Real Lawyers Have Blogs : Law Blogs, Blawgs, Law Firm Marketing

I've always thought that lawyers who blogged found being a lawyer more fulfilling and in turn were happier than other lawyers.

Now the therapeutic value of blogging is the subject of a study referenced in an article in this month's Scientific American by Jessica Wapner.

Self-medication may be the reason the blogosphere has taken off. Scientists (and writers) have long known about the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences, thoughts and feelings. But besides serving as a stress-coping mechanism, expressive writing produces many physiological benefits. Research shows that it improves memory and sleep, boosts immune cell activity and reduces viral load in AIDS patients, and even speeds healing after surgery......Scientists now hope to explore the neurological underpinnings at play, especially considering the explosion of blogs. According to Alice Flaherty, a neuroscientist at Harvard University and Massachusetts General Hospital, the placebo theory of suffering is one window through which to view blogging. As social creatures, humans have a range of pain-related behaviors, such as complaining, which acts as a “placebo for getting satisfied,” Flaherty says. Blogging about stressful experiences might work similarly.

Wapner also notes that blogging might trigger dopamine release, similar to stimulants like music, running and looking at art.

Lawyers often feel less than satisfied in their careers. We're near the bottom as far as trusted professions go. We bare the brunt of late night comics' jokes. So serving others by offering insight in an area of the law we're passionate about and getting positive feedback can feel awful darn good.

Cost effective marketing and better health through blogging. Can't beat that.

Source for post: Barb Iverson at Poynter Online

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