Opening Up by Writing It Down

By James W. Pennebaker, Joshua M. Smyth,

Book cover of Opening Up by Writing It Down: How Expressive Writing Improves Health and Eases Emotional Pain

Book description

Expressing painful emotions is hard--yet it can actually improve our mental and physical health. This lucid, compassionate book has introduced tens of thousands of readers to expressive writing, a simple yet powerful self-help technique grounded in scientific research. Leading experts James W. Pennebaker and Joshua M. Smyth describe how taking…

Shepherd is reader supported. When you buy books, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Why read it?

1 author picked Opening Up by Writing It Down as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Dr. Pennebaker describes writing as a mechanism for wellness – highlighting the power of prose in solving puzzles, bringing secrets into the light, as we seek to understand ourselves and others.

Keeping secrets, according to Pennebaker, is physical work with negative implications (often across a lifetime) potentially impacting long-term physical and mental health due to stress.

I’ve returned to Opening Up by Writing it Down many times in my career in order to tap into the wisdom to write about my mother’s complicated life and to better understand the pain she carried into her adult years. It’s a terrific tool…

Want books like Opening Up by Writing It Down?

Our community of 10,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like Opening Up by Writing It Down.

Browse books like Opening Up by Writing It Down

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in immune system, mental health, and mental disorders?

10,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about immune system, mental health, and mental disorders.

Immune System Explore 13 books about immune system
Mental Health Explore 170 books about mental health
Mental Disorders Explore 160 books about mental disorders