5 Mental Health Benefits of Sharing Your Life Stories

The idea of talking about yourself can be incredibly uncomfortable, especially if you grew up in an environment where people were taught to keep their business to themselves and never talk about their feelings. As adults, though, it’s important to remember that we are surrounded by people who care about us – our friends and family – and they want to know how we’re doing and how we got to where we are today. Sharing your life stories with the right people can be a wonderful way to get all the benefits of therapy without spending any money on therapy itself!

1) Emotional Processing

Sharing your life stories with someone you trust is a great way to process difficult emotions, such as sadness or anger. When you tell a friend about how something made you feel sad, they are likely to share their own experiences—and in doing so, they help you better understand your emotions and come up with strategies for dealing with them in the future. (Also helpful: writing down your thoughts and feelings.) 

The easiest way to share an experience is through a story that illustrates your point. Whether it's recording a voice message through Storii or writing it in a journal. Even if you don’t plan on sharing it with anyone else but yourself, documenting how you feel can be incredibly valuable if practiced consistently over time.

2) Unburdening Yourself

When we share our life stories with one another, we feel a sense of relief, almost as if a great burden has been lifted from our shoulders. When we share our stories, we also grow closer to one another and have deeper relationships. No matter what you’re going through in your life, reaching out and sharing your story can be tremendously therapeutic—both for you and for those who are listening.  It doesn’t have to be perfect or profound; just having someone to listen is a huge benefit of taking time to share your story. 

Additionally, listening to a friend or loved one share their story connects us to them through compassion. When we listen attentively to people, it makes us feel good because it is a display of compassion. 

3) Connecting with Others

If you’re feeling depressed, it’s easy to feel disconnected from others and alone in your struggle. But when you share your life stories, you have an opportunity to build a support network that provides meaningful interactions with people who understand where you’re coming from. If there are people close to you who are struggling with depression and haven’t sought help yet, talking about your struggles might encourage them to seek help as well.

4) Helping Others

When you share your stories with others, there’s a good chance that it will help them. Whether they are going through a similar situation or not, people often find they can relate to someone else’s life experiences. This makes talking about things less lonely and easier to understand. Not only does helping others feel great but doing so is also a way for us to reflect on our own lives and realize just how fortunate we are. 

5) Being Heard

The practice of being heard and feeling important can go a long way toward improving mental health, especially in today’s world. According to clinical psychologist Dr. Eric Jaffe, storytelling offers benefits that are as powerful as psychotherapy. Getting your stories out there—so they’re heard by others—can help you make sense of them, work through issues and concerns, and have a healthy outlet for sadness or anger, depending on what you choose to share.

Purchase a Storii subscription for yourself or a loved one

Storii's automated Life Story calling service helps improve mental health by encouraging connection and providing therapeutic reminiscence. Simply receive an automated call up to 3 times per week and answer life story questions over the phone. Recordings are securely stored and available to download. They're easily shared with friends and family, prompting more conversations and feelings of connection. Visit Storii today!