Benefits of writing

What started as a casual diary in my early teens is now a daily ritual, as essential as the caffeine that accompanies it. I’m talking about writing a journal, my life enhancing way to juggle my obligations and wants. So imagine my delight when I discovered that the practice can create personal and spiritual growth. The question is, how?

Right now I am improving my well-being. I am practicing self-regulation, boosting my self-efficacy, and knocking on the door of a flow experience. I am learning as I go, adding to my knowledge not just about this topic, but also about how I learn. I may even be unleashing physiological responses that will boost my immune functioning and make me less likely to call my doctor in the next few months. This is not a positive psychology magic trick. Instead all of these outcomes are the shared products of a single, simple daily habit: I write something every day.