It may be old-fashioned, but there are benefits of writing by hand that may surprise you in today’s digital world.
Technology has become essential to both how we access information and how we organize our lives. But just because something is new and useful, doesn’t mean that the old way is no longer relevant. This is especially true when it comes to handwriting. We may be able to learn online and type notes on a keyboard, but pen and paper are still important.
Benefits to the Brain and Body
Even in the age of technology, there are still plenty of times when putting pen to paper is needed—such as when writing an essay portion of an exam. However, as it turns out, writing isn’t just required for school: writing is an activity that has been shown to have numerous benefits to the brain and the body.
Whether journaling thoughts, chronicling the day, attempting poetry or starting a novel, old-fashioned pen and paper have an immense impact on emotional well being, helping students organize their thoughts and even improve their moods.
Despite being viewed as an old-fashion activity, writing by hand is still considered a valuable skill that has many cognitive benefits both in and out of the classroom.
5 BENEFITS OF WRITING BY HAND:
- Stress Relief. The act of writing itself can reduce stress, which helps improve focus and attention in the classroom.
- Creativity. Making writing a regular habit has been shown to increase creativity and deepen thinking, keeping the brain sharp.
- Memory. Writing by hand is also shown to increase memory and retention. The act of putting pen to paper activates areas of the brain that helps student increase their comprehension. It also involves more senses and motor neurons than when typing on a keyboard.
- Feelings. Writing about feelings can improve mood and give a sense of well-being—putting pen to the page helps flesh thoughts out in an orderly manner, leading to burdens feeling lighter.
- Gratitude. Some studies show that writing about being grateful, especially before bed, can help improve sleep, which leads to better classroom performance as well as a sense of well being.
Take advantage of these many great skills! Put the keyboard away and grab a pen and paper. It doesn’t matter what is being written so long as students take advantage of the benefits that writing notes by hand provide. It may be an old-school skill, but it’s particularly relevant, even today.
