Ever wonder why mental health professionals want you to write out what you're feeling?

July 2, 2024 Casey Sigler

Get it Out

Ahhh….trauma. We all know what it is and we all know we’ve got it. Whether it’s the little “t” trauma that daily plagues us or the capital “T” trauma that has knocked our whole lives off course, we have all experienced moments or lengths of time that have negatively shaped how we see the world, cope with difficulty, and seek safety.

So if trauma isn’t something we can avoid, perhaps the most practical thing we can do is learn how to deal with it. How do we take what life has given us, process it well, and loosen its grip on our lives? Experts say one of the most beneficial ways of handling our trauma is journaling about it. While journaling may sound like a pat method…almost too easy…it’s one of the most profound ways to untangle our emotions, understand how we truly feel, and observe the impact trauma has had on our lives.

Pen to Page

"Getting your thoughts on paper is proven to be one of the most therapeutic ways to lessen the control traumatic thoughts have over your mind."

The concept of journaling to heal has been around since the 1980s when Dr. James Pennebaker wrote a research paper documenting the many benefits of writing expressively to cope with emotional trauma. The key, Dr. Pennebaker revealed, was writing to uncover your deep, dark emotions and recover your state of peace. The practice necessitates writing freely for twenty minutes at a time, always leaving your pen on the page and never caring about language, grammar or syntax. Instead of thinking about form, expressive writing challenges you to only think about what you’re writing and not how you’re writing as you sift through feelings and experiences. The process can be tough, especially at first, but getting your thoughts on paper is proven to be one of the most therapeutic ways to lessen the control those thoughts have over your mind.

How to Write Expressively

Journaling to heal from traumatic pain is a personal journey that takes time and routine. Give yourself the space to practice it as a short-term goal and follow some simple methods to get the most out of your experience.

Write as easily as you can. While some may prefer using an actual pen and pad, you may find that typing your journal entries allows you to more quickly process exactly how you feel in the moment. You can always immediately erase your typed entries as well.
Give yourself a topic to write about. You don’t have to rehash your trauma…you’re already painfully aware of it. You can simply write how you feel, what is currently the hardest thing about coping with your emotions, or what frustrations are impacting your daily life.
Set a timer. Twenty minutes of journaling is typically the right amount. If you find that journaling makes you extra emotional, give your day enough space to cry, take a walk, or call a friend after you journal to calm your nervous system down.
Give yourself a boundary. If you find yourself getting too upset during your journaling session, allow yourself to stop and pick up the practice the next day. You are in charge of how you heal.

Give It Time

Everything worthwhile takes time and the same can be said for expressive journaling. Don’t expect the results of your trauma to magically disappear after your first 2 (or 7, or 10, or 100) journal entries. Instead, write with a mindset that is outcome neutral. Journal because it will lighten your mental burden rather than to expect complete healing. With time, managing your emotions and seeing more clearly through your pain will happen. But it only happens over time, with practice, dedication, and lots of grace for yourself.

Put It Into Practice

Journaling can feel scary, especially when you need to write down things that may hurt someone you love.

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Expressive writing requires you to be completely honest on the page, so go ahead…write down the scary thoughts and feelings, even if you know they’re not true in the moment. Then immediately destroy or erase your pages. Expressive journaling is 100% for you and you alone. Don’t plan to share your entries – if that’s in your mind, you won’t be as brutally honest as you need to be.

Hope & Healing