How Journaling Improves Your Mental and Physical Health
Pouring your heart onto the page unleashes a host of benefits — from shaking off stress to boosting your immune system
The worst day of my life came 15 years into my marriage. “We need to talk,” my husband said. “I don’t love you anymore.”
Just like that, my world collapsed. I turned to the only thing I knew: Writing. Each day, I poured out my pain on the pages of my diary. Soon, little by little, word by word, the sentences and paragraphs combined to form a virtual life raft, lifting me above the stormy waves that had become my life.
I didn’t know it then, but I was doing something smart. Instinctively, I employed a scientifically proven method to help people overcome life’s challenges — no writing experience required.
It’s called expressive writing. Research has shown that this kind of immersive, reflective journaling benefits both mental and physical health. Many people find it useful for everything from recovering from trauma and smoothing major life transitions…to finding your happy place after that jerk flips you off at the intersection.
