Ideas for Research: I am very interested in the low-level thinking Pennebaker writes about in her book and how it is used as way to cope with traumatic experiences. He mentions a number of mindless activities in relation to low-level thinking such as watching TV, obsessing over trivial matters and the one form in particular that is of interest to me, which is exercise. Pennebaker acknowledges that "When done in moderation" it can provide a "healthy form of escape from the stressors of daily life." Is this healthy escape a form of catharsis? As a person who excercises on a regular basis and reaps the benefits of this stress reliever, I have made a number of observations about myself and those "regulars" I see at the gym every day. It would be interesting to get a group of those "regulars" to write or talk about their experience with exercise on a daily basis. I would look at how often they go, their overall motivations for going, and most importantly, the benefits of their regular exercise that go beyond physical aspects. It would be interesting to look at the emotional and psychological changes that take place when a person (such as myself) takes on a "regular" exercise routine. Could it have similar results to the writing Pennebaker talks about? Is it possible it is another form of catharsis? I'm certain this is not a new idea to be looked at and I actually have no idea if this will be relevant in terms of what I am assigned to do research about.