5 Reasons Why Writing Should Be Part of Your Daily Self-Love Routine
Writing things down is an inexpensive and effective way to free up mental clutter. If you’re feeling anxious, overwhelmed, or have too many things on your mind, writing things down can be just what you need to shake off the mental and emotional burden.
It sounds too good to be true, I know, but it works! And science has proven time and again the long-term benefits of writing as a habit. Here are 5 powerful reasons why writing should be part of your daily self-love routine.
Love yourself first and everything else falls into line. You really have to love yourself to get anything done in this world. - Lucille Ball
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Writing down goals helps you achieve them
Studies show that people who write down their goals are more likely to achieve them. What’s the big difference?
Rather than just keeping your goals in your head, writing things down forces you to face your own ideas and gives you the opportunity challenge them. It urges you to ask questions like “how do I go about doing this?” instead of just thinking that you will get there without a plan.
In other words, it helps clarify your intentions, evaluate the soundness of your reason, and flesh out flimsy objectives so that you can come up with a solid plan of action.
Doing this one simple thing puts you ahead of more than 80 percent of people who never vividly plan their goals in life.
Writing things down helps you process your emotions
Difficult emotions are a part of life. They help us grow and bloom into better people — but only when they are addressed. Unprocessed emotions can wreak havoc on our health and decision-making. Unaddressed, it can negatively impact our personal and professional relationships.
You don’t have to keep it to yourself.
Without the comfort a friend, you can find the peace you need by confiding in a piece of paper. The slow process of writing gives you time to be honest with yourself, to reflect on what you feel, and perhaps to think about why and how you are in your present situation.
You will be surprised at what you can reveal to yourself by honestly unpacking your emotional burden without the fear of judgment.
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Writing things down unloads the stress
Keeping track of every little thing all at once is a recipe for disaster. For starters, it helps you build the habit of being eternally frantic. Not to mention you run the risk of forgetting small but essential tasks.
Writing things down frees valuable mental real estate and reserves your energy for bigger tasks that need focus.
So, if you have the tendency to worry or simply have too many things to do, try these techniques.
- Write down everything you need to do for the next day before you go to bed and review your To Do first thing in the morning. Keep your list handy so you don’t have to mentally keep track of what you need to do next.
- Whenever you feel overwhelmed, write freely without structure. Simply let your stream of consciousness flow without inhibition. Let out every judgment, frustration, analysis, or conviction without fearing scrutiny from another human being. You can do this with a limited time (say, 15 minutes) or simply write to your heart’s content.
I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn. - Anne Frank
Writing things down gives a boost to your self-esteem
Finishing a journal entry gives that same feeling of satisfaction you get from making your bed in the morning. Even though it’s a small win, it’s enough to empower you to keep going and take on the day.
Sometimes, we fail at what we do because deep down, we feel incapable. But having little wins, even if it's just successfully writing a daily journal entry or making a To-Do list proves you otherwise. A little sense of accomplishment can go a long way.
Related: How To Take Care of Yourself (Even When Always Busy)
Writing things down facilitates creativity
Most ideas take up cognitive space because they’re unresolved. Try to follow them down to their conclusion by putting them on paper. Because writing is, in essence, an exercise in clarity, doing so helps you refine ideas that may have previously been ambiguous.
Freeing up mental load makes more room for other ideas to take up space, allowing imagination and originality to flourish.
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The Takeaway
Think of writing as a form of mental cleansing. Getting rid of ideas that no longer serve us, and unscrambling the ones that continually put us in a state of worry and anxiety frees up precious mental energy for enjoying life in the present.
If self-love is your goal, then writing is a habit you can count on to get you there.
Build your writing habit with TaskSpur.
Building habits take time, no matter how simple the habit is. According to research, it takes approximately 2 months for a new habit to stick and become automatic.
See to it that you stick to your new writing routine! Use TaskSpur as a To-Do list, reminder, and goal-tracker app in one.
Step 1: Add a “Writing” task under the Self-care & Wellness goal category in TaskSpur
Step 2: Set your preferred start date and time of day that you want to write
Step 3: Set the task as recurring (Recurring task feature coming soon!)
Step 4: Add a reminder if you want to make sure you don’t miss this task
Step 5: Hit the Save button!
Every morning, TaskSpur will send you your own To-Do list. These are the tasks that you have scheduled for that particular day. You can use TaskSpur to build more healthy habits not just for your mental health but also for your personal goals, career, and finances.
Check it out!
Related: How To Take Care of Yourself (Even When Always Busy)
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References:
- Neuroscience Explains Why You Need To Write Down Your Goals If You Actually Want To Achieve Them
- How are habits formed: Modelling habit formation in the real world†