Perdita
16-02-2009, 06:39
Bridget Jones documented her worries about her weight and love life in one, while Adrian Mole's was full of teenage angst.
But whatever is troubling you, keeping a diary could help put things into perspective, scientists believe.
They say that putting our feelings into words kick- starts an area of the brain involved in rationalising worries.
The researchers at California University showed a group of men and women pictures of people making faces.
The subjects were then asked to give the person in the photo a name or to describe the emotion they were portraying. Scans of their brains showed that thinking about emotions - but not names - triggered a part used to control feelings and helped to dampen down fear.
Dr Matthew Lieberman said that the experiment had been designed to mimic the effects of talking or writing about fears and concerns.
He told the American Academy for Advancement of Science's annual conference: 'I don't think people intentionally sit down to write in their journals to regulate their emotions but there is a benefit, and I think at some level that conditions individuals to keep doing it. I think it is cathartic.'
Those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Bridget Jones and Adrian Mole should employ a certain style of writing, he said.
Rather than giving a blow-by-blow account of their tortured love life or their battle with acne, they should detach themselves slightly from the subject.
Those wishing to get over a fear, such as phobia of spiders, might also benefit from describing their feelings in a slightly clinical way.
Dr Lieberman said: 'Vividly reliving the aspects of your spider fear will probably be of less benefit than if you are abstract when you are writing about it.
'If you are describing the hair on the spider's legs and the way it slowly creeps up towards you, this will form images that are not going to be particularly helpful.
'But saying "It has been troublesome at various times in my life" might be a more helpful description.
He added that the British habit of keeping a stiff upper lip has its pitfalls.
Successful suppression of emotions is such a drain on brainpower that we become distracted when speaking to people and have trouble remembering what they've said.
I used to keep a diary when I was young, had to write a lot in code because my mum would find it and read it :)
Any of you keep a diary these days?
But whatever is troubling you, keeping a diary could help put things into perspective, scientists believe.
They say that putting our feelings into words kick- starts an area of the brain involved in rationalising worries.
The researchers at California University showed a group of men and women pictures of people making faces.
The subjects were then asked to give the person in the photo a name or to describe the emotion they were portraying. Scans of their brains showed that thinking about emotions - but not names - triggered a part used to control feelings and helped to dampen down fear.
Dr Matthew Lieberman said that the experiment had been designed to mimic the effects of talking or writing about fears and concerns.
He told the American Academy for Advancement of Science's annual conference: 'I don't think people intentionally sit down to write in their journals to regulate their emotions but there is a benefit, and I think at some level that conditions individuals to keep doing it. I think it is cathartic.'
Those who wish to follow in the footsteps of Bridget Jones and Adrian Mole should employ a certain style of writing, he said.
Rather than giving a blow-by-blow account of their tortured love life or their battle with acne, they should detach themselves slightly from the subject.
Those wishing to get over a fear, such as phobia of spiders, might also benefit from describing their feelings in a slightly clinical way.
Dr Lieberman said: 'Vividly reliving the aspects of your spider fear will probably be of less benefit than if you are abstract when you are writing about it.
'If you are describing the hair on the spider's legs and the way it slowly creeps up towards you, this will form images that are not going to be particularly helpful.
'But saying "It has been troublesome at various times in my life" might be a more helpful description.
He added that the British habit of keeping a stiff upper lip has its pitfalls.
Successful suppression of emotions is such a drain on brainpower that we become distracted when speaking to people and have trouble remembering what they've said.
I used to keep a diary when I was young, had to write a lot in code because my mum would find it and read it :)
Any of you keep a diary these days?