Writing is Good for You
Writing is good medicine.
“If you cannot write well, you cannot think well; if you cannot think well, others will do your thinking for you.”―Oscar Wilde
My wife is an English Language Arts teacher. She was expressing her frustration with students not using the feedback she offered to help them improve their writing.
I experience the same thing with my science classes. It’s been challenging to convince kids that writing is important. It takes time, extra work, and it’s hard for some. The Oscar Wilde quote holds true for kids and adults. Writing is an exercise for your brain.
Writing makes you happier. Studies show that when you write about life, the good and the bad, it builds your immune system and calms you down.
There’s even research that writing in public is a form of self-medication. It improves memory, and sleep, and boosts immune cells.
When you write you need to slow down to process information and think about what to say. It's hard to do something slow when we've been conditioned to watch thirty-second video clips.
Like most things you get better at writing the more you do it. Most people are reluctant to do things they are not good at. I am. Whenever I write something to share publicly there is always a twinge of apprehension.
It’s nice to be able to produce polished writing, but I’m here for the other benefits.
