Over the past week or so I’ve discovered several different studies that focus on the benefits of writing. This is something I have had a hunch about for awhile, in part because I’ve noticed some significant improvement in my own life from posting on this blog.
Now I’m under the impression that anyone who has the capacity to write should take advantage of this gift. Both the mental and physical benefits from writing about your life, such as in a diary or a blog, are paramount to optimizing health and well-being.
Different forms of writing have shown to improve learning, ease anxiety, cope with trauma, improve physical health, as well as improve social and behavioral outcomes.
Writing and learning
On January 21st a research article was published in Science testing different study methods when students prepared for an exam. The students were told to read a short passage and then they were separated into three different groups. The first group studied by reading and re-reading the article, the second group studied by creating a concept map, and the third group studied by spending 10 minutes writing a free-form essay about the passage. A week later the students were given a short-answer test on what they remembered, researchers found that those who wrote essays performed the best.
Implications: Writing is an effective way to engage our minds in the material we are trying to learn. When students put down their textbooks and try recalling information in their own words, it helps solidify their understanding with greater context, rather than just regurgitating facts. Having students become more active and participatory with the curriculum can lead to a better and more practical understanding of what they aim to learn, and writing is one of the most trusted ways of doing this.
Writing and anxiety
Another study published in the January 14th issue of Science found that when students wrote about their anxieties before an exam they were shown to improve their grades. Researchers tested this by giving two math exams. On the first test students were told to just do their best. However, before the second test the researchers created a situation that produced stress, by saying students who performed well would receive money and that other students were depending on their performance as part of a team effort.
At this point in the experiment the participants were separated into two groups: Group 1 was given 10 minutes to write expressively about the upcoming exam and Group 2 was told to sit quietly. Researchers found that “control participants ‘choked under pressure,’ showing a 12 percent accuracy drop from pre-test to post-test, whereas students who expressed their thoughts before the high-pressure test showed a significant 5 percent math accuracy improvement.”
Implications: Researchers believe that increased anxiety and stress can take a toll on our working memory and inhibit us from using mental resources at their full capacity. By writing about our anxieties, we can alleviate these worries and free up our working memory so that we can focus more on a certain task (and therefore perform better). Beilock, who led the research in this study, said: “In fact, we think this type of writing will help people perform their best in variety of pressure-filled situations — whether it is a big presentation to a client, a speech to an audience or even a job interview.”
Writing and trauma
Over the past 20 years there has been a growing body of research demonstrating the positive effects of writing when coping with trauma. In a 1986 study, researchers had college students write for 15 minutes on 4 consecutive days about “the most traumatic or upsetting experience” of their entire lives. They found that participants who wrote about their thoughts and feelings about these events showed benefits in both objectively assessed and self-reported health 4 months later (Pennebaker & Beall, 1986).
This writing exercise has since been duplicated in several other studies (Pennebaker, 1994, 1997a, 1997b; Smyth & Pennebaker, 1999). The exercise is usually presented to the participants as such:
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Typical writing instructions
“For the next 4 days, I would like you to write your very deepest thoughts and feelings about the most traumatic experience of your entire life or an extremely important emotional issue that has affected you and your life. In your writing, I’d like you to really let go and explore your deepest emotions and thoughts. You might tie your topic to your relationships with others, including parents, lovers, friends or relatives; to your past, your present or your future; or to who you have been, who you would like to be or who you are now. You may write about the same general issues or experiences on all days of writing or about different topics each day. All of your writing will be completely confidential.
Don’t worry about spelling, grammar or sentence structure. The only rule is that once you begin writing, you continue until the time is up.”
As it turns out, this kind of rumination can have significant emotional benefits. According to different studies, expressive writing can show long-term effects in:
- Improved mood/affect. (Pennebaker et al, 1988; Páez et al, 1999)
- Psychological well-being (Park & Blumberg, 2002)
- Reduced depressive symptoms (Lepore, 1997)
- Fewer post-traumatic intrusion and avoidance symptoms (Klein & Boals, 2001)
- A decrease in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptomatology (Schoutrop et al, 1997, 2002; Sloan & Marx, 2004a)
As a warning however, I should mention that not all studies showed benefits. Expressive writing has sometimes been shown to be detrimental for adult survivors of childhood abuse (Batten et al, 2002) and for a small sample of eight Vietnam veterans with PTSD (Gidron et al, 1996).
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“Our review of the literature shows that psychological health benefits tend to be more often found when participants’ traumas and/or symptoms are clinically more severe, although results are inconsistent. One explanation for this inconsistency may be that many of the studies with null findings instructed participants to write about the specific traumatic event they were selected for, rather than using the standard instructions (see “Typical Writing Instructions” above).”
Implications: Researchers theorize that this kind of expressive writing can be beneficial for a couple of reasons. First, writing about traumatic events can help confront previously inhibited emotions, which can be a burden on our bodies and minds when we try to suppress or ignore these feelings. Secondly, expressive writing can lead to a more coherent narrative about past events, which can help to “reorganize and structure traumatic memories, resulting in a more adaptive internal schema.”
Writing and physical health
Expressive writing has also shown to have some robust effects in physical health. Using a similar writing exercise as the one described above (“Typical Writing Instructions”), researchers have found some health benefits regarding:
- Fewer stress-related visits to the doctor
- Improved immune system functioning
- Reduced blood pressure
- Improved lung function
- Improved liver function
- Fewer days in hospital
Specifically, when compared to controls, expressive writing has shown to have some medical benefits for lung-functioning in those who have asthma, disease severity in rheumatoid arthritis, pain and physical health in cancer, immune response in HIV infection, hospitalizations for cystic fibrosis, pain intensity in women with chronic pelvic pain, sleep-onset latency in poor sleepers, and post-operative recovery.
Implications: Obviously, if you have a serious medical condition, you should never stop seeing a doctor or getting professional treatment. However, it’s nice to know that writing can possibly play a positive role in increasing our physical health. Try asking your doctor to see if he or she knows how expressive writing can help your condition. And, for those without serious medical conditions, writing is still a great tool for alleviating stresses in the body and improving your immune system as a whole.
Writing and social and behavioral outcomes
Similar to the first two sections, writing has shown to help increase academic performance, sports performance, job performance, as well as other behavioral and social interactions.
Imagine taking what we learned from the “writing and anxiety” study and then applying that to social anxiety, such as approaching a gorgeous girl (or boy), or the anxiety felt before we deliver a public speech. Expressive writing can help us alleviate some of our worries, free up our working memory, and allow us to perform better in a variety of different social situations. Through writing, we let our thoughts and feelings express themselves, and thus we can move on more easily by no longer getting so wrapped up in them.
In sports, writing can be a similar modifier when examining an athlete’s negative self-talk or performance anxiety. Adding a writing component to a player’s warm might therefore help “get their head in the game,” and sports psychologists are often trained to help athletes overcome these mental obstacles so that they can re-focus their efforts back on the actions they need to perform well and win games.
Many sports psychologists also use a performance diary to help a player keep track of their progress and goals. The same can be said for other forms of goal-making, writing a diary can help us keep our mind on track, organize our thoughts, and create an elaborate mental schema about what it takes to achieve our goals.
Exercise: Write 15 minutes a day for a week.
If you don’t already write on a frequent basis then try spending 15 minutes a day writing for one whole week.
Write about any anxieties, worries, and concerns you might be experiencing. Write about any issues you are going through and how they might be overcome.
Try writing the full 15 minutes without taking a break, and then revisit some of your writings at the very end of the week. Spend the last day writing a summary of your writing experience and whether or not you experienced any benefits. If you find this to be a beneficial exercise – keep doing it!
Have a problem? Try blogging about it. Blogging is a great way to record your progress when trying to achieve long-term goals. And it can be applied to almost anything. If you want to lose weight, you can write about new exercises and diets. If you want to write a book, you can use your blog to brainstorm different characters or plot-lines. And if you are recording an album, you can blog about song ideas or lyrics.
When I first started The Emotion Machine I wanted to learn more about mental health and living a meaningful life. Since then I’ve expanded my interests to aspects of creativity, productivity, and self-improvement. Whenever I submit a new post here, I feel like I’ve learned something new or gained a different perspective on how to live my life better.
This blog has helped me become a better person, as have all my other blogs.
In another, I write about political issues, economics, and current events. It’s a way for me to think more critically about the stories I so often read and listen to on the news. It helps keeps me sane, and (I believe) a lot smarter about the issues.
Just recently I started another blog. This time it was about online business. It’s a site called Business Diaries and I use it to help me keep track of different methods for driving traffic, building relationships, and creating content that people find valuable. It’s something that has always interested me, and I’m glad I’ve finally created a blog to help me sort it all out in my head. It really does help.
Somewhere in the future, I would like to also create a blog about health (to motivate me to be healthier), a blog about calculus (I used to know it well in high school, but have since forgotten), and a blog about music (I’ve always been a huge fan, and I want to share all my favorite bands, artists, and songs).
A blog can be about any aspect of life: health, financial, educational, creative, social, or spiritual. The applications are endless, and you can create a site for virtually any niche.
The moral here? Blogging has tremendous potential for anyone, and I don’t find enough people taking advantage of it.
Sure, there are zillions of people who have blogs. But I don’t think they are really blogging to the best of their ability. I want to stress the point that we should look at blogging as a tool for improvement. A way to help us overcome obstacles and find solutions. In the future, I want to see more psychologists recommending blogging to their clients to cope with issues. And more business executives recommending blogging to their coworkers to aid creative problem-solving.
What are some of the ways I can use a blog?
- Compile relevant research you find online.
- Record good ideas, brainstorms, and plans
- Keep track of progress with a current goal.
- Write about your feelings and opinions about a current issue or personal event.
- Share your work with a network of other bloggers and get their opinions.
What if I’m not a good writer?
So what? I’ve been writing for about a year and a half, and I’m still not a great writer. The only way you are going to get better is if you practice. Even if you never think you are that good, any writing is still better for your thinking, memory, and emotional well-being than no writing at all. If you are that embarrassed about your lack of writing finesse, just make your blog private. You’ll lose some of the social benefits, but you’ll still get the mental ones.
How can I stay dedicated to my blog?
Last I heard from Jay and Sterling over at Internet Business Mastery, 70% of bloggers stop blogging within the first 3 months. This is a problem we all have to face when trying to build new habits. Hopefully some of these tips will keep you committed to your blog:
- Write about a problem or passion that truly interests you.
- Make small goals like “I’ll write one post a week.”
- Build a community around your blog to hold you accountable.
Check out my list of 50 Ways To Stay Committed for more tips.
I think blogging is just not my thing.
Sure, then don’t do it. I’m definitely not saying that blogging is a cure for everyone’s problem. I just think there is potential worth looking into. If you have to force yourself to blog every month, and it feels like a chore, I would definitely recommend finding another hobby or brainstorming in ways you find more natural. Maybe you prefer working in a group setting or brainstorming during your morning jog? We all have different preferences to help get the mental and creative juices flowing.
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Image by d3 Dan on Flickr.com
Since late June, when I first announced that I wanted to become a professional writer/columnist, I have been brainstorming ways to become the very best writer and thinker I can be. To me, a big part of this meant diversifying my sources so that I get the most varied and balanced mix of news and opinion.
In that original post I put together a rough list of mainstream media outlets, libertarian resources and blogs (my main interest), as well as “alternative” sources of news and opinion. Since then I have expanded on this effort by putting together a public Libertarian Minds Feed (which you can also follow on Twitter) and a News Roundup Feed, for more general news on society, politics, economics, health, business, technology, and environment. Both feeds follow over 50+ sources each (you can see a complete list of the libertarian links here. I have yet to make one for News Roundup). Both feeds are constantly being updated as I discover new outlets.
So far these feeds have fulfilled their purpose beautifully. Every morning around 10AM I brew a pot of coffee, open up my FriendFeed, and begin opening tabs to new articles, videos, and podcasts. I then spend the next 2-3 hours going through each one. Periodically throughout the day I will again open up both feeds and consume any new topics of interest that may have developed since.
I want to keep this post short, but let me just end by saying: social media tools like Twitter, FriendFeed, Facebook, and Reddit are all great ways to organize your favorite links so you can follow updates on a day-to-day, moment-by-moment basis. I recommend this technique to anyone who wants to develop a deeper understanding of any topic, whether science, psychology, politics, music, art, blogging, etc. I know I will be creating more feeds in the future as my interests divert to different subjects.
Although I certainly haven’t forgotten about my personal blog here, lately a lot of my energy has been going into my political blog, which I currently share with 8 contributors (and hopefully 10 by the end of the summer!). Over the past couple of months I’ve noticed some advantages and disadvantages to having a multi-authored blog. I thought I would touch on some of these points today.
+ More content.
Naturally, two workers can produce more than one, and three can produce more than two, and so on. This is especially true if each product being produced is particular to the efforts of one mind (aka, not in an “assembly line”-like fashion, where if one person dozes, the whole structure of production is ruined). Instead, I can spend a whole month not writing anything, but, instead, two other authors may write a couple articles each month – and the blog still appears to be “active” (a sign loyal readers are going to want to see).
- Less quality control.
Unless you are very stringent about what content gets published, or you are a part of a very homogenized group of writers, there are going to be areas of disagreement between you and other contributors. This can be a bit frustrating when an idea you typically don’t endorse gets published on a blog you would rather more represent you.
+ Diversity and dialogue.
Looking on the bright side of the last point, varying opinions can also lead to diversity and a healthy dialogue. Diversity is, in many ways, the defining attribute of evolution, and it is no different for competing species as it is for competing viewpoints. The other blog I write for, Libertarian Minds, is filled with different kinds of thinkers (Constitutionalists, Objectivists, Anarchists, Atheists, Deists, Theists), and in my opinion these differences add new dimensions to our discussions on politics, society, culture, and morality. They make us all smarter and more well-rounded – and more tolerant.
- Sharing of benefits/revenue
For some blogs this may just mean competing for page views, while for others this may mean distributing revenue among writers. This means the more contributors you have, the less money you will each get paid.
+ More heads marketing
Despite the last point, having more writers may also mean having more traffic streams. Writers A and B may be active users on Reddit, while Writers C and D spend more time advertising on Facebook. Everyone will also have different groups of friends, family, and coworkers to show the site too. This means more opportunities for eyeballs on your blog.
- Greater potential for conflict
On one side of the coin, humans are often good at cooperating and working together. On the other side, they can also get caught up in pissing contests and foul-mouthed exchanges. Fortunately at Libertarian Minds all the writers seem to get along and interact respectfully (knock on wood), but there is often a greater potential for conflict as you add more passionate thinkers to the equation. Some conflicts, of course, can be good, and lead to further cohesion – other conflicts, however, can cause permanent divides (especially if one person feels they are being ostracized from the rest).
+ Sense of community.
As with any group project, a sense of community is beneficial. It means individuals feel they have a responsibility to others – to provide good content and make the blog into as good of a blog as possible. We always see professional athletes talk about their team as if it is a “family,” the same can be true for teams of bloggers. Relationships build and build over time.
CONCLUSION
Really this was just a brief brainstorm on the pluses and minuses of writing for a multi-authored blog, and I think I did a pretty comprehensive job. I am very pleased with my experience so far, and I think the advantages far outweigh the disadvantages (which is a big reason why Libertarian Minds has so far received a good amount of traffic, considering its young age). I am really excited to see where it takes all of us in the near future.
Past Uncertainties and Convictions
It has now been a good 5 months since I’ve last written about goal-making (see 1, 2). To be honest, the delay is probably due to my own sense of limbo about what I want to pursue as a career.
It has now been almost 1/2 a year since I’ve graduated college, and although I have been keeping busy diving into my own personal interests, I have yet to draw any clear path about where I want to be in the future.
Is this normal for a recent graduate? Maybe, maybe not.
Either way, I know panicking won’t do me any good, so I remain relax and focused.
It’s not that I don’t spend time thinking about the future – I do and I do it often – but I want make sure that when I find my niche that it is something I can become fully engaged in. The last place I want to be in 40 years is at some dead-end job with no love or pride for my craft.
Long ago I came to the conviction that there need not be a difference between work and play. That one can simultaneously do what they love and prosper from it if they put their mind to it. First, I need faith in my capacity to think, grow, and create value.
Believing I can achieve something must be the first prerequisite for actually going out and doing it.
Mission Statement
Throughout my life I have always had some desire to write. As a kid I remember thinking up short screenplays, reviewing video games online, and expressing my feelings about loved ones through lyrics and poetry. Today, I continue to make a conscious effort to improve my writing ability by blogging on sites such as this one and Libertarian Minds.
The past year has been an experiment to see if I can stay committed to blogging and still come out enjoying it in the end – I do.
That is why I now want to take my craft to the next stage. This, to me, means turning it into a profession.
First, I want to create a mission statement. Then I will write it above my desk, so I can recite it every morning. This one simple ritual will help me to maintain flow and keep my mind concentrated on the habits I need to adopt in order to be successful.
Here is a picture of my mission statement written on a dry-erase board:
To become a professional writer I will follow my self-appointed mantra of RAWA meaning “Read A lot, Write A lot.” In it there are 6 tenets: consume, digest, rest, grow, repeat, and evolve.
1. CONSUME A LOT OF MATERIAL
Lucky for me I love reading and I already go to all sorts of different websites on a daily basis. Over the year I have accumulated a list of my favorite and most informative resources:
Mainstream Media
Sites to follow the most up-to-date news of popular issues.
Libertarian Opinion/Blogs
Reason
Cato Institute
Ludwig von Mises Institute
Campaign For Liberty
Foundation for Economic Education
Anti-War.com
Center for a Stateless Society
Ayn Rand Institute
Capitalism Magazine
Libertarianism from A to Z: Jeffrey Miron’s blog
Think Markets
Marginal Revolution: Tyler Cowek and Alex Tabarrok’s blog
LewRockwell.com
Stephan Kinsella
Austro-Athenian Empire – Roderick Long’s blog
Free Advice – Bob Murphy’s blog
Ideas – David Friedman’s blog
Fringe Elements – Ryan Faulk’s blog
Economic Policy Journal – Robert Wenzel’s blog
Free Association – Sheldon Richman’s blog
Brad Spangler
Fr33 Agents
Professional resources and personal blogs to help build a comprehensive libertarian philosophy. More to be added.
Alternative Opinion/Blogs
Salon
Smithsonian Magazine
Huffington Post
New York Times
Bloomberg
WallStreet Journal
Alternet
DailyKOS
The Daily Caller
Politico
New Yorker
Fora.TV
Rolling Stone
The Conscience of a Liberal – Paul Krugman’s blog
Libcom.org
Other resources to stay knowledgeable about opposing opinions. This is important to help keep a well-rounded view. More to be added.
I will try to visit most of these sites at least once every week. The big ones like CNN.com (or ones I really enjoy like Mises.org), will probably be visited more frequently. I also go to reddit everyday where users post articles from all over the web.
The main point of building a huge list like this is to always have reading material available and to have access to a wide range of viewpoints and philosophies.
2. DIGEST IT ALL
It would be wasteful to read hours everyday but to never think critically about the content. I believe contemplation is one of the most important mechanism to human learning.
Studies have shown that when rats are given time to reflect, they learn faster than rats who don’t. Time spent introspecting on one’s thought patterns can help us better understand our beliefs. We may even discover that we have made a logical fallacy or a cognitive bias.
Humans are infallible but they are also self-correcting. There is no need to be alarmed when a belief of ours has been challenged. Instead it should be seen as an opportunity for growth. Those who deny their mistakes will always remain fixed where they stand, but those who are willing to weigh other alternatives are more likely to progress their understanding and step forward as intellectuals.
Digesting material means to put a conscious effort into reflecting on what we have learned and how it fits into our worldview.
3. REST
Between all this reading and thinking I am going to need some leisure time. This means things like nap-taking, hanging out with friends, listening to music, watching Mets games, and going out to dinner. Life stuff. Stuff less mentally-intensive so my mind has a chance to rejuvenate itself. After all, variety keeps the mind healthy and balanced.
Including rest in your routine is the difference between hard work and smart work. Also, one positive thing about actively taking your mind off of your work is that it lets your unconscious mull over ideas as you engage yourself in other activities.
4. GROW
Once I have consumed, digested, and taken a healthy break, I am then ready to apply my knowledge into the form of writing.
While the digestion phase was about breaking down information, the growth phase is about integrating information into an article that conveys a coherent theme. All writing, whether fiction or non-fiction, is the process of connecting old ideas and transforming them into something new, something more contemporary, and something more aligned with the zeitgeist of the times. It is the process of moving knowledge forward.
To fulfill my goal I must write each and everyday, even if it is just for a little bit. If by the end of the day I am not happy with what I have written – and it never gets published or even posted on a blog – it is still a worthy exercise in critical thinking and creativity. I think of it as analogous to a professional baseball pitcher: although it may not always be there day to start a game, they still go out in the bullpen and throw some pitches everyday, because that is how they keep their skills sharp.
If you want to be good at something you need to live and breathe it. It needs to be a part of your daily routine. By aiming to write everyday I am setting a precedent to continuously improve until I reach that next plateau.
5. REPEAT. REPEAT. REPEAT.
We all have certain habits which we repeat day-in and day-out. They become automatic or “second nature.” One beauty of the human mind is that we can consciously choose to replace existing habits with new ones – to reinforce “positive” behavior and punish “negative” behavior (however an individual may come to define those terms).
Over the last year I have built up a habit of reading, thinking, and writing about political philosophy, economics, and society at large. It is something I have developed a passion for which is why I now picture myself doing it as a career.
I don’t want to be simply good at it but great at it. I want people to read what I have to say and walk away more educated, more independent-thinking, and more inspired by life around them. I want them to think, “this is so good, I want my friends to read this.”
But this kind of value can only be created if I am dedicated to my craft, which means: practice, practice, practice. I believe that the more I immerse myself in an activity, the better and faster of a learner I will be.
6. EVOLVE
Evolution is a series of adaptations and changes over time. In many ways, it is spontaneous and unpredictable. Often the order is not clear until you look back on it.
This post marks a starting point for my pursuit as a professional writer, but only time will tell where I will end up a year, five years, or ten years down the line.
While I may not know the specifics of where this path is heading, I do know that if I stay devoted to my mantra of RAWA (“Read A lot, Write A lot”), and its 6 tenets, that it will lead me somewhere productive and fruitful.
The human mind can facilitate positive evolution by identifying value and producing it over time. Only by adding value to our lives and the lives of others do we progress as humans and make life worth living.
ENDING NOTE
At its core the RAWA strategy is simple: get emerged in reading and writing and I will soon build the skills to enter the professional domain.
Of course, this is not all one needs to be successful. Along with actually having the ability, one also needs to know how to network, market their product, and land opportunities. These will be issues I will try and resolve in later posts.
For now, my main focus is thinking of myself as a writer, reinforcing these positive rituals (consume digest, rest, grow, repeat, evolve), and eventually building a portfolio of my best material to send to editors.