Why men should keep a journal | Ollie Aplin

Writing down how you are feeling has immense mental and physical health benefits - and men need it most, says Ollie Aplin

History is littered with men who kept journals, from Ernest Hemingway and Bruce Lee to Winston Churchill and Thomas Jefferson. They couldn't be more different, yet these men had one thing in common - they found strength and comfort through writing down their thoughts.

Professor James Pennebaker, who specialises in social psychology at the University of Texas, has spent many years looking at how writing down our feelings may boost immune functioning. In Opening Up by Writing it Down, which he co-authored with Joshua Smyth, Pennebaker says expressive writing improves health and eases emotional pain. He includes findings from hundreds of studies showing the health benefits of expressing emotions, particularly after trauma.