Writing promotes well-being. Is it true?
Yes, indeed! A miraculous phenomenon occurs. It’s not fiction but a fact. It happens through the channeling of emotions and thoughts into writing, as experienced by Gao Xingjian.
James Pennebaker, a renowned social psychologist from the University of Texas, USA, conducted research that revealed the significant positive impact of the habit of writing on one’s mental health. This research specifically focused on high school students in the United States, and the results indicated that individuals who regularly wrote to express their feelings and thoughts tended to enjoy better mental health.
A tangible example of the benefits of writing for mental health is Gao Xingjian’s story. In 1983, Gao was diagnosed with lung cancer and considered incurable by doctors. However, six weeks after this diagnosis, when Gao Xingjian began pursuing his passion for writing, he experienced a miraculous full recovery. Gao decided to spend the remainder of his life on an epic journey, walking 15,000 kilometers to a remote mountain and wilderness in Sichuan. The extraordinary experiences from this journey were poured into his renowned work, “Soul Mountain,” which went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2000.
Gao Xingjian’s story serves as concrete evidence that writing possesses remarkable healing power. But what is the secret behind it? How is it possible that a seemingly fatal illness can be cured through writing?
There is, in fact, a scientific explanation for this phenomenon. When someone writes, they pour their entire heart and soul into words, weaving the complexities of their inner selves. This process is a creative expression that enables the writer to convey feelings, experiences, and emotional wounds that may have long been buried. Through writing, one can access their subconscious, unearth hidden emotional vibrations, and confront past emotional scars.
After writing, individuals often experience a sense of relief, akin to catharsis or soul cleansing. Modern psychology has also uncovered evidence of a connection between writing and the nervous system. Writing about past traumatic experiences is often employed in counseling and therapy to help heal emotional wounds.
Pennebaker’s findings also suggest that students who have writing habits, such as maintaining a diary, enjoy better mental health compared to those who do not. Therefore, writing is not merely a creative activity but also a versatile tool, one of which is maintaining mental health.
Thus, writing possesses its own wonder in maintaining our mental health. It is a form of therapy accessible to anyone and can help us explore and address long-neglected feelings and thoughts. Through writing, we can attain improved mental well-being, as demonstrated by numerous studies and real-life stories such as Gao Xingjian’s. So, let’s make writing an integral part of our daily routine to nurture our invaluable mental well-being. *)
