No Band-Aid? Reach for a pen—and choose your words carefully. Writing about emotional pain can heal your physical wounds, finds new research from the University of Auckland in New Zealand.
Eleven days after a small skin biopsy, 76 percent of people who jotted down words about a traumatic personal experience had fully healed compared to just 42 percent of those who wrote about time management.
Writing about upsetting events could reduce stress by making you more conscious of emotions that unknowingly cause you angst, says study author Elizabeth Broadbent, Ph.D. In turn, that could speed healing because chronic stress releases hormones like cortisol that impair recovery.
Of course, a pen isn’t going to replace stitches or antibiotics any time soon, but the literary exercise could help create the peaceful environment that sets the stage for healing. The good news: It should work even if you have just 15 minutes on 3 separate days to jot down your thoughts, according to the study.
Despise writing? The key to fast-tracking a recovery, Broadbent says, is finding a stress-reduction technique that works for you. Previous research finds listening to relaxation tapes, deep breathing, and guided imagery improved wound healing following surgery. Other studies suggest that exercise can be beneficial for recuperation, too, Broadbent adds.
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