
Recommended Reading List
The Creative Journal: The Art of Finding Yourself
by Lucia Capacchione
The Creative Journal for Teens: Making Friends With Yourself
by Lucia Capacchione
Life’s
Companion: Journal Writing as a Spiritual Quest
by Christina Baldwin
Journals
Handstitched Tao Bamboo Lined Journal
Handstitched Book of Kells Lined Journal
Publications
Personal
Journaling Magazine
Writer’s Digest
Journaling Workshops
Two
organizations that teach journal writing:
Dialogue House
Associates, NYC, whose workshops are based on the work of the late Ira
Progoff, Ph.D., a pioneer in journal writing (800.221.5844;
www.intensivejournal.org)
Center for
Journal Therapy in Lakewood, CO (888.421.2298;
www.journaltherapy.com)
Gina Mazza Hillier
is a freelance writer, editor, and author of a book on health intuition, “The
Highest and The Best.” She writes chiefly on topics related to holistic
wellness and meaningful living. Contact Gina at
inspire@zoominternet.net or visit
www.ginawriter.com.
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