Nov 19, 2014 / Beginner

What do exercise, veggies, and writing have in common?

It turns out that they’re all good for you.

Photo Credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/53464383@N00/289732295/">ilovebutter</a> via <a href="http://compfight.com">Compfight</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/">cc</a>

Part of the mission that drives The Daily Post is to provide encouragement and inspiration to people who want to be more active writers, bloggers, and creators. We often provide tips on how to write or prompts on what to write, but today, let’s talk about why to write.

Science stands firmly in support of what many of us intuitively know: writing is good for you.

Studies have shown that just the act of putting words together to express yourself leads to several physical and mental health benefits, including:

  • Improved mood and sense of well-being
  • Decreased stress and anxiety levels
  • Lower blood pressure
  • Better memory and sleep

Writing has been shown to boost immune responses, speed post-surgical healing, and help cancer patients cope with their diagnosis and treatment. Writing has also been linked to improvements in managing chronic conditions such as asthma and arthritis.

A note about privacy: If you prefer to keep your thoughts private, you can use a journal or you can just set your blog to be private. Private blogs are viewable only by you, unless you choose to share your writing with friends or family by inviting them to your private blog.

The best part is that you only need a pencil and paper or a computer and keyboard to reap all of these benefits. Whether you opt for a journal or you take to your blog to express yourself, it’s the act of writing, not the medium you choose, that provides the benefit. Ultimately, the healing and restorative power of writing lies in the mind of the writer.

The benefits of blogging

That said, blogging offers some interesting benefits not present with journaling. Bloggers benefit from the community they build or just by knowing that there are readers out there commiserating or celebrating with them. Blogging, unlike that bedside journal, may also trigger a dopamine release.

Writing, particularly expressive writing, has proven to be very effective in helping people cope with stressful events, serious health conditions, or significant changes in their lives. They often find solace in blogging by connecting with others in similar situations.

The benefits of blogging aren’t necessarily tied to making sense of stressful or traumatic events; you can experience the same benefits by using writing to chronicle positive things, too, from moments of great joy to simple reasons to be grateful.

Need help getting started?

If you’re looking for a way to get started with a healthy writing habit, check out our daily writing prompts or download our free ebook, 365 Days of Writing Prompts. You might also find some inspiration here, or by following topics of interest in the Reader.

At minimum, writing helps you to put your thoughts in order and clarify your feelings, which is a healthy exercise in itself. Perfect prose isn’t required, so don’t let that get in the way of things. Just spending twenty minutes or so writing on a regular basis is enough to write your way to a happier, healthier you.

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  3. Exercise gives you energy and keeps you physically fit, as well as mentally. Veggies help boost your immune system and other body systems. It also, helps provide your body and brain with nutrients, vitamins, and energy. Writing helps relieves stress, get your creative juices flowing.

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  5. Writing is a politically correct way of expression when I have difficulty with saying what i want to to specific people. It tricks my brain into thinking that I expressed myself and now can move onto other ‘important’ stuff. Can’t think of a better way to tie up the loose ends in my head, other than music of course

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  9. This is so true, I started writing in order to externalise so many negative internal emotions, and it feels very cathartic to be able to process everything within. Thank you for sharing, the links are great as well!

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  16. This was great! 😀
    I think exercise, healthy eating and writing have even more in common.
    I joined the gym about 5 months back and came up with my own ‘eat healthy’ schedule too. During those 20 minutes on the treadmill, I decided to start blogging and came up with most of my write ups as well. I guess the three are more closely related than anyone could have thought! Talking with personal experience 😛

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    1. Thanks for the comment! I think there’s definitely a connection between mental, physical, and spiritual wellness. For me, writing is often a spiritual exercise – something that is just good for my soul. 🙂

      I’ll also second your observation about the connection between exercise and creativity- I get a lot of ideas when I run or walk. There’s something about engaging yourself with a “non-thinking” or routine task that frees up the subconscious to process and connect ideas. Speaking of which, you might want to check out the book How to Produce Ideas by James Webb Young. It’s an oldie but a goodie.

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  26. I wonder if blogging helps because it causes us to put some structure in place. Maybe finding some order in the chaos, so we don’t feel as helpless. Making sense of things, even in a limited way, probably moves us into a more positive frame of mind.

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    1. I think you hit the nail on the head with bringing order to chaos as a way of being able to move forward or get a more positive perspective – that the gist of the concept behind expressive writing (as developed by James W. Pennebaker). Thanks for reading and commenting. 🙂

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  28. By the way, I also play and teach music so you can include that too as having something in common with the rest.

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