The Teaching Cure

This morning I woke up sick. It must be the end-of-semester exhaustion kicking in. I barely found enough energy to drag myself to class. I felt so weak that even standing up was painful. My throat was sore and I kept coughing. I was sure that I would have to let the students go early.

However, as soon as the class discussion started, I began feeling better. By the end of the class, I felt strong, healthy, and energized. I could have gone on teaching for several hours more. It has always been this way for me. Teaching is my favorite cure. Last year, when I didn't have to teach, I was sick very often. I thought I must be getting old but now I know the reason.

Blogging (or any kind of diary-writing) is also very therapeutic. This is what the Wikipedia says about the positive effects of blogging:

"Scientists have long known the therapeutic benefits of writing about personal experiences. Blogs provide another convenient avenue for writing about personal experiences. 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."

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blog)

There is, of course, a form of therapy called "writing therapy":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Writing_therapy

Maybe somebody needs to introduce the term "teaching therapy."