Writing Your Way to Happiness!

So a while back, I was reading this article by the New York Times called Writing Your Way to Happiness. You could find the article here if you want to take a gander.

Anyhow, the main gist of the article is that expressive writing is beneficial to your well being! Things such as "improve mood disorders, help reduce symptoms among cancer patients, improve a person's health after a heart attack, reduce doctor visits and even boost memory." Researchers are even saying things about expressive writing that can lead to behavioral changes as well as ultimately lead to happiness.

We all "write" all day long, thousands of emails, texts, posts, messages, all kinds of things. However, that's vastly different since it's more a outward perspective, where you're showing a part of yourself you're willing to share, rather than inward perspective, where we write from the heart and give into our vulnerabilities.

The whole idea of using writing to change our lives fascinates me. Of course, this article specifically reflects on writing self reflections and editing to perceive things in a different light. To tell a story does not only mean that you receive feedback, it also means you will be asked to clarify or reconsider your story. It keeps record so you can go back later, and experience your personal growth by comparing your thoughts now, to your thoughts then.

Here's my question to you all. Do you think that expressive writing can make you happy? Do you think that writing and editing more personal pieces can give you more honest writing? Can you write your way to happiness? Any other thoughts on this subject would be much appreciated!