HEALTHY MONDAY IDEA
The power of the pen
BY:MARY ELIZABETH TERZELLA
Telling your troubles to a friend can make you feel better.
So can venting on paper. In fact, study after study suggests that jotting down your feelings about an upsetting situation relieves stress, boosts immunity and results in fewer visits to the doctor. And expressive writing—the kind people often do in diaries and journals—has been shown to ease symptoms in a variety of conditions, including cancer, high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis.
"Releasing bottled-up feelings may temper the toll that stress takes on your health," says "journaling" researcher James W. Pennebaker, PhD, professor of psychology at the University of Texas and author of Writing to Health: A Guided Journal for Recovering from Trauma and Emotional Upheaval (New Harbinger Publications, 2004). His suggestion:
- Every day, write about both positive and negative emotions, without editing yourself. After 20 minutes, toss the paper away—and let go of your anxieties.