7 Surprising Benefits of Writing Every Day

1. It improves your mind

We’ve been hearing that writing is great for our minds since grade school, but studies have shown it to be true. In a report published in Frontiers in Psychology, researchers at Radboud University explored how expressive writing benefits cognitive health.

After participants wrote about something they were upset about for 15 minutes a day for two consecutive days, researchers found their language use improved.

Their cognitive flexibility increased and their working memory capacity grew larger than those who didn’t write daily. Those are some powerful brain-boosting benefits!

People who write every day tend to be more creative and productive in their daily lives. The practice forces us to come up with new ideas, recall important lessons, and work through difficult problems.

While an extensive body of research shows that writing improves cognitive function in children, adolescents, and college students, it also seems to improve cognition in adults.

Several studies suggest that people who keep a journal routinely score higher on tests measuring verbal intelligence than people who don’t journal.

In one study, some patients who had suffered a stroke were asked to write about their emotional state three times a day. After four weeks, they showed significant improvement in mental clarity and processing speed compared with people who had written on other topics or hadn’t written at all.

It may also help stave off Alzheimer’s disease by clearing amyloid plaque from your brain. Researchers have found that if you start writing before symptoms emerge — in any form — you have a much lower chance of developing dementia later in life.

A 2012 study found that college students who wrote for 20 minutes three days per week reduced their risk of dementia by 47 percent over 10 years compared with nonwriters; participants who wrote more than 50 pages over four years halved their risk.

2. It boosts your productivity

When you take time to think about what you want to say, and why you want to say it, your writing becomes more effective and your messages get across. In other words, better communication leads to greater productivity — not just for you but for everyone around you.

Studies have shown that employees who write every day are 12 percent more productive than those who don’t [1]. And because they write more effectively and work more efficiently, they’re also 20 percent less likely to be laid off.

No, it’s not just you. Sometimes it feels like you get more done in your sleep than when you’re in front of a blank screen. But writing every day helps your creativity flow, builds your story muscles, and makes writing easier.

The practice also gives you perspective on what’s important — and what isn’t — in both your work and life. You can even discover topics to write about that no one else is talking about or ask questions that no one has asked before.

By writing daily, you’ll improve your ability to make a clear and concise argument, which will give you a competitive edge at work. This will help you rise in your field, advance your career and even earn more money. If your job requires a lot of public speaking, having clearly articulated thoughts can make all the difference.

While we might not think about it often, having an off-the-cuff speech prepared is key to succeeding in just about any line of work. And that’s especially true for content creation: Being able to pitch ideas effectively can bring new business opportunities and ensure steady workstreams.

Ultimately, writing every day helps us master our craft, improve our job performance and ultimately lead happier lives — and what could be more shocking than that?

3. It lowers stress levels

Research shows that keeping a journal daily can help lower stress levels by up to 48%. Keeping track of what’s stressing you out and why helps put you in control; it gives you something constructive to do instead of sitting around stewing in frustration.

Writing about stressful events can be cathartic; sometimes just venting for 10 minutes is all you need to put things into perspective and realize there’s a solution. And if not, well, at least you got it off your chest! You also don’t have to spend any money or interact with people:

You just need an open notebook and pen (or computer) to start seeing benefits today. Numerous studies have found that writing about our problems can reduce stress levels since putting a pen to paper activates more parts of our brain than simply talking about a problem does.

Keeping a journal is one of the most effective ways to reduce anxiety and lower stress levels. You probably think you’re very busy. But in reality, we all have time to do everything we need to do; it’s just a matter of taking control of our schedule and prioritizing what’s important.

Sitting down and writing every day will help to lower your stress levels. It releases endorphins that boost mood and reduce pain — meaningless medication needs to be prescribed by doctors (source). It improves self-confidence:

The more you write, the better you get at it. And when you get better at something, it builds your confidence level and helps make you feel like a valuable part of society. It teaches patience: Almost every writer struggled with self-doubt before becoming successful.

4. Your vocabulary grows

Did you know that using a writing-related word can help you remember it better? Did you know that if you’re trying to write in a particular style, deliberately thinking about what words are typically used and keeping them at the forefront of your mind can improve your vocabulary?

In other words, writing every day is not only good for your business; it’s good for YOU. Here are seven surprising benefits that might make you think twice about skipping out on today’s writing time.

The number one benefit of writing every day is that it improves your vocabulary. There’s a strange phenomenon that occurs when you commit to writing daily: you’ll find yourself coming across words and phrases you don’t know, and naturally, you look them up. What happens next?

You start using these new words — daily. This helps round out your knowledge of the language by providing an opportunity for new vocabulary to enter your daily vernacular.

When you write, you encounter a new word or a word in a different context. You have to look it up. Once you do that, your vocabulary grows and becomes more sophisticated.

Plus, if others read what you write (which is one of the main benefits of blogging), they’ll think better of you because they’ll see that your vocabulary has grown over time!

5. You learn how to organize your thoughts better

Writing every day is a quick way to figure out how to organize your thoughts. In a world where every piece of information seems equally important, writing is an excellent way to keep track of what’s worth remembering. You also learn what you’re truly passionate about:

Writing forces you to think about why something is meaningful, which helps clarify your values and priorities in life. You gain clarity on what’s most important to you and can better communicate those things when talking with others.

Finally, it makes it easier for other people (and yourself) to remember who you are: While some may not have time for journaling every day, even doing so once or twice a week can be incredibly useful.

It’s surprising, but writing regularly helps you organize your thoughts better. When you have to put your ideas on paper, you improve your ability to express yourself clearly.

And that’s valuable — whether it comes in handy at work or when sharing an idea with friends and family. Of course, there are other ways to organize your thoughts and get clarity besides writing; journaling, reading books on related topics, and taking up photography…there are plenty of options.

Many people think writing helps them organize their thoughts. For instance, if you’re faced with a problem and would like to better understand it, or are looking for ways to solve it, writing down your thoughts on paper is a simple way to put things in order.

It allows you to flesh out ideas as well as dig deeper into issues without having to stop and start every time your train of thought changes. This will help keep you from getting distracted by irrelevant details or tangents.

6. You become more disciplined and organized

One of the most unexpected benefits of writing every day is how it makes you more disciplined and organized in your other life. The reality is that if you don’t have a solid writing habit, you’re likely not as disciplined or organized as you think.

This isn’t meant to put you down; it’s simply a statement of fact. The better and more consistent you are with your writing, the better you’ll be at managing time, making plans, and following through on them (both personally and professionally).

The single most important factor in developing self-discipline is having a goal, something you are trying to achieve, Seneca writes. It could be losing weight, writing a book, or running a marathon.

It’s true! You know how it is — you’re trying to get something done and you find yourself looking up and suddenly it’s five hours later. Time flies when you’re having fun, right?

Not so much. Research shows that people who keep a daily journal are less stressed, more productive, and more self-disciplined than their peers. It makes sense: when we have a record of what we have (and haven’t) accomplished, we tend to do better at keeping ourselves accountable for our actions. (See #1 above.)

7. You can make new friends through blogging

If you’re interested in learning how to start a business from home, blogging is an excellent way to network with like-minded people who share your interests.

The social element of blogging is especially helpful for introverts; since you’re sharing with others, there’s no need to be outgoing and talkative (that can come later). Instead, work behind the scenes and engage with your fellow bloggers through thoughtful posts and comments.

Before long, you might make a few friends — maybe even new business partners. Many successful bloggers have built relationships with other bloggers.

If you are also trying to get your name out there, blogging can be a great way to do it. Try commenting on other blogs or responding to comments from readers.

You may even find another blogger who is willing to swap guest posts and cross-promote each other’s work! This is one of blogging’s hidden benefits.

Let’s be honest, making friends can be hard. But getting to know people who share your interests and hobbies makes things a lot easier. Many bloggers meet their best friends online through blogs, forums, and other social media sites.

If you want to start your own business or improve your writing skills, consider starting a private online journal and interacting with other writers online. You never know who you might meet along the way!