Write for Life, Revised and Updated Edition: Healing Body, Mind & Spirit Through Journal Writing

by Sheppard Kominars, Frank McCourt (Foreword)

A simple, sure-fire method to improve health and well-being Can writing help to heal the sick? Will it cure not just emotional wounds, but physical ones as well? Yes, says Dr. Sheppard Kominars emphatically. For anyone suffering from hypertension, chronic pain, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, and even cancer, writing can reduce the physical symptoms of many diseases. For those who have endured psychological trauma in their lives, writing can improve their overall well-being, lower their blood pressure, and improve their immune function. In Write for Life , Dr. Kominars reveals a host of powerful insights and journaling techniques that can improve health. It could not be pick up a pen and embark on a lifelong adventure to healthier and happier living. Written with specific instructions on how to use journal writing to deal with medical crises and healing, Write for Life is a valuable and useful tool for people with serious or chronic illnesses, as well as for the doctors and nurses who treat them. The pen just might be mightier than the scalpel!

Genres: Journaling, Writing

304 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Juliana Es · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to shy away from journal writing. Yet, I always have a lot of things going on in my mind and every time that happens, I wish I had a journal to pen down all my thoughts.

There are many benefits from journal writing, especally on health and well-being. Among others, this book suggests that when you come across a stumbling block to writing your journal, choose one of these questions to unblock the wall:
1) What surprised me the most today?
2) What moved me the most today?
3) What do I most want to remember about today?

UPDATE 30 DEC 2010
Benefits of journal writing to body/mind/spirit/emotions (excerpt from the book):
1) Helps us to appreciate ourselves more and to value our accomplishments.
2) Using a journal offers us a safe way to reflect on transitions in our lives.
3) Brings to light thoughts we didn't realize we were thinking.
4) Helps us explore the past, anticipate the future, and live more creatively.
5) Helps to release tensions associated with stress.

[Eric · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was available for free for Kindle, which is partly why I read it.

Don’t expect this book to convince you to write in a journal if you are a skeptic like me. The author does take some time to describe some of the benefits of journal writing, but the evidence is sparse. There is some anecdotal evidence and vague references to studies, but the methodologies of the studies are not explained at all.

But if you are already interested in journal writing, don’t let that stop you. This book could help you analyze the benefits you could reap from your effort. It also has some good ideas of ways to write and how to motivate yourself.

[Chloe Lafond · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book has actually made me start journaling! let's see how long it can last.

[Heather · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok for a nook freebie, though I found myself skipping chunks and rolling my eyes. There is some good stuff but mostly in the introductory chapters.

[Margie · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some good ideas for writing in here but it's not my favorite resource.