Technology became present in our lives all the time and it is almost not possible to do something without the influence of technology. We used to catch notes at the lectures and write down everything that a professor says. Today, this is not often the case. Still, there are things where technology cannot help and replace the “manual labor”. According to science, writing by hand improves our brain functions, so let’s find out how!
Writing by hand improves memory
We are all used to writing on a PC or laptop, without using pencils. It is much easier and more convenient to write 1500 words-long text on a keyboard than using a pen. Still, this is where the catch lays. The science proved that handwriting actually helps you to remember faster what you are writing, regardless of the type of text or content you write. Even though you can type in more letters per minute using the PC’s keyboard, it is very likely you will remember less than when you write all by hand.
Not only it is true that you remember more if you write it with a pencil, but you also increase your ability to think faster when it comes to finding the appropriate words or synonyms at the crucial situations. If you have heard of essay mania, then you might know that these guys used to write every single essay, CV, or whatever document by hand. Then, they retyped the material into the MS Office’s program, MS Word. The handwriting makes you remember the material faster as you write it and read it at the same time and when we say write, we mean conducting a set of hand maneuvers that create a letter/word.
Handwriting engages your brain 100%
If you think of typing as an action, you will realize that the handwriting takes more time than simple keyboard typing. The action of handwriting takes more time and requires a lot more brain activity to complete the writing, unlike the keyboard typing that requires less brain activity. Therefore, handwriting is far more complex work. It means that the more you (hand) write, the more your brain will work and it means you will train it better. So, if you are looking for a free brain activity that boosts its work and you do not like reading, try handwriting then.
It calms your body
Like reading, handwriting is the perfect activity before you go to sleep as it relaxes your mind and body. You are probably familiar with the expression “ the more your say it, the faster it becomes the truth,” which means that if you write down a single phrase 50 times per day, it is very likely that it will become the true one. Therefore, scientists did an experiment. A person who suffered from attention deficit condition used a piece of paper and a pencil to write “I will be more peaceful” 20 times a day.
The results were impressive as the person became more focused, distraction-free and peaceful. Instead of doing yoga, you should grab a pencil and write down anything that comes to your mind! It will be good for your brain!
Increases your creativity
Each person has its own handwriting style and it is literally impossible to copy someone’s handwriting unless we use a photocopier. This means that each person has its own side of creativity and handwriting is one of the best ways to practice creativity. Though it does not look like it actually is. The more you write with your hands, the more prolific and artistic you will become after the handwriting. Every time you start writing something by your hand, the brain starts thinking of the proper method to perform a certain movement that you make with a hand.
Furthermore, it means that your brain is always seeking a creative way to perform something, possibly in a different way than you used before. So we could say that it practices the creativity. This means that babies simply boost their creativity when using pencils to write/draw shapes and words.
Makes depression and anxiety bearable
This is a bit more oriented towards drawing images, but it can be related to handwriting as well. When we suffer from anxiety or depression, our thoughts are not grouped but rather scattered and uncontrolled. Handwriting groups them. When we write/draw, we let our brain work and it helps us to organize thoughts and make some flow. It means that the more things we have in our head, it is more likely that we will write in a not focused way, but rather disrupted one.
So how does this treat depression? The depression often does not allow us to connect to words as we want. When we write them down, we have a focus. This means that we can connect to the words, become focused and solve our problem or at least speak about it. It is the reason why people who suffer from depression are requested to write down their fear, problems and issues, as they can access and connect to these in order to solve them.
Brain stimulation and focus boost
As you already know, the left side of your brain is responsible for art, creativity, music, insight, and controls the left hand, while the right side of your brain is related to math, numbers, languages, logic, analysis and control of the right hand. Some people play sudoku games to stimulate the brain and increase the focus, but as it is the game of numbers, only the right side of the brain works.
Handwriting uses both sides of the brain, which means that you practice both sides of your brain at the same time. This is fantastic! Each person uses the sides of the brain differently, but handwriting combines both sides and improves the overall logically-artistic abilities. There is no other work or action that can train both brain hemispheres at the same time!
Treats dyslexia
Dyslexia is a disorder when a person is not able to read words. A person does not have to suffer from low IQ to be not able to read words and texts. In spite of the will for learning, a person cannot learn. Therefore, handwriting as a great brain exercise helps patients with reading and memorizing words/letters.