According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, writing about stressful life events helped reduce symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis in patients with these chronic illnesses. The effects of the writing exercise were still evident four months later and resulted in clinically meaningful improvements in patient symptoms.
Interestingly, studies showed that asthma patients who wrote about their most stressful life events showed a 19-percent improvement in lung function; similarly, rheumatoid arthritis patients had a 28-percent reduction in symptoms.
These findings add to a growing body of evidence that links mental and emotional health to physical well-being. Although researchers aren't sure exactly how expressive writing can lead to health improvements, they theorize that writing help people cope with stress, and stress-as well all know-clearly impacts health.
University of Texas at Austin psychologist and researcher James Pennebaker believes that regular journaling strengthens immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. He theorizes that writing about stressful events helps you come to terms with them, thus reducing the impact of these stressors on your physical health.
Louise Moran, a nurse coordinator, has written about a patient who, during a serious illness, sent daily e-mails to friends and family about her illness, a practice the woman believes played a pivotal role in her healing process. Moran said another patient felt that journaling helped her create a new life after breast cancer. There have even been studies suggesting that journaling in healthy people actually improves the immune system.
Patti Testerman is content manager at journalgenie.com, the only online site that analyzes your writing and then gives you instant feedback. Want to discover self-defeating patterns, or find better ways to communicate in a relationship? Check out our site.
Are you Telling Yourself It's Too Hard to Lose Weight?Telling... Read More
A reader recently wrote to ask why I don't include... Read More
I want to talk about the "all or nothing" outlook... Read More
Q: "I'm wondering if you can help me. I'm not... Read More
Diets, diets, diets... every where you go, anything you read... Read More
A diet may be a fad diet or a healthy... Read More
Not losing weight but gaining it is why we are... Read More
You may not like what I'm about to say, but... Read More
Did you know that what you're eating could be making... Read More
The term 'thermogenic' refers to a group of drugs or... Read More
Gastric bypass patients often find themselves regaining weight soon after... Read More
There is no doubt about it; Americans are eating in... Read More
This is the second article in the series, Weight Loss... Read More
RISING POPULARITYGastric bypass surgery has become a popular surgical procedure... Read More
The best exercises for quick weight loss in my opinion... Read More
There's a dirty little secret in the diet industry. The... Read More
Hannah was distressed that, with all the inner work she... Read More
Being over weight is usually being 20 percent or more... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
Is Zone Diet a Fad?How do you recognize a fad... Read More
"I'd love to lose weight, but I don't have the... Read More
If you are like everyone else who has hit rock... Read More
Fifteen Secrets of Safe and Easy Permanent Weight Loss Revealed!*... Read More
Well, with the success of my article, "Wrinkle Remover That... Read More
Nowadays, so much of the public is obese (fat) that... Read More
home cleaning services Mundelein ..Any food that we take into our bodies is composed... Read More
There Is A Right Way to Chew!Chewing your food is... Read More
Ready for a hardcore diet to get lean in a... Read More
It is not recommended to lose more than 1 pound... Read More
Eating the right foods and exercising regularly have been the... Read More
You don't realize it, but in the next few minutes... Read More
Can You Lose Weight Where You Want?If you have excess... Read More
I am so proud of you and your accomplishments. You're... Read More
Weight training combines building muscle tone and working the cardiovascular... Read More
Let's face facts; obesity is ripe today in America and... Read More
My first article provided steps for fast healthy weight loss.... Read More
Weight loss is a hot topic among people today, especially... Read More
I'm sure you have pondered this question, for it is... Read More
You step on the scale and groan at the number... Read More
If you are among the millions of people searching for... Read More
No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy... Read More
As I explained in the first part of this article,... Read More
When women talk about their biggest obstacles to successful weight... Read More
Thankfully, winter does not last forever! In the spring there... Read More
ATTITUDESIT'S NOT ABOUT YOU!Exercising has so many physical benefits that... Read More
Here's a letter from my email:Dear Carol,I took your teleclass... Read More
All Diets Work: No Diets WorkHave you lost weight in... Read More
The holidays are now officially over and it's time to... Read More
Over the last 30 years, research into food and blood... Read More
I can't do that Until I Lose This Weight! If... Read More
Weight Loss |