The Health Benefits Of Writing

So you love to write as a hobby, as a job, because you just can’t help yourself? Well, the great news is that doing so is actually improving your health!

Did you know that writing actually has a hugely positive impact and can be beneficial for your mind, body and soul? Want to know why, and how? Read on to find out some great reasons why you should keep writing as much as possible!

Writing by hand can help you take in more information.

We’ve all had that feeling when sitting at a computer for hours that we simply can’t take anymore. The screen goes fuzzy, we have to read the same sentence over and over again, and no matter how hard we try, the information simply won’t stick in our heads. Well, perhaps we are doing it wrong in the first place!

Handwriting instead has actually shown to lead to far better concentration and retention of information too. Through the physical act of writing, you brain is sending signals to your hands, and this improves your motor memory.

Writing allows us to express our emotions

Sometimes it is hard to say how you are feeling, or perhaps you are confused, upset or angry but you can’t really understand why.

Writing about it can be a huge release, and getting all your thoughts and feelings down on paper can really help you make sense of them, and can feel like a huge weight has been lifted.

If you find it hard expressing how you feel to a partner, family member or friend, sometimes writing it down can be the best way. This gives you the opportunity to think carefully about your feelings and find the language you need to communicate them, rather than blurting things out in the heat of the moment.

Expressing emotions through writing can heal us.

An amazing experiment in New Zealand asked students to write journals. One group were asked to write about their emotions while another were specifically asked not to write about their feelings or anything emotive. All students were given a skin graft before starting which left them with a wound. The group of students who wrote about their feelings and emotions saw their wounds healing faster than those who did not.

It helps you feel thankful

If you use your writing for positive purposes it can have a hugely beneficial impact on your life and the way you view the world.

Keeping a ‘gratitude journal’ can help you to put things in perspective and be grateful for all the wonderful things you have going on in your life.

It can help you sleep

Lack of sleep is one of the most debilitating problems a person can face, and even one night’s bad sleep can leave you feeling stressed, irritable and as if the weight of the world is upon you.

Writing at night can be so helpful, it takes all our stresses and worries in everyday life, transferring them from ourselves to the paper, leaving us feeling relaxed and stress-free (at least until the next day that is)!

It helps us be creative

Unlocking your creative self has proven to help people feel more positive, energetic and engaged with life. Writing creatively allows us to express ourselves in a way that is hard to do in everyday life, it allows us to dream to imagine and to believe that anything is possible.

So there you have it, writing really is a fantastic gift, and one that really can hep you feel amazing too!

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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