Ryan Reid
May 9, 2025
Bream Health Inc.
Expressive writing—memoir’s closest cousin—has been linked to lower stress hormones, stronger immune markers, and brighter mood in dozens of studies. A 13-study meta-analysis reported significant gains in both physical and psychological health, while a 2024 review in PLOS One shows that gratitude-oriented writing can lift happiness scores. In short, telling your story isn’t self-indulgent; it’s evidence-based self-care.
Memoir asks the biggest questions—Who am I? How did I get here?—and lets us answer with the benefit of hindsight. By revisiting pivotal scenes, we reorder chaos into coherence, which psychologists call “narrative identity work.” The result? Greater self-understanding, empathy for past selves, and a story sturdy enough to hand down.
Old favorites still shine, and a few newer gems join the shelf:
Title
Author
Why it inspires
I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings
Maya Angelou
Lyrical resilience in the face of racism and trauma
When Breath Becomes Air
Paul Kalanithi
Precision and poignancy from a surgeon-turned-patient
Me Talk Pretty One Day
David Sedaris
Humor that finds truth in everyday absurdities
Educated
Tara Westover
A radical journey from isolation to academia
Crying in H Mart
Michelle Zauner
Food, grief, and the ties that flavor identity
Pop in your earbuds, open a fresh page, and start turning lived moments into lasting meaning. Whether you write to heal, to remember, or simply to be heard, your story matters—and the evidence says you’ll feel better for telling it. Happy writing!
Want someone to guide you through the memoir writing journey? Join our Memoir Writing class for personal history and reflection.