writingDevotees of the cult of literary suicide may be surprised to hear it, but writing is rated one of the best activities for mental health and overall well-being. As far back as 1986, you have clinical studies to show that ‘writing about earlier traumatic experience was associated with both short-term increases in physiological arousal and long-term decreases in health problems,” with other studies highlighting the benefits of writing in dealing with grief trauma, chronic illness, and even natural disasters. But that’s just on the palliative side – although pretty impressive in terms of writing’s capacity to address and deal with seriously hard stuff. In terms of more positive life-enhancement, beneits include “Improved immune system functioning, Reduced blood pressure, Improved lung function, Improved liver function,” and “Improved working memory” and “Improved sporting performance.” So much for the cliche of the fragile, bookish geek.

Meanwhile, on the positive side, even Scientific American has concluded that “blogging might trigger dopamine release, similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art.” And even those concerned about too much time spent writing on social media have to admit its value in other contexts. So, nice to know that writing for TeleRead is good for my health as well as my wallet – though not always for my anger management issues …

 

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