I love a good quote and here’s one for today:
Write it down in your own handwriting. ~ Eugene Ormandy, conductor and violinist.
Not only did I write the draft of this by hand, I used a fountain pen! Fountain pens make it easier to write for long stretches without hand cramps. They’re also a thoroughly fun tool to use and there are a seemingly infinite number of pens & inks available in colors and price ranges to suit every person and every budget. But I digress.
Stop what you’re doing right now and find a slip of paper. Any size scrap of paper will do.
Got that scrap of paper? Find a pen. Fountain pen would be great but I realize the chances of my readers having fountain pens could be slim.
Got that scrap of paper and a pen? Ok.
Write something down. Anything. Write down something that’s bothering you, that you wish would change, that you want to work on. Whatever it is, write it down briefly.
Now, crumple that paper up. You’re not going to show it to anyone, or work on it, or anything. Pitch it into the recycling bin.
What was the point?
How do you feel?
Writing by hand has benefits that are more impactful than typing. For example, even just the act of sitting down to write by hand can reduce stress. (Journaling, anyone?) Writing about how you feel at a given moment can help improve your mood. It can provide catharsis; relief, even if temporary, from whatever is troubling you. Writing things down helps us feel calmer, which helps prevent the immune system from being off-kilter.
Writing by hand jogs creativity. It is slower than typing, so if something occurs to you as you are writing, jot it down quickly on a sticky note (I LOVE STICKY NOTES) or in the margins of the page. Because writing is slower than typing, it gives you more time to think.
Writing by hand helps increase memory and reinforces retention of the information. Taking notes during a meeting? Write them down by hand. It will help you process the information better and faster than trying to type them out. Writing activates a part of the brain tied to learning and memory.
Writing a to-do list (by hand!) helps free brain space for other activities. Write down tomorrow’s to-do list before bed and you may even sleep better!
Sometimes, when I am writing, I notice that the faster I am thinking, the faster – and sloppier! – my writing becomes. If I slow down and focus differently, then I am more careful about how I write. My writing is more legible and my thoughts are clearer.
Let’s go back to that activity I asked you to do at the beginning of this post. How did that feel? Imagine doing that daily, or weekly if you can’t do it daily. If you’re not a writer by habit already, write for one minute. Then for two minutes. Then, suddenly, maybe you’ve been writing for 15 minutes, you’ve gotten it all down on paper, it’s out of your head, you’re clearer and calmer and you can go on to something else. Whether you realize it immediately or not, your stress levels are down, and maybe, just maybe, you’ve done something good for your health.
Cheers!! Here’s to your health!