Writing to Heal: How Expressive Writing Can Make You Happier [VIDEO]

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      Shalhavit-Simcha Cohen

      Shalhavit Cohen studied with Professor Tal Ben-Shahar at Harvard, the founder of the Positive Psychology movement. Shalhavit Cohen studied with Professor Tal Ben-Shahar at Harvard, the founder of the Positive Psychology movement. She is known for her beautiful videos about overcoming mental health problems. Click here to watch her videos.

    • darrenkim says:
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      It is very correct.. Thank you for the information you provide, its very help full me and other. I hope to have many more entries or so from you.UK dissertation writing service

    • Grace says:
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      Journal writing is so beneficial. When I pour out my innermost thoughts, feelings – and force myself to ignore typos, spelling glitches – I’m expressing my grief, my distress. My ‘Why did this happen?’ and so often I find – in my writing -I know the reason why. and you know what? It so often is not my fault, the way family have insisted, but often is theirs, or just a fact of life that things don’t always work out, and thus can’t be helped.
      Yet, of course I can help it, be responsible, when things turn wrong for me. Don’t I?

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      I like your all post. You have done really good work. Thank you for the information you provide, it helped me a lot. I hope to have many more entries or so from you.

    • juegos de futbol says:
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      I must appreciate the way you have expressed your feelingsthrough your blog!..

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      Thanks for your sharing. Your article is very useful, it gives me more understanding.

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    • Joan Salanitri says:
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      Getting in touch with your feelings is so important when you go through really bad patches. Writing 20 minutes a day is a good start.
      I loved the way the video showed the young man trying and giving up a few times, talking himself down all the time.
      By persistence, he tried again, over and over, and then ‘got the hang of it’.
      A short but very valuable video.

    • Mark P Mackey says:
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      This was actually what i was looking for, and i am glad to came here! Thank you very much

    • Albert Thomas says:
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      by visiting this site I found cool stuff here keep it up.

    • Alison Alivia says:
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      Expressive written work is close to home and enthusiastic composition. You ought to convey what needs be through composing. It is the way toward putting your contemplations, sentiments and encounters into words.it increments in trouble, negative inclination and physical side effects, and a reduction in positive mind-set.

    • Kenneth Wig says:
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      Thank you for this excellent post

    • Meiji Zapico says:
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      Wow, thank you so, so much for this. I think I consider my journal writing as this expressive writing and I for one, am really with you about all the good things that could come when we try to make sense of our confusing thoughts so that we can see the bigger picture in all this. It is only when we try and decipher all those deep emotions that could bring us sadness are we able to grasp the reasons why and finally learn to be happy.

    • Johnson says:
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      Peoples try difernet ways to get happiness.May be This could be one.

    • Tom says:
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      Any psychological research on handwriting in an expressive journal verses typing one in let’s say Evernote?

    • Shalhavit-Simcha Cohen says:
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      You all are Amazing.

      Thank you SO MUCH.

      It means the world to a producer when their work is viewed and influences some change. Reading your comments made me realize how much I want to keep doing these short psychology story videos. Which is another thing I notice that I myself prefer to watch rather than read.

      Here are two more videos I created based on articles, one is of friendships and the other on touch: http://shalhavit.wix.com/videowellness

      To make you smile a little here is a page for bloopers of this video you just watched: Some funny moments indeed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRCpw4InbNo

      (or all the bloopers for the three videos http://shalhavit.wixsite.com/videowellness/bloopers)

      Thank YOU SO MUCH again for watching, taking your time to listen and opening your heart to write your responses.

      It means the world to me and to so many others who can learn from this <3

    • pankaj karnwal says:
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      if you want to do something no body stops you.

    • Flora says:
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      I think when I’m bored I can’t write properly and can’t even express how I feel. But by reading this, I certainly can improve my writing skills and also be expressive to show and push myself to the limit and eradicate the newbie-ness inside me. Thanks for this!

    • Barbara Esaw says:
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      I totally agree with the opening statement that secrets correlate with depression. As the keeper of the key to my family’s skeleton cupboard, I found the burden set me apart from other family members and was a barrier that adversely affected my ability to socialise at school and well into my twenties and probably early thirties. No one you ask an 11 year old to not tell of horrible happenings. It’s ageing, depressing and it all comes out in the end. No one encouraged me to write it out so well done as it may help many people.

    • Matthew Sturgeon says:
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      Expressive writing is extremely powerful! I have used it in the past at difficult moments in my life and it has helped me get clarity and become calmer.

    • Yousaf Zafar says:
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      Agree with you Expressive writing do help as from point of a psychologist see.I am student o Psychology so i know about a little.

    • Annamarie says:
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      Writing on paper has never worked for me, it’s too slow.
      When I started typing I coould easy do a page or more in twenty minutes,
      might be worth a try if papier does Not work for you.
      Doing it every day, gets the brain free of chunk.

    • Brian Robben says:
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      I write every day but haven’t tried expressive writing. I’m definitely going to look into it. Because it can’t hurt, right?

      • Anh Nguyen says:
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        Brian, I started expressive writing yesterday after watching the video and can testify that, no it doesn’t hurt that much. 😛 Good luck!

    • Judy says:
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      I loved watching this person learn how writing helps one to break free from a cage of negative energy–into a wide open space.

      I’m a self-help writer–writing every day helps me to stay grounded in the present. Thanks so much for this!
      Judy

    • Laszlo A. Voros says:
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      The only really bad emotions I have is when my brother starts a fight with me for no other reason than to make himself feel better because he has just had a fight with his wife, or daughter ore both. As he just did Fourth of July.
      Being a writer, and one who has written a 900 page book about a serial killer in New York, he just has to get off his ass and edit it, I write every day It’s the rejection part of it that sucks. And as I just had two poems rejected, you can imagine that I am not happy.

      • Shalhavit Cohen says:
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        Laszlo I’m touched by your story and can resonate. Rejection is one of my bigger fears.

        I just listened Carol Dweck about this exact kind of courage. And that mindset of growth that can ONLY HAPPEN when we allow ourselves to try and be rejected.

        Let me tell you a secret: when I first presented this video rough cut at Harvard it was rejected! I had to be very appreciative of feedback and implement changes to it, some of which I’m still not feeling totally settled about.

        This video finally got approved but I know that I will try again.

        I want to send you vibes of empathy and appreciation of your journey and hard work. Keep at it, learn, grow, and shine on!

        Thank you again.

        I’m also dedicating this to you- listen while you walk or drive or anything. This features Carol Dweck , is free to download your phone/laptop. Please enjoy: Nudge
        http://podplayer.net/#/?id=17152667

    • Anh Nguyen says:
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      Mary,

      To be honest, I struggle with personal issues such as alienation and childhood abuse. They are not “secrets” and I tried to be open about it to my friends and even confronted my parents, however it still bothers me on a day to day basis. As if there are still unresolved emotions in me.

      When you mentioned that expressive writing can help us feel happier, I was curious and ended up watching the video. The method sounds promising, I’ll give it a try and get back to you on how it goes. 🙂

      Thanks for sharing!

      Cheers,
      Anh

    • Bryan Stint says:
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      Expressive writing is personal and emotional writing. You should express yourself through writing. It is the process of putting your thoughts, feelings and experiences into words.it increases in distress, negative mood and physical symptoms, and a decrease in positive mood.

    • Siti Nurwani Mat Rais says:
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      That what I done for a year when i was teenager. I wrote every night before sleep. I wrote whatever feeling I have on that day.

      Finally, I recover from emotional suffer and now I be a creative writer.

      Thank you for the good video.

    • Callie says:
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      Great video! I used to journal my thoughts a lot, but stopped for some reason. For me journaling was not only theraputic, but was a daily reminder to feel gratitude for what I had in my life. Often the thoughts in our head are much worse than our reality, and expressive writing is useful tool to work through those thoughts. I will make the time to journal again.

    • April L Ashburn says:
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      So true! Thank you for sharing! I lost my Son 4 years ago , including brother, Mother, Cousin. One year later my father. I want to publish my son’s creative writing for children. I need to move on and quit thinking. I am currently going to seek degree in creative writing so I can regain a purpose again. My son left behind 3, chil

    • April L Ashburn says:
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      So true! Thank you for sharing.

    • Charlene Glover says:
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      I have a hard time opening up on paper even though my mind is swarming with stories and observations.

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