Write Your Way Healthy
Few people know that journal writing has been shown to improve you physical health in many measurable ways. According to researchers, regular journal writing can strengthen immune cells, called T-lymphocytes. Other research indicates that journaling decreases the symptoms of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. And, writing about stressful events can even help you come to terms with and reduce the impact of stressors on you life.
How Do I Get Started?
To really benefit from keeping a journal, the first must is complete privacy. You need the freedom to put down anything without censorship. Often, it can even take practice not to censor yourself. Start by writing for 20 minutes a day. The key is to continue writing about yourself and what you are feeling over time. Some days you might write pages and others just a few words. But in time, you will begin to notice a pattern and hopefully, also begin to discover what you enjoy and what makes you happy.
Let Your Imagination Run Wild
When becoming a writer, don't be afraid to use your imagination. You may want to start your writing as though you were writing a letter or responding to a prompt. Another idea is to write about yourself in the third person--an interesting way to see yourself from an outsider's point if view. Many expert writers believe that the activity of writing, which is a left-brain function, distracts that part of the brain and allows for the emergence of right brain ideas, which tend to be imagistic, symbolic, intuitive, and creative.
Writing a New Career Chapter in Your Life
Whether you choose to turn your talents into a full- or part-time career or simply want to attain improved health of mind and body, writing can be the key to a new richness in your life. Many fully accredited colleges and universities offer degrees in literature, and there are also educational classes, programs, and private courses that you can take to improve your writing abilities. In the health sector, medical writing is a growing career. And once you start your career as a writer, you won't know why you didn't become one sooner.
