Writing is an activity that is often underestimated these days. And yet it’s a simple way to feel better every day.
Why write in the morning ?
Writing in the morning is often beneficial. It’s a good way to start the day, before checking the notifications on your phone or rushing to avoid being late. It allows you to arrive at your place of work or study more calmly. It’s as if the stress accumulated over the course of a day – caused by work, the internet, transport, etc. – forms a kind of fog. Writing before this fog appears allows you to stay more focused on your task, and ultimately, all day long.
It’s also a way of putting yourself first. Before any other social activity, you reconnect with yourself by writing, giving yourself that special moment with yourself. You don’t have to write for half an hour, although it’s preferable; getting up five or ten minutes earlier is more than enough to get started.
However, if you don’t take the time to get up earlier or have forgotten to do so, you can write in the evening. It’s a great way to get out any frustration, anxiety or anger you may have felt during the day, and to talk about the good things that have happened to you.
The relationship with our concentration
As mentioned above, writing helps to improve concentration in everyday life. Dopamine levels (the brain’s reward system) are lower. It will be much easier to find a fascinating book, stay attentive in a meeting or take the time to develop a new skill, for example.
Conversely, sugar, a video game or watching very short videos are small pleasures that increase dopamine levels. It’s very difficult to do without these kinds of activities, which lower our concentration levels.
To return to the subject of writing, it’s an activity that helps to anchor us in the present. When you take the time to put words on paper, or even type on a keyboard to free yourself from your thoughts, it could almost be a form of meditation. It’s preferable to write on paper to avoid screens, but also because the hand activates areas of the brain that work on memory and concentration.
What should we write ?
Anything will do. Poems when you’re inspired, a story if you’re overflowing with imagination, your feelings or your day. If you really don’t know what to write, take the opportunity to put the thoughts that cross your mind on paper, or write about a film that touched you.
Later on, it will be a pleasure to come back to these notes that are the common thread running through your life. You’ll notice that your view of the world has changed, that you were young when you wrote, and you may recall difficult moments from your memory. Writing sometimes works better than photos.
There are sites such as Panodyssey or Wattapd where you can share your thoughts and stories and read those of others. People who are touched by or interested in a theme can build a community. Sharing creates links.
If you have a few minutes to spare from time to time, while you’re waiting for a wash for example, don’t hesitate to take out a nice notebook to write in rather than scrolling through social networks. It’s not much, but it’s with small actions that we create lasting habits!
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