A leading proponent of the psychological benefits of journaling, Andrew Huberman has extensively reviewed research and made recommendations for journaling to address difficult, even traumatic, experiences. Among the proposed benefits of journaling, Huberman claims that journaling about a difficult life experience can bring not only improved mental health but also enhanced physical health and long-lasting benefits.[i]
The benefits of journaling were explored in a study focused on perceived workplace unfairness or injustice. Perceived workplace unfairness can lead to cognitive, emotional, and behavioral outcomes. Victims of perceived unfairness “often seek to ‘right the wrong’ by engaging in retaliation” (p. 511) and retaliation is a tempting response. Retaliation in the workplace could lead to escalating conflict, loss of trust, devolving interpersonal relationships, and, potentially, job loss. Alternative responses are highly recommended to reduce retaliatory intention. Prior studies have focused on organizational changes to address unfairness; this study focused on helping affected individuals to recover.
Therapeutic interventions to address workplace injustice may not be timely, affordable, or available. Can non-therapeutic interventions, like expressive writing, fill the gap and provide relief to disgruntled workers?
The study design provided for comparison of subjects in three different writing protocols and a control condition. A total of 100 participants (25 per protocol) who had experienced unfair treatment at work completed the study. Participants in the writing groups were instructed to focus their writing either on emotions only, thoughts only, or both thoughts and emotions. Control group participants wrote about a trivial topic. Participants engaged in the writing assignment over 4 consecutive day.
The study did not find that the writing intervention affected physical well-being, however, a significant improvement in psychological well-being was noted, especially for those in the “emotions+thoughts” writing intervention.
“Results indicated that individuals who wrote about their emotions and thoughts reported significantly higher psychological well-being at the conclusion of the intervention” compared to other groups (p. 516). Thus, writing about both thoughts and emotions, rather than one or the other, is most beneficial.
More specific outcomes were also assessed including anger, intention to retaliate, and perceived resolution of the matter. Anger reduction did not differentiate participants across groups. However, those in the “emotions+thoughts” group did experience fewer intentions to retaliate and greater perceived resolution.
Summarizing their results, the authors noted the role of “sensemaking” catalyzed by the writing intervention. “Our study provides empirical evidence that releasing negative emotion and engaging in sensemaking can help mitigate the negative effects of experiencing injustice on employee well-being” (p. 517). Sensemaking “allows individuals to attach meaning to the experience, gain insights, and put the experience behind them” (p. 518).
This study demonstrated the potential psychological benefits to employees who engage in expressive writing to help them make sense of and resolve negative emotions resulting from workplace injustice. When is the best time to administer the writing intervention for maximal results? This study, and prior research, is unclear regarding the effectiveness of the intervention for injustice in the distant past. In the present study, the average length of time between the intervention and unfair event was 16 months.
Citation: Barclay, L. J., & Skarlicki, D. P. (2009). Healing the wounds of organizational injustice: Examining the benefits of expressive writing. Journal of Applied Psychology, 94(2), 511.
©Jennie Dilworth, Ph.D
[i] https://ai.hubermanlab.com/c/e72d7e1a-df27-11ef-9335-a7551af73e0e