Writing in your diary after a breakup seems like a healthy thing to do, but according to a new study from the University of Arizona, journaling about your feelings will only make you feel worse about the split.
Ruminating about what went wrong is a one-way ticket to Sadsville, says PsychCentral:
Psychological scientist David Sbarra, Ph.D., of the University of Arizona studied 90 recently divorced or separated individuals, and found that writing about one’s feelings can actually leave some people feeling more emotionally distraught months down the line, particularly those individuals who are prone to seeking a deeper meaning for their failed marriage.
So what should you do? Cosmo reports:
Sbarra—the brains behind the study—says you’re better off focusing on the future and putting your life back together.
“It’s not avoidance; it is just re-engagement in life,” he said.
So when you feel like wallowing and penning a “why me?” diary entry, try forcing yourself to work out, go for a walk, or call a friend instead. It’ll help you in the long run no matter how good it feels to go over (and over) the situation in your mind now.
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