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The Nightly
Sunday Edition: Writing Your Way to Sleep
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Josh Gondelman talks with psychologist Dr. James Pennebaker about the science of expressive writing, why finger-writing works as well as pen and paper, and how putting an upsetting thought into words can help you fall right back to sleep.
What You'll Hear
The Journal Entry That Cut Doctor Visits in Half: Dr. Pennebaker traces his research back to a 1984 study where college students who wrote about traumatic experiences got sick, and visited the doctor, half as often as those who wrote about nothing in particular — and slept better, too.
Blowing Off Steam vs. Actually Figuring It Out: The people who benefit most from a midnight journaling session aren't the ones who feel like they've vented, they're the ones who walk away saying "now I understand why." Pennebaker explains why turning a spiraling thought into an actual sentence forces your brain to build a story, and why that story is what finally lets you stop chewing on it.
Be Your Own Scientist (No Rules Required): Don't worry about handwriting, spelling, or sounding smart. Pennebaker's advice is to just start writing and see what works for you, whether that's a diary entry, a poem, or even writing in the air with your finger.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro & welcome to Dr. James Pennebaker
01:43 How he got into the psychology of journaling
02:34 The 1984 study: writing about trauma cuts doctor visits in half
07:28 How to get started without feeling self-conscious
12:44 Sofija's fairy-tale approach, and why fiction can heal too
19:41 A closing prescription: write for 15 minutes and go back to sleep
What You'll Hear
The Journal Entry That Cut Doctor Visits in Half: Dr. Pennebaker traces his research back to a 1984 study where college students who wrote about traumatic experiences got sick, and visited the doctor, half as often as those who wrote about nothing in particular — and slept better, too.
Blowing Off Steam vs. Actually Figuring It Out: The people who benefit most from a midnight journaling session aren't the ones who feel like they've vented, they're the ones who walk away saying "now I understand why." Pennebaker explains why turning a spiraling thought into an actual sentence forces your brain to build a story, and why that story is what finally lets you stop chewing on it.
Be Your Own Scientist (No Rules Required): Don't worry about handwriting, spelling, or sounding smart. Pennebaker's advice is to just start writing and see what works for you, whether that's a diary entry, a poem, or even writing in the air with your finger.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Intro & welcome to Dr. James Pennebaker
01:43 How he got into the psychology of journaling
02:34 The 1984 study: writing about trauma cuts doctor visits in half
07:28 How to get started without feeling self-conscious
12:44 Sofija's fairy-tale approach, and why fiction can heal too
19:41 A closing prescription: write for 15 minutes and go back to sleep
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