More reasons to write

Since posting about the relationship benefits of writing love letters here, I've been looking into what else writing can do for you. Writing has not only has been proven to have all sorts of emotional benefits, it also has positive physical impact. The most consistent link seems to be with an improved immune system but lots of other health benefits have been reported too. There's loads of information on it but this 2004 article in The Age does a nice summary.

James Pennebaker from the University of Texas seems to be one of the most active psychologists working in this area and he provides some guidelines about how to write in order to optimise these benefits. He also answers one of my questions, whether it makes a difference if you handwrite or type (it doesn't).

I'm fascinated. What are the relative impacts of different kinds of writing? Are authors generally a happier, healthier lot than the rest of us? I'm a big fan of getting people in groups to privately write stuff down - are there greater implications of this than I was previously aware of? I want to research this. Though James & his colleagues appear to use a quanitative method to explore content, which naturaly bothers me.

Perhaps, if writing makes us happier & healthier, it might go part of the way to explaining why blogging makes us nicer?

Comments

[Oswald]

I would have to say that writing can make a massive difference to how you feel. I used to keep a daily journal, and just putting the events, good and bad, down on paper, helped me through some pretty tough times.

There is something very nice about writing, the feeling it gives you. I don't get that feeling when typing.

[helenltaylor]

Glad to hear writing has helped you, though obviously not that you've had tough times in the past.

I find hand writing frustrating now, it's ok for notes. But I'm too slow and make too may mistakes if I try to write longhand.

I like the way word processing gives you instant ability to edit and resort. It helps me to get my thinking straight.

[Gordon]

I think it depends on what you expect to get from writing. Those of us who write about our thoughts will benefit from that experience, but if you are writing to impress (for whatever reason) it may be more stressful??

Writing for yourself is definitely beneficial though.

[mhari]

I'm doing a Creative Writing degree and I can honestly say writing is necessary for sanity (mine and my loved ones).

I start my day writing 3 pages of stuff...anything at all, just to dump the detritus in my brain. And after that I'll work on prose or poetry. One day I hope to be published. One day. I also have a blog on the go.

If I don't write, I become Pre-Menstrual Woman x2.