How to stop worrying for good (The Pennebaker Protocol)

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“Human relationships are not rocket science — they are far, far more complicated.” — James W. Pennebaker

Why it works

James W. Pennebaker (pictured) is a Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He’s widely regarded as one of the most influential researchers in health psychology. His work has been featured in The New York Times, Scientific American, and countless psychology textbooks. Pennebaker is best known for an expressive writing practice commonly referred to as the Pennebaker Protocol. According to hundreds of peer-reviewed studies, the protocol significantly improves both mental and physical health.

At its core, the Pennebaker Protocol is about easing the weight of difficult emotional experiences by writing about them in a deliberate way.How it works is fascinating. Emotionally intense (or even traumatic) experiences deactivate our prefrontal cortex (the brain’s rational control center) while hyperactivating our amygdala (the brain’s emotional alarm system). Writing about the experience allows us to re-engage the prefrontal cortex to process difficult emotions. This enables our mind to make sense of the experience and shift from fragmented, confusing narratives to coherent stories that integrate emotions and reason in a healthy way.

The results are striking. The Pennebaker Protocol has been found to reduce worry and intrusive thoughts, facilitate the assimilation of the experience into our life story, enable psychological closure, and allow us to move on. The wide-ranging mental and physical benefits include reduced anxiety, depression, and rumination; better sleep quality; improved immune function; and relief from chronic pain and autoimmune symptoms. The best part: it only takes four sessions of 15 minutes each.

How to do it

Step 1: Pick a topic you worry about
First off, choose a topic. Pick one that you:

  • find yourself thinking or worrying about repeatedly, and/or
  • avoid thinking about because it feels too overwhelming, and/or
  • sense is influencing your life in an unwanted or unhealthy way

In his work, Pennebaker refers to important emotional experiences, including trauma. Trauma generally refers to an experience that overwhelms the nervous system and has a lasting negative impact on its functioning.Psychologists distinguish between two types of trauma.

On the one hand, there’s “Big T” trauma. This includes major traumatic events such as accidents, disasters, and abuse. On the other hand, there’s “small t” trauma, which is also known as microtrauma. It includes less dramatic but still consequential experiences like conflicts, rejection, bullying, unresolved painful experiences, and the like.

The good news: the Pennebaker Protocol works on both everyday worries and distress tied to either “small t” or “Big T” trauma. This makes it a low-cost, evidence-based supplement (or complement) to psychotherapy. It works equally well whether handwritten or typed, and it’s 100% private — you can get rid of what you wrote afterward.

Step 2: Write about it for 15 minutes
After you’ve chosen a topic, set a timer and write about it for 15 minutes:

  • Focus on your deepest thoughts and emotions related to the topic
  • Let your emotions and thoughts flow freely
  • Keep writing continuously without interruption (ignore grammar, spelling, and style)

As you write, pay special attention to:

  • The facts and details of the experience itself
  • The emotions tied to it (both at the time and in the present)
  • The connections and consequences it has had across your life (think parents, childhood, school, work, friendships, romantic relationships, children, etc.)

Step 3: Repeat on four consecutive days
Repeat the second step on four consecutive days. Each session will naturally surface new angles and perspectives, and it’s perfectly fine to shift toward related experiences as they emerge. Alternatively, you can spread the four sessions across four consecutive weeks.

I’ve got a confession to make: I used to be a huge worrier.

Since learning about the Pennebaker Protocol during my PhD on the interplay between stress, other emotions and performance, I’ve used it on multiple emotional experiences from different stages of my life that once weighed heavily on me.

The results have been life-changing. Not only do I worry far less, sleep much better, and feel more content than ever before. I’ve also realized that my biggest personal and professional setbacks were, in fact, the seeds of my greatest successes.

So here’s my challenge for you:
Give the Pennebaker Protocol a try this month. 

Pick a topic that worries you and put fingers to keyboard (or pen to paper) for 15 minutes across four consecutive sessions. 

That’s just one hour that might well change the trajectory of your life.