One of the practices consistently recommended by our community, our clinicians, and the science, is journaling. And the practice I find myself returning to again and again is not the formulaic models that I know can help many. I’ve found real support in something that I can only describe as more spacious. A modality developed by the author, poet and compassion-based coach Henny Flynn called flow journaling(™) and outlined in her practical workbook: In the Flow: Journal your inner wisdom.
Flow journaling is a gentle technique that lowers the noise in the mind to access the subconscious and supports emotional regulation by encouraging free, unfiltered writing.
There’s real science behind it: one large body of research on expressive writing - or, writing about your thoughts and feelings - shows that, over time, it can lead to meaningful reductions in stress, improvements in mood, and better overall well-being.
Some studies have even observed that people who keep up expressive writing end up with fewer stress-related doctor visits, improved immune function, lower blood pressure, and enhanced emotional wellbeing over months or years.
But what makes handwriting (rather than typing) especially powerful? Recent neuroscience gives us a clue: when you write by hand, your brain engages more deeply. Handwriting activates a distributed network across motor control, sensory processing, memory and cognition — all at once.
Because handwriting is slower than typing, it forces your mind to slow down too. That pace gives room for emotions and subtle thoughts to surface. It encourages deeper processing, more reflection — and less of the autopilot re-typing that can happen on a keyboard.
This slowing down can be exactly what we need in midlife: the chance to track our inner world, spot patterns, make sense of shifting feelings or stress, and gradually build clarity and calm. Many people discover — often within weeks — that their mind feels lighter, their decisions clearer, and their emotional resilience stronger.
To learn more about Henny’s work with MPOWDER head HERE now.
Sources:
Child Mind Institute+2PMC+2
The Independent+2The Learning Scientists+2
PMC+2Scientific American+2
cambridge.org+2HelpGuide.org+2
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