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.
You could try one of the many sexual enhancement drugs... Read More
What is the relationship between intake of nutrition and metabolism... Read More
What is the advantage of these new half sugar and... Read More
Weight Loss is something that many Americans struggle with. In... Read More
Just like any other diet, the Atkins diet can become... Read More
Obesity is a disease that is not caused by a... Read More
Obesity is quickly becoming the number one health issue confronting... Read More
Food is not simply fuel to keep you going. Nor... Read More
No matter what the reason, successful weight loss and healthy... Read More
Going away for your holidays will also bring with it... Read More
Dieting Dilemma No 1: When Life Gets in the WayThat... Read More
Fat Loss Tip #3) Proper Meal FrequencyMeal Frequency (i.e., the... Read More
AND SAVE MONEY IN THE PROCESS. The secret is simple... Read More
There's recently been a LOT in the weight loss news... Read More
R...real foodE...exerciseS...spiritual stuff first and the other stuff secondU...ultimately, you... Read More
The words I read made me furious. There it was,... Read More
Several months ago I was in desperate need of weight... Read More
Here come the candy canes. In our house, Santa always... Read More
It can be intimidating to follow a weight loss plan,... Read More
Women on diets need more calcium than normal to avoid... Read More
Let me ask you a personal question. As you read... Read More
If only we could solve this question, the world (for... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
Diners have become more health-conscious the last few years, and... Read More
Exercise Physiologists who study the effects of exercise on weight... Read More
tidy up service Buffalo Grove ..Surprisingly, hair loss is one of the reasons female pre-operative... Read More
These days, most everyone has heard of low carb diets... Read More
You've heard the popular advice on weight loss diets. Cut... Read More
Make sure you check out the meaning of many common... Read More
If you want to find a way to lose weight... Read More
Let's not talk about diets. Diets are punishment ? like... Read More
Have you ever experienced this scenario before?"I have successfully lost... Read More
Breaking Down Cravings One at a TimeI know you've heard... Read More
The overweight and obesity epidemic is a worldwide problem. There... Read More
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE NUMBERS!The health clubs are always racking... Read More
IntroductionObesity is the most common health problem facing children today.... Read More
I am not a diet and fitness guru or an... Read More
Visualizing and Declarations are today's topics.Visualize what you want as... Read More
As a weight loss coach I speak will people regularly... Read More
The main reasons most people have difficulty maintaining their ideal... Read More
Have you ever wondered with all the weight loss programs... Read More
When you truly consider the weight-loss process, the battle waged... Read More
If you are traveling on the path towards wellness you... Read More
(Ailsa's Apple Crumble Diet)I'm Scottish, so it's not a big... Read More
Getting enough of the good fats will help you lose... Read More
Are you sick of the hype? Wondering what diet products... Read More
Some of you will not like what I'm going to... Read More
Spring is here and swimsuit weather is just around the... Read More
Self-acceptance and body love can be tough concepts to grasp... Read More
My last article, Make Diets Work, concluded that dieting the... Read More
Weight Loss |