What is expressive writing?

Expressive writing is writing that you do for yourself to in order to identify how you feel, to check in with yourself, and to understand events that happen in your life. Studies have shown that expressive writing helps both physical and mental health.

Articles about expressive writing:

Science Shows Something Surprising About People Who Still Journal

Using Expressive Writing To Keep Students Grounded and Engaged in Science Courses

Expressive writing prompts (you can pick one prompt and use it to write for about 15 minutes):

For checking in with yourself-

  • How am I doing lately?
  • How is my day going?
  • What emotions do I feel today and why?
  • What is my stress level?

For goal setting-

  • What are my goals for this semester, and what is my plan to achieve them?
  • What are my goals for  my time at City Tech, and what is my plan to achieve them?
  • Who are the people who are in my support network as I work through my goals?

For working through difficult events-

  • Unsent letter- Think of someone who you’ve had a conflict with. Write them a letter explaining exactly how you feel, knowing that you’ll never send it/
  • Think of a situation in life that has been difficult for you. Describe that experience in detail.

For gratitude:

  • What do you feel grateful for today?
  • List 10 things that are making you smile lately.
  • Write a letter to someone who you’re grateful for.