“The thing I like best is that I can at least write down what I think and feel, otherwise I would completely suffocate.”
Anne Frank (from her diary dated March 16, 1944)
Can writing initiate healing processes?
Since the mid-1980s, many scientific studies have dealt with this question. One of the most well-known researchers is James W. Pennebaker. He asked his study participants to write down their worst experiences. They were supposed to do this four to five times a week for 20 minutes. As a result of writing, many participants experienced significant health improvements. His method has been named “expressive writing.”
If you want to try “expressive writing” for yourself, here are some tips:
Choose a specific time and a quiet place where you will not be disturbed. When you start writing, write without interruption for 15 or 20 minutes. Connect with your deepest feelings about a tumultuous experience in your life. Do not worry about spelling, grammar, or your expression. You can write by hand or on the computer. If you cannot write, you can also verbally share your experiences. Then record them with your phone or computer.
Do the exercise for four consecutive days.
Warning: Some people feel sad after this exercise. Normally this disappears after a few hours. Does writing stir you up a lot? Does the topic affect you greatly? Then stop writing or choose another topic.
Many people forget the time and the place where they are. This happens to them while they are writing down their most intimate thoughts.
Make sure that only you see your records. This way, you can be completely honest with yourself. You can also throw them away as soon as you have written them. You can burn them, flush them down, tear them into small pieces and throw them into the sea. What you do with them is entirely up to you.
Please do not forget that there are definitely a thousand different ways to write. I want to encourage you to be your personal scientist. Experiment and find out what is right for you.
James W. Pennebaker has written several books on how writing can treat both physical and mental health problems. These include fears, depression, and post-traumatic stress. Writing can even positively influence relationships and our love life.
One of his books has been translated into German: “Healing through Writing: A Workbook for Self-help.” Pennebaker wrote this book specifically for people who have to cope with trauma or an emotional crisis. The book explains how conflicts, stressful situations, or painful experiences can be processed through writing. Ultimately, they can also be overcome.
Would you like to exchange your texts with others? We are starting a writing group at Bona Peiser in October 2023. More about it here.
For further reading:
Christina Baldwin (1991): One to One: Self-understanding through journal writing
Louise DeSalvo (1999): Writing as a Way of Healing: How Telling our Stories Transforms our Lives
John Fox (1997): Poetic Medicine: The Healing Art of Poem-Making
James W. Pennebaker, et al. (2014): Expressive Writing: Words that Heal. Using expressive writing to overcome traumas and emotional upheavals, resolve issues, improve health, and build resilience
James W. Pennebaker, et al. (2016): Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain
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