The Power of Writing It Down: A Simple Habit to Unlock Your Brain and Reimagine Your Life

Fallon (Packing Light), founder of Find Your Voice, a writing community focused on mental health and self-improvement, blends writing advice and insights from brain science in this accessible guide to changing one’s life. “The writing process itself has a way of creating change for people,” Fallon suggests, and highlights the differences between writing for publication, which incorporates “the business of selling a product,” and “expressive writing,” which allows one to access one’s “deepest thoughts and feelings.” Fallon digs into such issues as fear of the blank page, how to get unstuck, and the freedom of writing first and editing later. Fallon’s most intriguing idea is the “Infinity Prompt,” which asks readers to identify mental “loops” they might feel stuck within and to unpack their feelings by listing facts about their situation or life circumstances, writing their interpretation of past events, exploring how they feel about that telling, engaging or disengaging with the feelings that arise, and choosing a next step. “Writing can give you access to a strength and resolve and clarity you never thought possible but always knew existed,” she posits. Any self-help reader will find comfort and clarity in Fallon’s simple tips for improvement through self-expression. (Jan.)