If you think that writing is best left to the likes of authors and journalists, Dr Michael Mosley will prompt you to think again. The expert shared that a technique called expressive writing could benefit anyone who is willing to try it. What’s more, taking a part in this “free” practice could even boost your brain health.
The idea behind expressive writing comes down to writing about your deepest emotions or worries.
In return, you could see a positive impact on your physical health, including improvements in asthma and brain power.
Speaking on his podcast Just One Thing, Dr Mosley said: “Expressive writing can be surprisingly beneficial for your brain, your wellbeing and your life.
“Studies have shown that doing expressive writing before an exam can improve performance by offloading distracting, worrisome thoughts and freeing up working memory.”
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While it might seem that focusing on bad or negative things could make things worse, “the opposite seems to be true”.
The doctor added: “Research suggests that expressive writing can, in fact, reduce negative thoughts and boost your mood.
“And it doesn’t take long.
“In one study, people, who were asked to spend 15 minutes writing down their thoughts on three separate occasions, not only found that doing so improved the quality of their sleep, but it also reduced how often they had negative thoughts.”
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This suggests that this simple practice could not only boost your brain power but also free up some space in your mind.
What’s more, all you need to take up this practice is just a pen and paper, or your computer.
Dr Mosley said: “The idea is you put aside 15 minutes to write about your deepest emotions and the thoughts you have about things that are keeping you up at night.”
This practice is not only free but it should also be quite easy to incorporate into your daily routine.
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Setting aside three or four days a week to sit down and write should be enough to do the trick.
Speaking on the podcast, Professor James Pennebaker, from the University of Texas, Austin, added: “The only rule I have is to write continuously. Don’t worry about grammar, or sentence structure, or spelling.
“Experiment and see what works best for you.”
Dr Mosley concluded that trying this practice could benefit your brain, relationships, as well as your physical health.
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