There are great therapeutic benefits to writing backed by science, thatβs why I have been writing a blog since 2017 and I am in good health π
Before that I used to write a journal. I started writing two books, finished and published only one (it is in Italian, not a big success yet, only friends of mine bought it so far. My next challenge is translating it or having it translated into English. Any volunteers for the editing?).
Anyway, coming back to the topic of today: keeping a journal, for instance, can be extremely helpful. It is a low-cost, easily accessible, and versatile form of therapy. It can be done by yourself or guided by a coach or also practiced with a group.
These benefits are certainly not trivial. The potential positive outcomes of a creative writing process reach much further and deeper than simply writing in a diary.
A case out of all: Participants in a study who wrote about their most traumatic experiences for 15 minutes, four days in a row, experienced better health outcomes up to four months later (Baikie & Wilhelm, 2005). This research showed a significant healing effect in individuals who have experienced a traumatic or extremely stressful event.
Regular writing has helped me:
β’ Find meaning in my experiences, view things from a new perspective, and see the silver linings in the most stressful or negative experiences, that is understand what life wanted to teach me.
β’ Get important insights about myself and my environment.
I started writing regularly when I was bullied in the workplace by my boss, a narcissistic person. For the whole duration of my work there, about three years, she bullied me. It was a very bad, sad and stressful experience, as you can easily figure it out. That is also what my book is about. Writing helped me to increase my feeling of well-being, to keep distance from what was happening (I am me, what happened is what happened, not easy though) and to have a better vision of what was going on. My family also supported me a lot. Of course, I had to run away from that job but I survived without severe damages like Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), depression, or any other issues.
What about you? Have you experienced any benefits on your health by writing?
You can find my blog here: crisbiecoach.blog
