If any of you have taken my classes, you know that I’m a huge fan of keeping a journal. Especially now, when there is so much unknown in the world, writing can help us sort through our thoughts and feelings. Writing allows us to unload all of the muck swirling around in our heads and transfer that onto the page. There are numerous benefits to this.
“In the past 30 years, hundreds of studies have uncovered the benefits of putting pen to paper with your deepest thoughts and feelings,” writes Kira M. Newman in Greater Good Magazine. For example, did you know that writing in a journal can help keep us healthy by reducing chronic disease and boosting our immune systems? And, here’s some interesting news: an older study found, “that journaling could make vaccines more effective.” According to University of Auckland’s Keith J. Petrie and his colleagues, “expression of emotions concerning stressful or traumatic events can produce measureable effects on human immune responses.” Very timely these days.
Do you have an essay about aging or life during the pandemic that you'd like to share with others on the blog? If so, click here for submission info. Since I teach “Writing Through Grief” and “Writing as a Tool to Cope with Anxiety,” if you have an essay related to these topics that you’d like to share, please email it to me.
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