Expressive writing is a term that is more or less synonymous with personal writing. It does not need to be informative or educational, and a writer does not need to concern himself or herself with grammar. As long as the writing is personal, it is expressive. Typically, the writing will be done using an informal, first person approach to convey things deeply personal about the writer's own life in order to express his or her thoughts and feelings. Often, the stories will be reflective of life-shaping experiences that define who the writer is and how they shaped him or her.
A common mistake people might make is to think that this type of writing is the same as writing in a diary, but they are two completely different things. Whereas keeping a diary simply involves writing down what occurred on a specific day, the expressive form of writing is more specific and indicative to healing, insight and comfort. People use this form of writing for a variety of reasons. Some might write to grieve for the loss of a loved one, while others would write to cope with a chronic illness.
Research has shown that expressive writing helps people by providing a way to organize a troubling event into a narrative in order to slowly adjust to the many negative feelings surrounding the event. In turn, people eventually come across hidden strengths and small comforts that previously were nowhere to be found. This has been known to improve both emotional and physical health in people dealing with traumatic or stressful events.
Writing expressively has become a form of therapy for many people in these situations. This becomes especially helpful with people who feel they cannot talk about their issues with anyone else. The key to making it work is to set aside a regular time of day, usually consisting of 15 to 30 minutes, to write about the particular troubling thought or event and repeat this three or four times per week. Getting rid of all distractions, such as phones and Internet, is also highly recommended and can lead to quicker and better results.
There are also many long-term benefits to be had. Continuing to write expressively can certainly improve many aspects of a person's life, with both health as well as social and behavioral outcomes. This form of writing has been known to reduce blood pressure, improve sporting performance and provide an overall feeling of greater psychological well being. However, it is not meant to be used as a quick fix for lesser problems, as the same research suggests that it does not affect behaviors such as exercise and dieting.
The expressive style of writing is a powerful ally for those dealing with troubling issues. Sometimes it helps to vent and be able to say exactly what needs to be said with no filter engaged, even if no one else will ever read what is written. Just putting it out there and making the thoughts and feelings exist in a physical sense can be enough. It's definitely better than allowing such negative thoughts and feelings to fester and grow in one's own mind.
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Trained by such luminaries as Kay Adams, Christina Baldwin, Stephanie Dowrick, Clarissa Pinkola Estés, Carol Pearson Joanne uses expressive writing & story-telling as a developmental vehicle, offering a variety of imaginative and engaging writing workshops. See http://www.therapeuticwritingnetwork.com and http://www.c-change.info for details.
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