Journaling was once thought to be an activity for little girls. You see the denim-covered diaries with tiny lockets and you can only imagine all of the juicy details about cartoons, crushes, and emotions. I don’t think having a diary is childish at all though because I know just how healing writing can be.
I went to schools that encouraged emotional expression in all of its forms, whether it be through acting, painting, music, or writing. I also had a bookworm/writer for a mom who constantly filled notebooks with songs, ideas, and thoughts. When I moved to New York in my late teens, I didn’t know anyone and wanted a way to speak about what my new life was like. That may have been one of the first times that I finished a journal.
In a cover story for Monitor, writer Bridgette Murray discussed how writing can have physical benefits.
“Writing is no stranger to therapy. For years, practitioners have used logs, questionnaires, journals and other writing forms to help people heal from stresses and traumas…Now, new research suggests expressive writing may also offer physical benefits to people battling terminal or life-threatening diseases.
Studies by those in the forefront of this research–psychologists James Pennebaker, Ph.D., of the University of Texas at Austin, and Joshua Smyth, Ph.D., of Syracuse University–suggest that writing about emotions and stress can boostimmune functioning in patients with such illnesses as HIV/AIDS, asthma and arthritis.”
I was homeless for a bit during my time in NYC. It messed with me mentally, as well as physically. An eating disorder threatened my livelihood and my self-esteem was on the rocks. I don’t know how I would have survived the lowest points had it not been for affirmations, to-do lists, and detailed accounts of day-to-day life. Even after I had begun seeking help for binge eating and had secured housing, I continued writing to bounce back from negative experiences
Writing professionally is something that fell into my lap, but at the same time, I feel like I had been unconsciously working towards it. Saint Heron was looking for writers and after getting the gig, the door opened for a number of other freelance opportunities. I’ve written about sexual abuse, growing up in a church-y family, and more. Having the ability to speak on things that shaped or plagued me throughout my life gives me the strength I need to press forward. The public platforms have made it that much more of an honor to me.
Mary Walton wrote, “[a]t its core, writing is the ideal way of expressing your emotions, getting your thoughts and feelings down on paper which can help to relieve some of the racing thoughts that would otherwise build up in your head, causing stress, anxiety and other negative feelings.”
Writing has changed my life for the better, giving me feelings of increased worth and healing my physical body. I appreciate what it has given me and I’m excited about my career as a writer.
Brooklyn White is a journalist with content featured on Teen Vogue, Rookie Mag, and Bitch Media.
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