Writing regularly changes how you think. Here are 5 cognitive improvements I’ve noticed.
I’ve noticed changes in how my brain works since I started writing regularly. The more time goes by, the more I notice them in my other activities too, not just at my desk. Maybe they are just common sense, but after being out of school for so long it’s sometimes hard to see what should be obvious. Let me know if you notice them too.
1) You become more mindful.
You notice stuff you never did before. While taking a shower, I found myself thinking about how most of the buildings around my apartment are no older than 15 years (at least not in this neighborhood), but that every single one of them is covered with either brown or gray paint which gets dirty pretty quickly. I then realized that the reason for this is that people want to keep their buildings young looking, even if they are no longer new, so they cover them with something clean-looking instead of painting them again. It’s weird how it takes a bit of effort to see stuff like these, but when you start writing about what you notice, it becomes way easier.
2) You grow more confident in your knowledge.
When you take 15 minutes to sit down and write about what’s happening around you or inside you, you realize that the thoughts swarming through your head are not as chaotic as they seemed. You gain confidence in your own thoughts because now someone else besides yourself has read them. This gives you a better perspective on life and your role in it.
3) You become more aware of what’s going on around you.
Writing regularly makes you focus on stuff that is happening right now instead of letting yourself be carried away by fantasies or negative emotions. Maybe the ancient Greeks were onto something when they used to do this, but nowadays we seem to be more focused on what’s ahead than what’s happening right now. Here’s an example: if you’re taking a walk and start thinking about something that happened yesterday or last week, you will probably notice the smell of some flowers growing nearby even if you didn’t pay attention to those things before.
4) You become calmer.
When you start writing regularly, your desire to just not think about something gets stronger. This makes it easier for you to say no to people who try to bother you with unimportant stuff at inappropriate times. It becomes easier for you to stop worrying about stuff that won’t change anything (unless you write about it of course). Writing regularly makes you more mindful, which in turn makes you calmer.
5) You become better at understanding people around you.
When someone is telling you something about their lives and what they think, writing about it will make sense of things you didn’t understand before. It will also help explain some stuff that sounded confusing, so you will get a better understanding of people around you. I’m not saying this is something that only happens to you — the other person’s experience will also be more clear.
Conclusion
I’ve noticed that when I write regularly my thoughts are less chaotic, more clear, and longer-lasting. Writing is not just about putting your thoughts in order but also building confidence in what you know. It’s not just about gaining perspective on how small you are compared to everything else (although it helps with that too). When you write regularly, your thoughts become more accessible, and you will tend to take everything a bit less for granted. Finally, writing regularly makes you calmer and better at understanding yourself and other people around you.
Do you write regularly? If not, why? If yes, how has it helped you? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below!
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