Expressive writing: how writing about your feelings helps
Stress
Key points
- The method: 15 to 20 minutes of writing about your feelings for 3 to 4 days in a row.
- Meta-analysis of 146 studies: a small positive effect.
- Feeling worse right after writing is normal.
- It does not replace therapy for PTSD or depression.
The Pennebaker method
Psychologist James Pennebaker at the University of Texas developed expressive writing in the 1980s. Participants write for 15 to 20 minutes a day for 3 or 4 days about their deepest thoughts and feelings regarding a stressful or traumatic experience, without worrying about spelling or style. In early studies, people who did this had fewer doctor visits in the following months (Pennebaker, 1997).
What the research shows
A meta-analysis of 146 randomized studies found that experimental disclosure had a small but statistically significant positive effect on psychological health, physical health and functioning (Frattaroli, 2006).
By comparison, a meta-analysis of gratitude interventions found only modest effects on symptoms of anxiety and depression (Cregg & Cheavens, 2021).
How to try it
- Find 15 to 20 minutes of private, uninterrupted time.
- Write about a difficult experience: what happened, how you felt, how it affected you.
- Write continuously for the whole time.
- Repeat for 3 to 4 days.
- Expect that you may feel sad right afterward; that usually passes.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to share what I write?
No. You can destroy it afterward. The benefit comes from the writing itself.
Is gratitude journaling the same?
No. Gratitude journaling focuses on positive things; a meta-analysis found only small effects on anxiety and depression.
Sources
- Pennebaker (1997). Writing About Emotional Experiences as a Therapeutic Process. Psychological Science 8(3):162-166. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.1997.tb00403.x
- Frattaroli (2006). Experimental disclosure and its moderators: A meta-analysis.. Psychological Bulletin 132(6):823-865. doi:10.1037/0033-2909.132.6.823
- Cregg et al. (2021). Gratitude Interventions: Effective Self-help? A Meta-analysis of the Impact on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety. Journal of Happiness Studies 22(1):413-445. doi:10.1007/s10902-020-00236-6
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