8 Life Changing Reasons Why You Should Write Things Down

1. You are more likely to remember it- according to neuroscientists.

That's right, when you physically write something down; whether it's your goals, tasks to complete or something you need to remember, by physically writing it down you are much more likely to remember it. This is because as neurologists say, “Individuals demonstrate better memory for material they’ve generated themselves than for material they’ve merely read” (Mark Murphy - Forbes). They call this the “generation effect.” For example, a study done on people who take notes on paper and those who didn't found that those who physically wrote down the information recall 23% more information than those who didn't take notes. This also counts for typing notes vs writing notes; when you are writing more thoughts and processes are needed, such as the movement needed to write each letter vs pressing buttons on a keyboard. This means those writing will more likely be able to recall information than those who are typing.

 

2. Helps to Clear your Mind

We all know the feeling of being stressed because you feel like you have forgotten something. The stress of trying to remember all your tasks is often more stressful than carrying out the task itself! This is why it is always such a release when you can do a brain dump onto paper of all the things you need to do. From there you can start to schedule the tasks into your days. You instantly feel lighter once you have a plan for the week ahead because the hard work of trying to fit it all in has already been done for you. This is why writing things down is so essential when it comes to clearing your mind.



3. Assists with Motivation

Regularly writing down your goals and an action plan to reach those goals is the best thing you can do to actually achieve them. For example if a goal is to get fitter; then you need to create an action plan on how you can actually achieve this, like doing a workout a few times a week. Writing down this goal regularly acts as a reminder for you and also helps create new healthy habits that in turn helps you reach your goals! This is why it’s good to always have your goals written down and up on your wall to act as a daily reminder. Also journaling your goals down daily will give you a boost of motivation each day!


4. Good for Mental Health

Writing down your thoughts and feelings daily (known as journaling) is known to have many mental health benefits. Personally after a good journaling session I feel lighter and honestly feel like I've been to therapy. You also find clarity and self awareness when you regularly journal your thoughts.


5. Boosts Productivity

Writing your daily to-do lists makes you more self-aware and notice how you are spending your time which will make you more productive. You will also start to notice what times of the day you are most productive and then you can aim to complete your harder tasks then, leaving lighter tasks for when you're not at your “best” during the day.

 

6. It’s an Important Mental Exercise

Keeping in shape doesn't just apply to exercising your body regularly. You can do the same for your mind as well. Writing daily helps to keep your brain active. It can even act as a preventative measure against some mental illnesses, such as Alzheimer’s or Dementia.

 

7. Assists in Practising Gratitude

Before I got into writing what I was grateful for each day, I felt like I wasn't actually living in the present. I was always thinking about what has to be done, or what's coming up soon. I never truly just sat in the present and felt grateful for the little things in life. Now that I've been journaling for a couple years I really notice the small moments in my day that I'm grateful for; like a warm coffee, having little mouths to feed, and being able to move my body and exercise. Writing down what you're grateful for everyday will truly help you live in the now.

 

8. Helps Organise your Time

We all have the same 24 hours in the day, so why do some people manage to get so many things done and some don't? Well that my friend is all to do with scheduling your time. And how do we do this? By writing down our tasks and allocating them into our day/week. Once you start brain dumping your tasks and scheduling them into your planner, you will find that you are so much better at organising your time. I even organise time for self-care and reading! Trust me when I say this, you will start to get into a rhythm and work out what tasks are best done at what times and before you know it you’ll be flying through your to-do list!

 

Steph Pase x