Guided technique · Working with feelings · 15 min

Expressive writing

Level: Practising · Free — no account needed to read

Writing freely about your deepest thoughts and feelings about something that is weighing on you, for about fifteen minutes, without worrying about spelling or style.

Why it may help

Putting a tangle of thoughts into words helps organise them and can make an experience feel more understood and less overwhelming.

When to use it

• something heavy keeps going round in your head
• you have been through a difficult event
• you can’t talk to anyone about it right now

Helps with

• Something heavy on your mind
• Unprocessed events

How to do it

1. Find a private place and set a timer. Nobody else needs to read this.
2. Write about what is on your mind — what happened, how it felt, what it means to you. Keep writing without stopping. (about 900 seconds)
3. When the timer ends, stop. You can keep it, or tear it up.

What the evidence says

Moderate evidence: Several studies support it, but the effects are smaller, the studies are fewer or less rigorous, or results vary between groups.

What was found

Research beginning with James Pennebaker found that writing about emotional experiences over a few days produced modest benefits for wellbeing and even health in many studies.

What is uncertain

Effects are small on average and vary a lot between people and studies.

Who it may not suit

Writing about very painful events can feel worse at first. If it becomes overwhelming, stop, and consider talking it through with a professional instead.

Where this comes from: Emotion regulation research.

Afterwards, ask yourself

What did writing it down change about how you see it?