Why writing things down is a therapy
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”
— Anne Frank
Have you ever been in a situation where you go through physical and mental turmoil? Just take a pen and paper or type in your thoughts. After 10 minutes of pouring out on the paper or computer, your mind lightens, you feel the burden is reduced, and you get a sense of relief.
Why is that doing something like writing gives you instant relief? Why does writing a to-do list, before going to bed, help you sleep better? Why does writing down things help keeps you motivated? Why does writing things give you a meditative effect? Does it calm and declutters your mind?
There are plenty of studies that talk about the connection between writing and the brain.
Writing helps the brain grow.
Writing, especially handwriting, engages multiple parts of the brain. It helps form neural connections. Research says that the more you practice writing, the more tiny connections in your brain multiply and become stronger.
Good for sleep
According to a recent study Applied Psychology: Health and Wellbeing by Nancy Digdon, writing a gratitude journal for 15 minutes before going to bed significantly improves your sleep. Take any topic, think of your coworker or a family member who helped during the day and write a gratitude note. The positivity fills in your mind and helps you have a better sleep.
Writing is like a meditation.
Find a calm place, keep away your phone, choose a topic, write something for 15 minutes. You can quickly get into a flow. When you start writing, a new phenomenon happens in your brain. The cacophony of thoughts starts to streamline sequentially. You will be in a zone which is similar to meditation.
Empties your brain
Don't keep a list of mental notes or to-do tasks in your head. Just write it down, and it will empty your brain. Our brain is like a computer, and you can't hold too many tasks in your RAM, write it down somewhere and keep your RAM empty.
