Do you ever have thoughts that won’t leave you alone? The more you try to stop thinking about something, the more difficult it becomes to let the thought go.

One way to deal with too many persistent thoughts is through mindfulness and other kinds of meditation.

However, there is another way, and that is by letting them have a life outside of your mind. Various studies have shown that when you write your thoughts you may be able to obtain the relief that has seemed elusive in the past.

In one study, the participants with health issues who wrote about traumatic experiences for four days in a row, for about 15 minutes each day, were able to obtain relief for four months following this one writing exercise.

In another study, those suffering with asthma and rheumatoid arthritis who spent time writing about stressful experiences also obtained better health.

In addition, writing about a problem or existing challenge can bring about helpful insights and the ability to find some positive about even the most troubling experiences.

It can also be beneficial to write about positive experiences. In a study done on mood, one in which participants writing about positive experiences for three days in a row, it was shown that this practice not only improved mood but also reduced the number of subsequent doctor visits.

You can write anytime you feel the need or desire, or make it a regular practice.

Certainly writing at least once a week for twenty minutes may be very helpful, or writing for several days in a row, which is the method used in most of the studies.

To sum up, some conditions that therapeutic writing has been helpful for are PTSD, anxiety and depression, grief, interpersonal issues, substance abuse, and immunity.

Keeping a journal has many benefits, and writing in a systematic or consistent fashion brings even more. You can do it alone, in a group, or in addition to working with a therapist.

“Writing is a form of therapy; sometimes I wonder how all those who do not write, compose, or paint can manage to escape the madness, melancholia, the panic and fear which is inherent in a human situation.”
― Graham Greene, Ways of Escape