The idea of sitting down with a pen and paper is often glamorised. In movies and books, taking time to write seems beautiful and reflective. In reality, as much as we’d love to sit down and write a book for hours at a time, our day to day tasks just don’t allow for it...
And yet, writing offers so many benefits. Not only is it often more intuitive to write than to type, but it offers space for quiet calm and promotes mindfulness. It can improve communication skills and has even been shown to increase productivity.
In this article, we’re going to run through five easy ways to incorporate writing in your day to day life.
1. Handwriting Grocery Lists
Handwriting grocery lists is a habit that many people swear by. Not only is there something lovely about the process of scribbling ingredients on a piece of paper, but research shows that handwriting can actually cause you to spend less than with a digital list. Because it takes more thought to write things out on paper, you’re likely to stick to only what you write - as well as remembering everything!
Featured: Moglea Colourblock Notepads
2. Writing Letters To Friends
3. Journaling In The Mornings
A lot of research has been published on the effects of being on your phone as soon as you wake up in the mornings. Not only is it bad for your sleep cycles, but it is more likely to increase stress throughout the day. Taking time to journal in the morning not only prevents screen time, but sets you up for a productive and positive day. Even if your mornings are jam-packed, just taking ten minutes as you sit up in bed will be incredibly beneficial in clearing your mind. In this way, you’ll soon find that you feel you have more time for writing anyway!
Featured: Katie Leamon Kin Journal
4. Writing To-Do Lists
Writing out a physical to-do list has been shown to improve productivity and increase focus; plus, let’s face it - we all love the feeling of ticking things off when they’re done. If you’re looking to increase the amount of time you spend with one of your favourite pens, why not pick up a cute notepad or folder. There is so much to be said for feeling organised!
Featured: Poi Co. 2-in-1 Weekly Planner & To-Do List
5. Writing Out Notes By Hand
Last but not least, one of the best ways to write more is to take activities where you would usually write notes up on a laptop and to write notes out by hand. Whether you’re a student studying or you’re writing minutes for a meeting at work, writing out notes by hand is not only a more enjoyable process but one that improves memory retention and often accuracy.
Writing More Everyday
If the task of writing more everyday seems overwhelming, try these tips out and let us know how they impact you. If nothing else, at least you’ll finally get to use that gorgeous journal you’ve been saving!
Written by Beth Longman