Lord Byron said, ‘If I don’t write to empty my mind, I go mad.’ By engaging in the act of writing, writers often identify and confront troublesome issues.

Much of what worries us is deep-seated in our subconscious mind and the only way to reach it is to make the time to delve into our depths. This takes courage and can be uncomfortable but writing is, undoubtedly, cathartic.

Vast research has been conducted into the benefits of so-called Expressive Writing - personal writing that encourages the writer to delve into emotions triggered by life experiences. This might take the form of journaling or blogging but aims to help people come to terms with who they are and how they perceive events and relationships.

Expressive Writing is a reflective tool. With reflection comes greater self-awareness and clarity. Our reactions to situations might need to be altered in some cases so that we can be the best version of ourselves

How does Expressive Writing lift writers’ moods and lead to positive change?

Emotionally intelligent people better understand their perceptions and feelings. Getting your thoughts down on paper, or on a screen using a keyboard, is a way to process and reflect on experiences, make sense of them and then decide how best to respond to them.

Our personal narratives shape our worldview but sometimes we have skewed perceptions, we interpret things incorrectly. By writing, and editing our stories, we can, possibly, change our opinion of ourselves and identify obstacles that stop us from developing to the best of our potential. Confronting possible truths, and considering different perspectives, create opportunities for change.

How to begin the writing process.

Commit: Understand this a challenging exercise. You cannot change what you don’t acknowledge. It is often difficult to pinpoint feelings and it takes courage to face less attractive aspects of ourselves. Some unresolved issues might be too painful to face alone and might require assistance from a trained professional.

Time and Setting: Set aside 20 minutes per day, for a minimum of four consecutive days. Choose a place where you are comfortable and will not be disturbed. If you run out of ideas before the allotted time, write down random thoughts.

Topic: Number one prize is to reflect on deeply personal or important topics/events.

Let it flow: Banish self-consciousness. Forget your high-school English teacher. Don’t worry about punctuation, spelling, and grammar. Write in prose or poetry or a mixture of both.

Write for yourself: You may destroy or hide what you write. Your words are for your eyes only, unless you choose to share them.

Feeling down is common after Expressive Writing, especially on the first day. This feeling usually goes away in an hour or two.

Harnessing the mysterious and powerful tool of writing has enormous therapeutic benefits. Writing, and critically reviewing one’s text, can shift people’s thinking from self-defeating to optimistic. This new-found positivity then reinforces itself and the psychological lift goes one. It is little wonder that some proponents consider Expressive Writing the cornerstone of health.

Time for us to shake the dust off our journals or get to the keypad.