Journaling for emotional and physical health

Did you know that keeping a journal can improve your overall well-being? “I’ve found it’s a good way to deal with anxiety. Sometimes, it’s just a good way to dump anger,” explains creative writing teacher Kathleen Coudle-King, who has written in a journal before bed for 20 years. In his book, “Writing to Heal,” social psychologist James Pennebaker says the benefits of journaling can range from adjusting to change to dealing with a life-threatening illness. He explains, “When people are given the opportunity to write about emotional upheavals, they often experience improved health. They go to the doctor less. They have changes in immune function. If they are first-year college students, their grades tend to go up.” A 2012 study by Seattle’s Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found that journaling can also help with weight loss and maintaining a healthy diet. Coudle-King doesn’t always re-read her entries, but she says, “Sometimes, life just moves so fast that you don’t have time to realize all the things you’ve done. Sometimes, when you record your little successes in life, you can go back and read them.”

The Seattle Times, 10/27/13