Writing is good for you

So says the Boston Globe:

SOME RESEARCH HAS found that expressive writing has positive effects on both mind and body. Two psychologists decided to see if even a fleeting episode of writing could make a difference. College students were given just two minutes on two consecutive days to write about a traumatic experience, a positive experience, or a prosaic topic. A month later, the students were asked to report symptoms of ill health. Students who had written about emotionally charged experiences — either positive or negative — reported fewer health complaints than the others.

Burton, C. and King, L., “Effects of (Very) Brief Writing on Health: The Two-Minute Miracle,” British Journal of Health Psychology (February 2008).