收割寫日記的好處

2018-03-25 玲真 

s483 1收到美國溫斯康辛州大學的健康心理中心(Center for Healthy Minds)寄來一份問卷調查,我迅速回覆後,該中心馬上又寄來你的幸福工具包(Your Well-being Toolkit)表達感謝。裡面有篇名為寫日記會增進你的幸福嗎?(Does Journaling Boost Your Well-Being?)的文章,提到寫日記的好處。作者是該中心的助理科學家社會心理學家Pelin Kesebir。

Kesebir 所指的日記,是一個人最深沉的想法與感受的記錄。這樣的日記,是一個人的健康和幸福的主觀和客觀的標記。

Journaling, in the sense of writing about one's deepest thoughts and feelings, has been linked to both subjective and objective markers of health and well-being.

實驗研究顯示,跟被指定只是記錄瑣碎事情的參與實驗者相比,那些被指定記錄他們最深沉的想法與感受的參與實驗者,在實驗進行之後的好幾個月內,不但就醫次數比較少、免疫力改善、心理的幸福感也提升了。

Experimental studies show that compared to individuals assigned to write about trivial topics, participants who were assigned to write about their deepest thoughts and feelings showed reductions in physician visits, improvements in immune function, and increases in psychological well-being for several months after the intervention.

實驗研究也顯示,從這樣抒發性寫作獲益最多的人,長時間下來,他們的寫作包含更多的分析因果關係的文字(譬如說,「因為」、「原因」) 及領悟的文字(譬如說,「明白」、「了解」)。

It has also been shown that people who benefit most from such expressive writing over time are those whose essays contained increases in words reflecting causality (e.g., because, reason) and insight (e.g., understand, realize).

這個實驗研究的信念是,當寫日記幫助人們更了解自己的經驗、體會或在寫日記中找到新的意義時,那寫日記就發揮了效用。具備這樣可以用較有組織、條理清晰及有建設性的方式來思考自身經歷的能力,可以減少因為這些經歷引起的情緒激動跟壓力。

The idea is that journaling works when it helps people make better sense of their experiences or find new meanings in it. Being able to think of one's experiences in a more organized, coherent and constructive manner reduces the associated emotional arousal and stress.

Kesebir建議寫日記由一天空出15 到30分鐘、一個禮拜空出幾天入門。這樣就可以收割寫日記的好處了!

Setting aside 15-30 minutes a day for a couple days a week might be a good start to reap the benefits of journaling.

延伸閱讀:職位愈高,愈要寫日誌(Dan Ciampa)