Writing to feel better: the expressive writing method

Some evenings, your thoughts just keep going in circles: an argument you haven't let go of, a worry about work, a decision you keep putting off. Grabbing a notebook and writing down what you feel can seem too simple to help. And yet it's one of the most studied exercises in psychology, going back nearly forty years.

A landmark experiment

In 1986, psychologist James Pennebaker and his colleague Sandra Beall asked students to write for 15 minutes, four days in a row, about the most upsetting experiences of their lives. Another group wrote about neutral topics, like their room or their shoes. Four months later, those who had written about their deepest thoughts and feelings had visited the university health center less often.

This approach, called expressive writing, has since been used in hundreds of studies. In a 1997 review, Pennebaker sums up the key point: when people write about emotional experiences, improvements in physical and mental health often follow, and it's the changes in how they think and put things into words that seem to matter most.

What the reviews say

In 2006, Joanne Frattaroli pooled 146 randomized studies in a meta-analysis published in Psychological Bulletin. Her conclusion is nuanced, which is exactly what makes it credible: the effect is real but modest on average. It's no substitute for support when you're struggling.

Her work is especially useful for knowing how to write. The effects were clearer when:

• there were at least three writing sessions;
• each session lasted at least 15 minutes;
• the instructions were specific;
• people wrote at home or somewhere private.

The method, step by step

In 2005, psychologist Karen Baikie and psychiatrist Kay Wilhelm described how expressive writing is used in practice. Here's a version adapted for you:

1. Block out 30 minutes: 20 to write, 10 to settle afterward.
2. Choose a quiet, private place, with no notifications.
3. Pick a topic that's really weighing on you, a difficult experience or an important emotional issue in your life. It's your call.
4. Write down your deepest thoughts and feelings, not just the facts. You can connect the topic to the people close to you, to your past, to who you'd like to become.
5. Don't worry about spelling or style. The only rule: once you start, keep going until the time is up.
6. Repeat three or four times, on consecutive days or a week apart. You can stick with the same topic or switch.

What you write is for you alone. You don't have to reread it or show it to anyone.

What to expect

Fair warning: right after writing, it's common to feel a bit more stirred up, or even sad. Baikie and Wilhelm note that this temporary dip in mood is normal and doesn't seem to be harmful in the long run. The benefits, when they show up, tend to appear over the longer term, in the weeks and months that follow.

A few common-sense precautions, several of which come from their recommendations:

• You can stop at any time if it gets too heavy.
• Keep each session to about 20 minutes, so the exercise doesn't become overwhelming.
• You don't have to start with the worst memory of your life. A topic that's important but bearable is enough.
• If you're going through a very hard time, writing can go hand in hand with professional support, not replace it.

Day to day, a lighter journal

Expressive writing is an occasional, intense exercise. Alongside it, a regular journal can follow the same logic more gently: a few lines in the evening about what you felt during the day, what weighed on you, what did you good. The point is to put words to your emotions, not to write a report.

A prompt to get started: “Today, what was on my mind the most was… and what I really feel about it is…”

With ForgeMe

The journal in ForgeMe lets you write dated entries and attach your current mood to them. You can use it for a series of three or four expressive writing sessions, then for a few lighter lines as the days go by.