"4 Day" Therapeutic Writing
An 'awkward-at-first' mental exercise that often provides hidden insight
It’s likely that many traumas you’ve experienced, particularly the “little t” traumas, are left unresolved or unprocessed due to the busy nature of life.
There’s a writing protocol developed by James Pennebaker at the University of Texas-Austin in 1986, that has proven to be useful as a stand-alone tool or as an adjunct to traditional psychotherapies. That writing protocol is what this post is about today.
As with most unresolved traumas, they often manifest as physical ailments (“The Body Keeps the Score” detailed this as a comprehensive reference published in 2014.)
This writing protocol has been linked to improvements in both physical and psychological health. (For the fellow citations nerds, the meta analysis for physical is here and the meta analysis for psychological health is here- notably the psychological review found a 5% improvement in “big trauma” cohorts, like those suffering from PTSD.)
BACKGROUND / PROCESS:
With this approach, you’ll write (pen to paper) about a stressful, traumatic or emotional experience for four consecutive days, for 15-20 minutes per session.
It is more effective to write for four consecutive days rather than spreading
out the sessions over a wider period of time - there seemingly is an amplified
effect on rewiring parts of the brain that have been disconnected by the
underlying trauma when you write for consecutive days.
What do you write about? Pick a topic and either write about the same event for all four days or pick different events. Whatever you choose to write about, ensure it is personal and important. (…however you define personal and important!)
Set a timer and write continuously. Once you start writing, don’t stop. Ignore grammar and spelling. Ignore the urge to write perfectly. Instead, focus on writing things about the topic. If you get stuck, rewrite a section that already stuck out to you as important. It might even be that you get the urge to write about something seemingly unrelated. Explore that “off-topic” thought as it may be a way for you to get insight about the topic.
If exploring the off topic thought doesn’t lead to the on-topic idea after exploring it for 5 minutes or so, consider giving yourself permission to go back to the original topic.
Be as concise and detailed as you can be to uncover more insight about the topic. Write your authentic thoughts - avoid repeating potential ‘false-narratives’ of the event. Give your own account. Link feelings to events. You are the narrator with the power to observe how you were feeling or things that you saw.
This is not for anyone but yourself, so write for yourself. If it makes it easier to write about uncomfortable topics, set the boundary for yourself that you would shred, burn, or otherwise destroy the papers after your writing. If you may want to come back to your writing later, find a safe place to store your journal.
You may feel sad or depressed after writing. This is common, as you’re uncovering wounds and unhealed traumas that your brain has been protecting you from. If you take on a topic that makes you extremely sad or depressed, give yourself permission to walk away before the timer ends — and choose a different topic for a different day. When choosing your topic to begin with, if you have a deep-rooted sense to avoid that topic, perhaps start with a topic that you feel you can handle.
You should consider setting aside time to reflect. Maybe not right after you’ve finished writing, as you may want to give your brain time to further subconsciously process through the stirred up thoughts and memories.
When you are ready to reflect, the process will bring up emotions, consider naming them. If you are reflecting after a few days and start to feel you are not making any progress on the same topic - and you are upset or unsettled - consider contacting a licensed practitioner.
This tool may not be for everyone as we each can process grief, trauma, or other painful memories in different ways. If you have strong feelings that you cannot cope with during this exercise - stop and seek a soothing activity like walking, reaching out to a loved one, or diaphragmatic breathing. If you have negative lingering feelings, consider seeking help from a psychologist, therapist, or physician to discuss those feelings and experiences.
What are potential observations / benefits?
You will likely encounter feelings of closure or better understanding where you were previously incomplete - with confidence coming from facing a topic, exploring it, looking at it from multiple angles, and describing the situation or the feelings you had about the situation.
You may surprise yourself with your observations. Something that had been ‘hidden’ from view may come to the surface. This may be even more pronounced if you allow yourself to go down the rabbit-hole of a seemingly unrelated topic - only to find a connection to the writing topic that had been hidden prior.
You may find yourself more empathetic toward another person whom you previously villainized to cope with a situation, yet now may be able to accept their actions and forgive them.
You may find that you feel happier, less stressed, less anxious, or sleeping more soundly.
You may find you are able to perform day-to-day life tasks with better performance - with more focus and clarity. Bringing you more satisfaction with life - and increasing your feeling of happiness. (The logical basis of this being research suggesting that traumas damage brain tissue, and by addressing traumas, the brain is able to heal and thus perform its job better.)
By writing deeply about a traumatic event, you can make meaning. After all, it contributed to the path of where you are today.
i believe this particular strategy for dealing with trauma has much merit. My professional work has shown me that writing clarifies thinking and insight which is why I am a strong advocate for students have numerous opportunities in their education journey.. Have them not only write to demonstrate what they know but how do they feel about a topic or concept.