Writing has been life-changing for me. It has helped me to sharpen my mind, learn more about myself and connect with some of you who enjoy my work. Today, I’d like to show you 5 benefits of writing.
1. Boost your happiness
Our mind is often focused on negatives. We get caught up by things that go wrong and overlook positive events in our life. Writing three good things that went well in a day increases our level of happiness. This practice trains the brain to notice positive things. In so doing, we create a space to savour goodness in life thereby making us feel a sense of gratitude.
Writing down positive things about our life gives more permanence to fleeting events you might otherwise not remember.
2. Build resilience
During World War II, Viktor Frankl, an Austrian neurologist, was stripped of his identity and humanity by German Nazi. He survived the atrocities of concentration camp because he realised he needed to personally complete an important task.
“When I was taken to the concentration camp of Auschwitz, a manuscript of mine ready for publication was confiscated. Certainly, my deep desire to write this manuscript anew helped me to survive the rigors of the camps I was in.” – Viktor E. Frankl
Frankl considered this manuscript as his life work. When Frankl succumbed to typhoid fever in concentration camp, he wrote keywords from his manuscript on scraps of paper to keep his mind alert. In April of 1945, Frankl’s camp was liberated. He returned to Vienna only to discover his loved ones did not survive holocaust. Frankl showed incredible resilience in hardship. He wrote the best-selling book Man’s Search for Meaning that recounts his ordeal. Writing about difficult experience helps us cope better. Engaging in expressive writing builds resilience.
3. Sharpen the mind
The process of putting thoughts on a blank sheet of paper make them tangible. Great thinkers write. They don’t worry their writing might be crap. They expect it to be bad so they intentionally download their thoughts on paper. i.e vomit everything out. Once they have a draft, they edit it as many times needed. The process of editing and re-writing enables great thinkers to organise and articulate their thinking. Writing brings clarity to the mind.
4. Communicate complex ideas clearly
Sometimes we have ideas that seem confusing or difficult to express. When we draw a mind map and lay down these complex ideas, we can see them for what they are. The simple exercise of writing these ideas down and putting them on paper helps us think more clearly. When it’s clear to us it’s easier to communicate our ideas to others.
5. Learn about yourself
‘Who are you?’ is a question many people struggle to answer with clarity. In fact, most people don’t really know who they are because they haven’t thought about it deeply. Connecting with your inner thoughts and examining life is a profound exercise that can help you understand your true self.
Journaling is a great practice to learn about oneself and self-reflect. Having spent the last few years writing down my honest thoughts in a notebook with little judgement has allowed for self-discovery. As a result, I have got to know myself better and developed a deeper understanding of my emotions, reactions and choices.
Enjoyed this article, you might want to check out How GRATITUDE Can Transform Your Life: The Power of starting a Gratitude Journal video on YouTube.
