Why Writing Things Down Is Good for Your Mental Health
In such a digital age, it’s easy to go days on end without putting pen to paper. But there’s an art to writing things down, and also a lot of benefits—especially for your mental health.
“Writing things down” may look different for everyone. Whether writing looks like journaling in depth about your feelings, or creating a simple list of tasks, writing is still a form of expression. And expressing yourself through writing allows you to connect to yourself and whatever thoughts or feelings you’re experiencing in a meaningful way. It also benefits your mental health in a variety of ways. In today’s post, we’ll cover five.
Throughout this post, keep in mind which main points stick out to you. Which ones do you relate to the most? Take note, because this could help you narrow down which Golden Coil pages and add-ons might best suit you and your planner.
1. Establish a sense of control
When things feel out of hand, it’s only natural to seek out a sense of control. Writing things down helps establish some control because it helps you put a name to your feelings, thoughts, and experiences.
Whether you choose to write in a journal, a computer, or even a piece of paper that’s meant to be thrown away, it doesn’t matter. Just getting your thoughts out of your head and onto a page helps you see things for what they are. And often, we write what we really feel, because there’s less pressure or worry of judgment from others. It’s just you, a blank page, and endless possibilities.
2. Clear your head
This is a simple, but important one. Writing things down is incredibly beneficial for clearing your head. Just like anything else, our minds can get cluttered sometimes. And the more mental clutter that starts to accumulate, the more likely it is that racing, anxious thoughts develop as a result.
At the end of the day, you have to remember that you’re just one person. You can’t expect yourself to file away everything about your life in a perfect, organized way all of the time. Writing things down takes all the thoughts, worries, and to-do lists out of your head. By storing these things on a page, you’re giving yourself the breathing room to feel better and think more clearly.
3. Feel sharper
When your mind feels clear, you function better. This includes things like improved memory, focus, decision making, attention to detail, and more. Simply put, your productivity improves when you write things down. You’ll feel sharper, and feel better.
Feeling sharper and experiencing less mental clutter doesn’t only improve your productivity, however. By making a habit of writing things down, your personal relationships and ability to be present will improve, too. The less overwhelmed you are by your thoughts, the more you can enjoy the things and people that really matter.
4. Better understand your priorities and intentions
With journaling especially, it’s normal to focus on the main points of whatever’s on your mind. Knowing this can be a helpful tool, though.
Try re-reading your journal entries when you’re done with them. Notice what main points you keep coming back to, or what thoughts and feelings take up the majority of your writing. Doing this is a great way to reflect on what’s really important to you. It helps you understand your priorities and intentions more clearly—and perhaps, with a newfound perspective.
5. Hold yourself accountable
Writing things down is incredibly helpful for creating and keeping goals. Because writing down your goals makes them real outside of your own mind and imagination. Once they’re on paper, they feel more tangible, and you can begin to work towards making them happen. This helps hold you accountable.
If you want to go the extra mile, write and rewrite your goals as they gain momentum and evolve. Try doing this weekly or even monthly in your Golden Coil planner. You can even create a vision board for your goals, which is a fun way to bring them to life.
Now it’s time to get writing…
Sometimes you don’t know how you truly feel about something until you’re able to express yourself in one way or another. This is why writing things down is such a useful tool. It gives you the space and freedom to release whatever thoughts, feelings, and worries you have, however you have them.
Your Golden Coil planner is the perfect way to stay on top of writing things down in an organized and meaningful way. You can journal in one part of your planner and then jot your grocery list down in another. Everything can be found within the pages of this one notebook.
Lastly, writing things down may seem like a small thing, but the little things add up—especially when it comes to taking care of yourself and your mental health. Now it’s time to get writing!