In the article “Writing Your
Way to Happiness”, Parker-Pope (2015) claims that expressive writing can make
one happier. Expressive writing is both physically and mentally beneficial. The
writer mentions that writing and rewriting your own stories “can lead to
behavioral changes” and it can help change our views of ourselves. Studies
conducted in America has shown that students who edited their own narrative
about college, as compared to those who did not, turned out to be more
successful in their academics. Writing enables us to reconstruct and redefine
our problems which enables us to face our problems, leading to a “life course
correction”. Writing can help a person recognize what is more important to them.
The author cited Pennebaker’s idea of expressive writing
being a “life course correction” which he believes will lead us to becoming
happier. The health benefits from expressive writing are able to correct people’s
lifestyle and life course which will make them happier people. The health
benefits from expressive writing can prolong a person life, enabling them to
spend more quality time with their loved ones. Expressive writing changes
people’s perspective on life and it helps them to face and solve problems.
Expressive writing can provide people with health benefits.
It is beneficial especially to those who are suffering from anxiety related
sickness like asthma. Experiments have shown
that asthma patients who wrote daily about their experiences got better and it
prevented their conditions from deteriorating. (Miller, 2014) Expressive
writing also helps to reduce stress, as shown in a research on HIV- related
anxiety. “By writing, you put some structure and organization to those anxious
feelings. It helps you to get past them.” (Murray, 2002). These health benefits
can help to improve their medical conditions, which will increase their comfort
in their lives. They would not have to suffer as much as they did in the past
and this will definitely make them happier. Slowly, their life course will be
corrected as their conditions will improve. Parker- Pope has also stated that
expressive writing can improve mood disorder. This helps to improve people’s
well- being and it changes their lifestyle as we are no longer restricted by
sickness or disorders. Expressive writing brings about health benefits which
improves and corrects people’s life, enabling them to become happier as they
are able to enjoy more quality time with their loved ones.
Expressive writing forces people to face their problems.
Writing down one’s problems and conflicts enables the person to redefine and
reconstruct them. Instead of the endless regurgitating of the problem in your
head, writing it down allows us to accurately identify what is going wrong. Also,
people will have sufficient time to stop and think about how the issue has
broader implications, highlighting the importance of solving the problems to
prevent any bad things to happen. Having a problem causes many worries and
sufferings psychologically for a person. To cultivate a habit of facing
problems readily allows one to identify that he or she has made a mistake and
the person would have to correct it, “to change course and move forward a
better person” (Millburn & Nicodemus). Expressive writing helps people to
face their long term problems, problems which have been hindering them for a
long time. Solving these problems will enable them to live life differently as
they are no longer restricted by the problems they were facing. Their life
course will be corrected and they will become happier.
Expressive writing changes a person’s perspective in life.
Expressive writing allows people to write and re-write their life experiences.
This enables people have a more thorough thinking of the events or experiences.
It offers another viewpoint on a certain matter and it makes the cause and
effect more obvious, allowing people to identify what they did right or wrong. (Friedman
and Silver, 2006). Expressive writing allows people to assess where they are,
where they have heading towards and it allows people to do the things needed to
continue moving towards their goals in life. People will be clear and know that
they should not be making the past same mistakes. ((Millburn & Nicodemus)
In conclusion, expressive writing allows people to be
healthier and have a different perspective in life. Expressive writing makes people more
optimistic as they are able to solve their problems and their life is always
changing because they “write” they are. This will definitely change people’s
life course as they will start to have a more positive outlook in life. They
will become happier as they will believe that things will turn out well. They will
believe that they can solve the problems that have been standing in their away.
As stated widely, “Optimism is a key ingredient to happiness” (Reivich, 2010).
Therefore, it is recommended for people to start writing their way to happiness
as there are so many benefits to it and they will be able to correct their life
course, making them happier people.
Craig Miller, M (2014). The Mental Health Benefits of
Expressive Writing. Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard
Medical School. Retrieved on February 12, 2015, fromnhttp://www.intelihealth.com/article/the-mental-health-benefits-of-expressive-writing?hd=Minding
Friedman R.H.S
and Silver I.R.C, (2006). Foundations of Health Psychology. Oxford
University Press, 14 Aug 2006. Pg. 277, 278. Retrieved on February
12 2015, from https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=AX3Gc2C_vGEC&pg=PA279&lpg=PA279&dq=expressive+writing+as+a+life+course+correction&source=bl&ots=shQBHfrYhT&sig=gyEtDrofmQIhYRIzoOiYU1E0HJM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jzjWVP2lIZSsuQTg5oD4Dw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false
Millburn, J.F. and Nicodemus. Course Correction. Weblog
post. Retrieved on February 12 2015, from http://www.theminimalists.com/correction/
Murray, B (2002). Writing to heal. Retrieved on February 12 2015,
from http://www.apa.org/monitor/jun02/writing.aspx
Reivich, K (2010). Optimism: A Key Ingredient to Happiness. Retrieved
on February 12 2015, from http://www.nasponline.org/publications/cq/pdf/v38n7_ft_optimism.pdf
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteHi Shaun
ReplyDeleteMaybe you can justify your essay :)
We have noted some errors that you had made:
1. References
Craig Miller, M (2014). The Mental Health Benefits of Expressive Writing. Medical content reviewed by the Faculty of the Harvard Medical School. Retrieved from http://www.intelihealth.com/article/the-mental-health-benefits-of-expressive-writing?hd=Minding
Friedman R.H.S and Silver I.R.C, (2006, 14 Aug). Foundations of Health Psychology. Oxford University Press. Pg. 277, 278. Retrieved from https://books.google.com.sg/books?id=AX3Gc2C_vGEC&pg=PA279&lpg=PA279&dq=expressive+writing+as+a+life+course+correction&source=bl&ots=shQBHfrYhT&sig=gyEtDrofmQIhYRIzoOiYU1E0HJM&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jzjWVP2lIZSsuQTg5oD4Dw&ved=0CDcQ6AEwAw#v=onepage&q&f=false
Millburn, J.F. and Nicodemus. (n.d.). Course correction. [Weblog post] Retrieved from http://www.theminimalists.com/correction/
Your other references have similar problems >.<
2. Writing for academic audience
The writer mentions that writing and rewriting your own stories “can lead to behavioral changes” and it can help change our views of ourselves. (The use of “you, we, our” is evident in your essay)
3. Absence of reporting verbs in reference to the author
Studies conducted in America …
Where did you get the studies? Please quote author and can be more specific in which school in America?
4. Inconsistency in the use of verb tense
In para 1, you have used Parker-Pope (2015) claims but in para 2, you used The author cited
5. Author is a female
6. Other errors
expressive writing can prolong a person life → should be a person’s life
expressive writing can prolong a person life, enabling them → either use “prolong people’s lives, enabling them” OR “prolong a person’s life, enabling his/her”
Slowly, their life course will be corrected, as their conditions will improve. → conditions improve
how the issue has broader implications, highlighting the importance of → “which highlights”
Experiments have shown that asthma patients who wrote daily about their experiences got better and it prevented their conditions from deteriorating. (Miller, 2014)
^ Does it belong to the previous sentence or later sentence?
“By writing, you put some structure and organization to those anxious feelings. It helps you to get past them.” (Murray, 2002). → Instead of a full stop, a comma should be used.
leading to a “life course correction”. → What is a life course correction?
Expressive writing brings about health benefits which improves and corrects people’s life, → “improve and correct”, as “benefits”
Parker- Pope has also stated that expressive writing can improve mood disorder. This helps to improve people’s well- being → What do you mean by “this”?
Having a problem causes many worries and sufferings psychologically for a person. → (sentence fragment)
To cultivate a habit of facing … → What is the cause? Which is the effect?
This enables people have a more thorough thinking of the events or experiences. → “to have a more”
People will be clear and …((Millburn & Nicodemus) → ((Millburn & Nicodemus, n.d.), “people will understand”
… and their life is always changing because they “write” they are. → We do not understand, maybe you can rephrase.
definitely change people’s life course → “people’s life courses” (plural)
that have been standing in their away → “way” (spelling)
As stated widely, → “As stated widely by Revich, (2010)”
correct their life course → “courses”
Thanks, Shaun, for this good effort. Your peer reviewers have provided so much feedback that I nearly have no need to comment. I think they have covered much of what I would suggest.
ReplyDeleteWhat you might consider, however, as you prepare the next draft is this: Where in this response is your voice? There's lots of info from Parker-Pope and others, but I wonder what your view is. Do you really buy into this idea of expressive writing being a health boon, or is it just easy to support this with outside source material? I'd like to read a bit here on your personal perspective as well.
This isn't just about avoiding or not avoiding 1st and 2nd person pronouns. It's also about connecting this issue to your own values. Do you think you've done that convincingly?