5 Psychological Benefits of Writing by Hand – Josh Carlyle | Guest Post

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Not so long ago, people were inseparable from paper and pencil. This clerical couple helped them literally in everything: keep a budget and arrange business correspondence, take notes and save cooking recipes, congratulate loved ones on holidays and in many other things.

Today, for these purposes, we use electronic documents, press the share button on social networks, send virtual cards to each other and freely download any books. Apart from typing our essay using keyboard today, we can even order it at the custom essay writing service without any thoughts about writing it by hand.

And in the United States, more than 80% of schools have abandoned handwriting: first-graders are taught to type on a computer, and not to write letters on paper.

Laptops, tablets and electronic editors have long overshadowed pens and pencils. Meanwhile, the usual paper notebook can bring the brain much more benefit.

It seems to be the point: saving time and effort, the freedom to edit and delete notes, the ability to instantly send the news to a friend, and you don’t need to waste paper and ink. But what if such a strategy ultimately costs us dearly? Today we will talk about why it is still important for a modern person, and especially a child, to practice writing in handwriting.

Here are some facts that prove that writing by hand is instrumental.

 

1. We better remember the information

In the process of writing, a particular area of ​​the brain is used, the so-called reticular activating system (RAS). It acts as a filter – it blocks the processing of extraneous information. By drawing letters with a pen or pencil on paper, we better concentrate and force the brain to consider what we write carefully. Virginia Berninger, a psychologist at the University of Washington, explains the differences between the pen and the keyboard: “You make more movements because each letter has its own set of elements, and working on a computer is monotonous – you only need to press a key each time.” In addition, calligraphy helps to fight dyslexia.

 

2. We improve our speech

Many famous writers (Truman Capote, Woody Allen, Susan Sontag) preferred to write novels and plays by hand, even when their colleagues moved to the keyboard. For example, Capote admitted that starting to work on a new novel, he always took notes with a pen and only then retyped the text on a typewriter. And in 2009, psychologists at Washington University found that the text of students who wrote handwritten essays was richer and more varied, they used more complex turns and coped with the task faster than their peers typing on a computer.

 

3. It is easier for us to concentrate

Working at the computer overloads our sensory system. The flickering of the screen, movement of the cursor, the temptation to the availability of any information in one click – all this dulls the ability to work. On the contrary, when there is only a sheet of paper and a pen in front of you, the brain does not receive additional stimulation and focuses its resources on a specific task.

 

4. We relieve stress

The habit of writing down your experiences and thoughts on paper reduces their severity. Natalie Rogers, the author of expressive psychotherapy, viewed diary entries as an important way of self-expression and the awakening of creative energy. To write more often by hand means more often to show one’s personality. It is expressed in the form and size of letters, fluency of handwriting, the layout of the text on the page. “You draw doodles when you talk on the phone and find this activity soothing. You begin to keep a diary and discover that, as you write, your experiences and ideas change. Perhaps you are writing down your dreams and looking for some signs and symbols in these records, ”says Rogers.

 

5. The brain stays young longer

In the process of writing, we involve various areas of the brain related to thinking, language and working memory. If from time to time you have to write by hand, the brain gets an extra workout. Psychologists have already paid attention to the relationship between the state of cognitive abilities and writing skills. “When comparing old handwritten patient diaries and new ones typed on the keyboard, we see a big difference in the ability to articulate their thoughts,” says neurobiologist Mürali Doraiswamy, a professor at Duke University, “Today, when many people change their computers , handwriting training can be a useful exercise to keep your mind sharp. ”

That is actually why experts from Write my essay today are regularly made to writing by hand. So that customers can be sure that when ordering papers from this site you’ll have well-researched and accurate pieces.

Of course, the results of all these studies do not mean that you can’t do without writing by any means. If you reflect on the results of the last study, you can say that there is always the possibility to fix the material absolutely mechanistically – even with your hand, even with the keyboard. Nevertheless, a notebook and paper, apparently, significantly increase our chances of more efficient learning of information without additional efforts.

 

JoshBIO

Josh Carlyle is a professional blogger and a personal coach, who works at Writing Guru. He is always willing to share his knowledge and ideas with readers and write for the blogs from the insights of a professional writer and coach.

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