Writing isn’t just a hobby meant for writers, nerds, and creatives. It, in fact, helps you improve your health.
The very fact that writing and journaling alleviate stress is why psychologists and therapists encourage their clients to practice this activity daily as part of their healing process.
Are you skeptical about how writing in a journal can boost one’s emotional and mental well-being?
Well, there is enough scientific evidence (which we’ll share in a bit) to get you convinced, and today, you’ll get to learn about how writing and journaling can improve mood and memory and much more.
It has now been proven that the emotional release caused by journaling not only lowers anxiety and stress but it also induces better sleep.
Moreover, science has also proven that the power of writing has other unexpected benefits for us as we will explain soon.
As part of a research study conducted at Stanford University, students were asked to keep a journal while they were home on a winter break. One group was told to write about their personal values and how they relate to life events. On the other hand, the other group was simply asked to write any positive things which happened during their day.
When the students returned to school, researchers found that the students who wrote about their values were feeling healthier and high in energy. These students displayed more positive attitude than the group of students which simply described positive events of the day.
This beneficial aspect of writing has support from other researchers and scholars as well.
For instance, Timothy D. Wilson, a University of Virginia psychology professor, told the New York Times:
“Writing forces people to reconstrue whatever is troubling them and find new meaning in it.”
Similarly, Psychologist Kelly McGonigal described the remarkable benefits of journaling interventions in her book The Upside of Stress:
“In the short term, writing about personal values makes people feel more powerful, in control, proud, and strong. It also makes them feel more loving, connected, and empathetic toward others. It increases pain tolerance, enhances self-control, and reduces unhelpful rumination after a stressful experience”
“In the long term, writing about values has been shown to boost GPAs, reduce doctor visits, improve mental health, and help with everything from weight loss to quitting smoking and reducing drinking”
During the process of writing, our left brain – which is analytical and rational – is occupied with this activity, while our right brain is free to create and feel.
This is the reason why writing helps writers in removing their mental blocks and allow their brainpower to better understand the world around them.
This is what JK Rowling says as well, as shown below:
“Sometimes I know what I believe because of what I’ve written.
J.K. ROWLING#”
Sometimes I know what I believe because of what I’ve written.
J.K. ROWLING#amwriting #writing pic.twitter.com/YGIKQqbb8d— Jon Winokur (@AdviceToWriters) October 14, 2015
No wonder why JK Rowling became one of the richest women of UK within 5 years.
Writing about a positive experience of your life helps your brain to relive it. This helps in the release of endorphins and dopamine. This activity boosts your self-esteem and mood. Plus, writing, about a bad experience may help you come to terms with it.
Now, without further ado, let’s go through the infographic below and check out some of the biggest research-backed benefits of writing and journaling.
This infographic was original created by and published at https://www.syedirfanajmal.com
![Top 11 Scientific Benefits of Writing [INFOGRAPHIC] | By Syed Irfan Ajmal](https://www.syedirfanajmal.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/scientific-benefits-of-writing.jpg)
Author’s Bio:
Nooria Khan is a tech-savvy content marketing expert in a digital marketing enterprise. Her passion for learning and love for words has propelled her into a career of digital marketing. She has been featured in Business Insider, Techopedia, Reader’s Digest, Business2Community, and several others. She always keeps a journal and a cat by her side, and the only time she doesn’t play it safe is when she’s writing.
Twitter: @Nooria_Khan
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/nooriakhan
