Journalling Stress

Those who know me are aware of the enormous stress TB and I are under. As suggested in the article I read, journaling about it has really helped a lot but I have to do it off line so I don't offend anyone (translation=family members) with what I say. Here is the article:

Strategies for De-Stressing

If you’re like most people, you’ve learned to bottle up "unacceptable" emotions, such as anger, fear, frustration, and grief. Sometimes, of course, the cap slips off. Then these emotions are let loose at high intensity, though not necessarily in the right direction. One safe way to decant any emotions—even the most hurtful, terrifying, or sad feelings—is journal writing. A blank sheet of paper and a pen can offer enormous release and, possibly, insight into hidden conflicts.

Writing about traumatic events can have physical benefits, too, according to psychologist James W. Pennebaker, who began studying this issue in the late 1970s. A series of studies required one group of people to write down their deepest thoughts and feelings about the most traumatic event they recalled. A control group wrote only about trivial events. Both groups wrote for 15 minutes a day for four days. In one study, the group that expressed deep emotions reported feeling better and also had significantly fewer doctors’ visits and symptoms of illness for nearly half a year afterward. After a similar experiment, the group that revealed deep emotions had livelier immune system defenders called T cells for the next six weeks. Research shows people with asthma and arthritis benefit from journal writing, too.

Why does writing about emotional issues make a difference in physical and emotional health? Pennebaker theorizes that confiding bottled-up feelings can relieve stress, which ratchets up blood pressure, heart rate, and muscle tension.



Writing It Out
Clinicians at the Mind/Body Medical Institute have found that the following journal exercise helps relieve ongoing sources of stress. A single attempt is not enough, though. When you first sit down to write about a problem, you may feel more anxious. The wound, once exposed, may initially hurt more than it did while hidden. But continuing to write about the same problem over the course of several days often enables you to work through difficult emotions and reach resolution or acceptance.

Here’s some advice before you begin:
Deeply troubling events and situations, such as domestic violence, rape, or direct exposure to acts of terrorism or war, are best explored with an experienced therapist. For other situations, you can proceed on your own and seek professional help only if you feel you need assistance.

If you’re physically healthy, choose the most stressful event or problem you currently face. It’s usually one that you frequently dwell upon. Or, if you think your current problems stem from past circumstance, write about traumatic events in your past.

Truly let go. Write down what you feel and why you feel that way.

Write for yourself, not others. Don’t worry about grammar or sentence structure. If you run out of things to say in the time allotted, feel free to repeat yourself.

Do this exercise for 15–20 minutes a day for three to four days or as long as a week if you feel writing continues to be helpful.

What I can say online is this:

I am upset with the situation in TN, most especially with how it impacts on the grandchildren

I am not happy with the behavior and attitudes of the adult children in the house

I am very worried about my husband's health. Neither of us is responding very well physically. There's a stress hormone called cortisol and I know it's wreaking havoc on us both.

But as the saying goes, this too shall pass. Things will get better--hopefully our health too!