August 2024

Recent research suggests that expressive writing might protect us against workplace stress. Workplace stress can affect health and wellbeing of staff and is costly both to them and the wider organisation. Stress can lead to people feeling burned out and depressed, and writing interventions can be helpful to support emotional exploration and processing.

A recent review by Lukenda et al (2024)* explored how expressive writing could help combat workplace stress. Expressive writing in this context is when people write about their thoughts and feelings concerning a stressful event, to process how they feel. This can be a powerful way to explore and come to terms with things that might bother us.

I have often used writing, not only in times of stress but to explore my feelings about day-to-day life. This helps me process and come to terms with feelings that might be niggling in the background, or just to celebrate when I feel happy.

Contact me if you would like to discuss expressive writing for wellbeing, either for yourself or your workplace. I look forward to hearing from you!

Lukenda, K., Sülzenbrück, S., & Sutter, C. (2023). Expressive writing as a practice against work stress: A literature review. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 39(1), 106–137.