What do we Gain from Writing?

When I founded Writerscape, I was very intentional in marrying writing-focused professional development and creative writing offerings. Partly because these are two of my keen interests, but also because there is profound overlap between the two. It might seem hard to believe, but a litigator presenting a case to the courts is, in many ways, fundamentally doing the same things as a novelist or memoirist building out their plot. In all cases, it comes down to storytelling. More on that soon; for now, let’s focus on the value of writing in our lives.

Whether we are busy professionals or hobbyists, writing can become a part of our daily routine in helpful and constructive ways. Never mind the value of strong writing skills in professional settings, there’s also a lot of evidence to show that a small but regular writing practice can improve everything from our mental health to our cognitive function to our sense of wellbeing and contentment. It can help us stay more organized at work and at home. It can also allow us to better cope with stress, trauma, grief and even physical health issues. As a writer and former guidance counsellor, I’ve long recognized the benefits a regular writing habit can have on a person’s life, whether you’re keeping a bullet journal or attempting a poem or short story. It turns out that science backs that anecdotal experience up.

Here are five ways a small but regular writing habit can improve your life.

1. Writing is Good for your Brain Function

   I’ve always believed that creativity exists like a muscle in our brain, ready to be flexed. Just as building our actual muscle helps our bodies, strengthening our creative minds supports our brain in meaningful ways. Studies have shown that creative writing — and creativity in general — can improve memory and stave off intrusive thoughts. It also really gets our brains working. Researchers at the University of Greifswald in Germany actually used MRI technology to study the brain as participants wrote by hand. They found that the act of writing fires up the brain in big ways and requires a similar kind of focus and intensity as high-level sports or music. In short, writing is a cognitive workout that will reap benefits for your brain and for you.

2. Regular Journal Writing Can Helps us Manage our Mental Health

   Those of us who kept diaries as kids likely did so to iron out those wrinkles in our thoughts. It makes sense that writing and therapeutic studies have always had a closely linked relationship. In the decades since researchers at the University of Texas coined the term “expressive writing” in the 1980s, writing therapy has grown into a widely accepted component of healing practices. Writing for just 20 minutes at a time, a few times, can reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression and help us through times of grief and trauma. Our teenage selves weren’t wrong about the benefits of writing.
   

3. Writing can also Improve our Physical Health

   Encouraging the act of writing as a mental healing tool is one thing, but what if writing could help our bodies heal too? A 2012 study in the British Journal of General Practice indicated that writing therapy or ‘expressive writing’ helped improve symptoms and decrease disease severity for people with asthma, arthritis, high blood pressure, irritable bowel syndrome and other health issues.. Journaling isn’t for everyone and it’s certainly no cure-all, but if it can move the needle even a bit on health issues we might be facing, it’s a worthy addition to many of our self-care repertoires.
   

4. Writing can Help you Sleep Better

   Let’s face it: We’ve all climbed into bed then stared at the ceiling as our thoughts churned. Nothing like a quiet, dark room to bring out all the worries we’ve gathered up over the course of our day, right? But it turns out, writing can even help improve our sleep. Taking some time to plan out our tomorrows or write down some things we’re grateful for are both activities that can help us fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer. So whether you’re a planner or a pessimist in need of a boost, or a bit of both, putting that pen to the page before bed will do your slumber some good.

5. Writing can Even Make us More Productive

   We’ve heard the term “work smarter, not harder," the gist of which is that taking measures to improve your productivity will help you get more done in less time. It turns out, writing helps make that happen. According to researchers at Harvard Business School, a short but regular writing practice at the end of the day can serve to boost our productivity. Taking the time to unwind from our tasks and unravel thoughts or concerns works to give our brain a clean slate, priming it to function better once we’re ready to get back at it. Hopefully, better productivity might mean better work / life balance for many of us. And balance should always be the goal. 

On top of all these great reasons, there’s also just some real joy to be found in taking a bit of time every week to write down your thoughts, or even try your hand at some poetry or fiction. It doesn’t have to be much; even twenty minutes at a time, a few days a week could help you in a multitude of ways. And who knows, you might even get a novel out of it one day. So put that pen to the page, or those fingers to the keyboard and get writing. What do you have to lose?

At Writerscape, we’re adding more courses all the time to help you write better and benefit from that better writing. Have a look at our menu above or sign up to be alerted to new course offerings.

Let’s Write!

Amy

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SOURCES

1. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a25940356/what-is-a-bullet-journal/

2. https://www.apa.org/monitor/sep01/keepdiary

3. https://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/19/science/researching-the-brain-of-writers.html

4. https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca/blog/write-yourself-well/201208/expressive-writing

5. https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/expressive-writing-for-mental-health

6. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2059799119889569

7. https://www.businessinsider.com/the-positive-effects-of-journaling-and-expressive-writing-2014-5

8. https://psychcentral.com/lib/the-health-benefits-of-journaling/