Writing is a practice that brings a host of benefits, and luckily, it’s a fairly simple one to perform. All you need is some paper and a writing instrument, and you’re all set. Writing flexes your brain’s stamina, keeps your wits sharp, and relieves stress. Here, we discuss the benefits of writing for those in their golden years.
Writing Increases Self-Esteem
When you write down your achievements, stories, or creative thoughts, you increase your personal confidence. Think about the moments in your life – large or small – that made an impression on you. Perhaps you won a competition or brought your grandchild on a walk through the park, or perhaps you attended an impactful activity over the course of a week. All of these moments make up the tapestry of your life, and writing them down helps you appreciate their richness. By keeping a record of these events in your life, you’re giving your future self the gift of being able to peruse these chapters of your life – the challenges you’ve overcome, and the successes you’ve had. You’re also helping your present self by allowing yourself the time and space to reflect on these events as you write them down.
A Writing Routine Gives You Discipline
As we age, it becomes more important to cultivate discipline through a regular routine. This is especially important for those who have retired, as keeping the mind sharp and engaged is something that you’ll have to deliberately carve out the time for. Put aside some time each day to journal – we recommend this as a night-time practice so that you can reflect on the day you had.
As with all routines, a writing routine is one that you must work at consciously so that it becomes a habit. By practicing your writing routine, you are also cultivating a sense of discipline that can help you in other aspects of your life, such as choosing to eat well or exercise regularly.
Writing Helps You Communicate Better
If you or a loved one are suffering from memory loss, writing becomes paramount. Writing helps you not only to remember events – the regular practice of writing helps you hone your communication skills. As you put things down on paper, you practice communication and evaluation skills. You work deliberately to express yourself, flexing your brain’s creative faculties and sharpening your mind. This helps you think and express yourself better, in a more consistent and organized way. Writing increases your capacity to think, recognize, and remember your ideas.
The correlation between writing and speaking also means that when you sharpen your writing skills, you sharpen your speaking skills. Writing thus helps improve your communication skills on a holistic level.
Writing Helps You Regulate Your Emotions
When you write down how you’re feeling, you’re also working through those feelings. You’re taking the time to sit with your emotions and think through them, to consider them from various angles, and to come to new understandings. Writing thus functions as a creative outlet to help you relieve stress, and also inculcates a sense of self-control – it allows you to think before you act. With all these benefits of writing, why not start today?
