Journal writing is like going inside a genie bottle and having a secret place to hang out where no one can find you. You can escape to a place to safely untangle thoughts, solve problems and soothe your mind.
Science even backs up the health benefits. Dr. James Pennebaker, a psychologist and expert on journaling, says expressive writing—putting words to our painful experiences—can strengthen immunity, decrease anxiety, lessen depression and improve relationships.
Writing is a form of meditation because words can capture the noise, so you can hear your own voice.
Kids of all ages can benefit from expressive writing. We all know kids aren’t getting through this pandemic year completely unscathed. Ideally, childhood is a magical time of discovery, not real-world drama. The seriousness of a pandemic, masked faces, and the challenging realities of remote school have surely taken a toll on our kids and parents.
As many kids go back to school next week and get some normal back into their lives, let’s encourage our kids to talk and write about how they feel to check in on their mental well-being.
Encouraging kids to give words to their experience will allow them to have the psychological benefits of expressive writing:
- Validating their experience
- Realizing other kids feel as they do
- Connecting to friends after so much social isolation
- Learning a healthy coping strategy
Writing is a tool for mental clarity and an extremely cathartic practice of letting go. Try transferring stress out of your mind and on to paper. Words can capture the weeds so you can start to see the flowers again.
Have a question or comment for me? Email me at SandraB@MacaroniKid.com
Sandra Bilbray is a nationally published writer, positive human, and publisher of Asheville Macaroni Kid. She lives in Asheville with her husband, twin girls and two dogs.
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