Writing by hand engages your brain more effectively than typing and can improve understanding and memory. It's a personal, tactile experience that can promote feelings of calmness and happiness. Give it a try next time and notice the difference!

Handwriting vs Typing

Regularly practicing handwriting may improve brain structure and function.

Improves Your Brain

Writing by hand daily may help fight cognitive decline, as it activates the whole brain.

Keep Your Mind Sharp

Combining handwriting with visual journaling has numerous benefits, like better cognitive performance and reduced feelings of loneliness and depression.

Feel Happier

Handwriting may enhance brain structure and function, potentially strengthening cognitive reserves and counteracting aging's impact on cognitive abilities.

Stay Sharp as You Age

<h3>Key points</h3><UL><LI>Writing by hand instead of typing deepens content processing and supports emotional health. </LI><LI>Regularly practicing handwriting may improve brain structure and function.</LI><LI>While slower than digital, writing by hand daily may help fight cognitive decline.</LI></UL>Since her <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/aging" title="Psychology Today looks at retirement" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">retirement</a>, an old family friend has begun visually journaling her travels. She isn’t an "artist," but that doesn’t diminish her joy in capturing her experiences or the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/authenticity" title="Psychology Today looks at authenticity" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">authenticity</a> and appeal of her sketches and musings. It was inspiring and I tucked it away as a good idea for later. When I saw the recent Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024) study about handwriting and cognitive activation, I thought about my friend, the passage of time, and aging and realized that it was time to hunt up all my retro media (pens, pencils, watercolors, bound journals, and sketchpads) and shift some activities from keyboard to paper as an investment in brain health.<div dir="ltr">
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 </div><h2>Handwriting for Brain Health</h2>While it seems most relevant to boomers and Gen X, we should all take note of the study by Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024), too, who found writing by hand (rather than tapping away on your keyboard) increases brain connectivity. It may be time to consider deleting some of those list-making and journal apps from your phone and return to paper and notebooks. Healthy media use of any kind is, after all, about balance. I realized that I write very little by hand but if doing so activates the whole brain, then it may join the list of activities, like doing crossword puzzles and learning a new language, that help stave off <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mild-cognitive-impairment" title="Psychology Today looks at cognitive decline" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">cognitive decline</a>. Adding a few pictures alongside your musings (aka visual journaling) would combine the cognitive activity of handwriting with the extensive benefits of art <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy" title="Psychology Today looks at therapy" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">therapy</a>, such as improved cognitive performance and movement; enhanced self-<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/identity" title="Psychology Today looks at identity" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">identity</a> and meaning in life; reduced <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/loneliness" title="Psychology Today looks at loneliness" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">loneliness</a> and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/depression" title="Psychology Today looks at depression" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">depression</a>; and opportunities for socializing (Galassi et al., 2022). Win-win.There’s lots of empirical evidence that writing has psychological benefits. Writing helps people process life’s emotional ups and downs through sense-making—the greater the cognitive effort to find meaning (Ullrich &amp; Lutgendorf, 2002), the greater appreciation of the benefits and improved mood. Meaning and positive emotions are central to well-being.However, I had never considered the physical act of handwriting as a brain health/healthy aging activity. The greater brain activity from handwriting compared to typing is thought to explain why handwritten notes are linked to increased learning among students (Van der Weel &amp; Van der Meer, 2024). Learning and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/memory" title="Psychology Today looks at memory" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">memory</a> are both cognitive functions. Learning describes how we gain new skills and knowledge. Memory is how we store and retrieve what we learn. Aging messes with both and can hamper new learning as well as the retrieval of what you just learned (Salthouse, 2012). However, social, physical, and cognitively challenging activities have been shown to diminish the negative effects of aging on cognitive function and increase cognitive reserve (Amanollahi et al., 2021).<h2>Cognitive Activities Enhance Brain Structure</h2>Wilson et al. (2013) reported that evidence from neuroimaging indicates that cognitive activity like handwriting can enhance brain structure and function and may enhance cognitive reserves. Many studies tested these hypotheses on students' academic performance, but I’m more interested in the ability to use media (and yes, pen and paper still count as media) for healthy aging. So, add handwriting to your list.<div dir="ltr">
 article continues after advertisement
 </div>Computers make it easy to forego handwriting in favor of speed, the convenience of finding what you wrote again, and the ability to edit without rewriting. But as I reflect, I no longer write out checks, sign documents, or make grocery store lists by hand. With the rare exceptions of thank-you notes and condolence cards, almost all my correspondence is digital, not manual. I’m also aware of the difference in <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness" title="Psychology Today looks at mindfulness" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">mindfulness</a> required to compose a note on paper when you can’t hit the delete button every time you write the wrong word.I've never been one to keep a journal, but I now wonder if the exclusive use of computers and the lack of handwriting practice is doing my brain a disservice by decreasing the activity of cortico-subcortical components of the writing network (Longcamp et al., 2016). My reliance on computers has certainly not done any favors for the legibility of my handwriting.Like many things, shifting behaviors requires conscious intention, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/attention" title="Psychology Today looks at attention" hreflang="en-US" dir="ltr">attention</a>, and effort, but it may be time to actively integrate handwriting into some each day. It's OK to start small. And no one says you have to throw out your computer. As each year passes, I am more interested in what I can gain in quality, not what I lose in quantity and lack of efficiency. ReferencesAmanollahi, M., Amanollahi, S., Anjomshoa, A., &amp; Dolatshahi, M. (2021). Mitigating the negative impacts of aging on cognitive function; modifiable factors associated with increasing cognitive reserve. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(9), 3109-3124.<a href="https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15183" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15183</a>Galassi, F., Merizzi, A., D'Amen, B., &amp; Santini, S. (2022). Creativity and art therapies to promote healthy aging: A scoping review. Front Psychol, 13, 906191. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906191" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906191</a>Longcamp, M., Richards, T. L., Velay, J. L., &amp; Berninger, V. W. (2016). Neuroanatomy of handwriting and related reading and writing skills in adults and children with and without learning disabilities: French-american connections. Pratiques, 171-172. <a href="https://doi.org/10.4000/pratiques.3175" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.4000/pratiques.3175</a>Salthouse, T. (2012). Consequences of age-related cognitive declines. Annu Rev Psychol, 63, 201-226. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328</a>Ullrich, P. M., &amp; Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioral Medicine, 24(3), 244-250. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10</a>Van der Weel, F. R., &amp; Van der Meer, A. L. H. (2024). Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: A high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom [Original Research]. Frontiers in Psychology, 14. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945</a>Wilson, R. S., Boyle, P. A., Yu, L., Barnes, L. L., Schneider, J. A., &amp; Bennett, D. A. (2013). Life-span cognitive activity, neuropathologic burden, and cognitive aging. Neurology, 81(4), 314-321. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829c5e8a" dir="ltr">https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829c5e8a</a><div data-hide-large-count-items="true"><button type="button" data-show-large-count-items="true" dir="ltr">
 
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Writing by hand may help stave off cognitive decline.

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<ul><li>Writing by hand instead of typing deepens content processing and supports emotional health. </li><li>Regularly practicing handwriting may improve brain structure and function. </li><li>While slower than digital, writing by hand daily may help fight cognitive decline. </li> </ul>

Since her <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/aging">retirement </a>, an old family friend has begun visually journaling her travels. She isn’t an "artist," but that doesn’t diminish her joy in capturing her experiences or the <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/authenticity">authenticity </a>and appeal of her sketches and musings. It was inspiring and I tucked it away as a good idea for later. When I saw the recent Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024) study about handwriting and cognitive activation, I thought about my friend, the passage of time, and aging and realized that it was time to hunt up all my retro media (pens, pencils, watercolors, bound journals, and sketchpads) and shift some activities from keyboard to paper as an investment in brain health.

While it seems most relevant to boomers and Gen X, we should all take note of the study by Van der Weel and Van der Meer (2024), too, who found writing by hand (rather than tapping away on your keyboard) increases brain connectivity. It may be time to consider deleting some of those list-making and journal apps from your phone and return to paper and notebooks. Healthy media use of any kind is, after all, about balance. I realized that I write very little by hand but if doing so activates the whole brain, then it may join the list of activities, like doing crossword puzzles and learning a new language, that help stave off <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mild-cognitive-impairment">cognitive decline </a>. Adding a few pictures alongside your musings (aka visual journaling) would combine the cognitive activity of handwriting with the extensive benefits of art <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/therapy">therapy </a>, such as improved cognitive performance and movement; enhanced self-<a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/identity">identity </a>and meaning in life; reduced <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/loneliness">loneliness </a>and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/depression">depression </a>; and opportunities for socializing (Galassi et al., 2022). Win-win.

There’s lots of empirical evidence that writing has psychological benefits. Writing helps people process life’s emotional ups and downs through sense-making—the greater the cognitive effort to find meaning (Ullrich & Lutgendorf, 2002), the greater appreciation of the benefits and improved mood. Meaning and positive emotions are central to well-being.

However, I had never considered the physical act of handwriting as a brain health/healthy aging activity. The greater brain activity from handwriting compared to typing is thought to explain why handwritten notes are linked to increased learning among students (Van der Weel & Van der Meer, 2024). Learning and <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/memory">memory </a>are both cognitive functions. Learning describes how we gain new skills and knowledge. Memory is how we store and retrieve what we learn. Aging messes with both and can hamper new learning as well as the retrieval of what you just learned (Salthouse, 2012). However, social, physical, and cognitively challenging activities have been shown to diminish the negative effects of aging on cognitive function and increase cognitive reserve (Amanollahi et al., 2021).

Cognitive Activities Enhance Brain Structure

Wilson et al. (2013) reported that evidence from neuroimaging indicates that cognitive activity like handwriting can enhance brain structure and function and may enhance cognitive reserves. Many studies tested these hypotheses on students' academic performance, but I’m more interested in the ability to use media (and yes, pen and paper still count as media) for healthy aging. So, add handwriting to your list.

Computers make it easy to forego handwriting in favor of speed, the convenience of finding what you wrote again, and the ability to edit without rewriting. But as I reflect, I no longer write out checks, sign documents, or make grocery store lists by hand. With the rare exceptions of thank-you notes and condolence cards, almost all my correspondence is digital, not manual. I’m also aware of the difference in <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/mindfulness">mindfulness </a>required to compose a note on paper when you can’t hit the delete button every time you write the wrong word.

I've never been one to keep a journal, but I now wonder if the exclusive use of computers and the lack of handwriting practice is doing my brain a disservice by decreasing the activity of cortico-subcortical components of the writing network (Longcamp et al., 2016). My reliance on computers has certainly not done any favors for the legibility of my handwriting.

Like many things, shifting behaviors requires conscious intention, <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/attention">attention </a>, and effort, but it may be time to actively integrate handwriting into some each day. It's OK to start small. And no one says you have to throw out your computer. As each year passes, I am more interested in what I can gain in quality, not what I lose in quantity and lack of efficiency.

Amanollahi, M., Amanollahi, S., Anjomshoa, A., & Dolatshahi, M. (2021). Mitigating the negative impacts of aging on cognitive function; modifiable factors associated with increasing cognitive reserve. European Journal of Neuroscience ,53 (9), 3109-3124.<a href="https://doi.org/https:/doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15183">https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.15183 </a>

Galassi, F., Merizzi, A., D'Amen, B., & Santini, S. (2022). Creativity and art therapies to promote healthy aging: A scoping review. Front Psychol ,13 , 906191. <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906191">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.906191 </a>

Longcamp, M., Richards, T. L., Velay, J. L., & Berninger, V. W. (2016). Neuroanatomy of handwriting and related reading and writing skills in adults and children with and without learning disabilities: French-american connections. Pratiques ,171-172 . <a href="https://doi.org/10.4000/pratiques.3175">https://doi.org/10.4000/pratiques.3175 </a>

Salthouse, T. (2012). Consequences of age-related cognitive declines. Annu Rev Psychol ,63 , 201-226. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328">https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-psych-120710-100328 </a>

Ullrich, P. M., & Lutgendorf, S. K. (2002). Journaling about stressful events: Effects of cognitive processing and emotional expression. Annals of Behavioral Medicine ,24 (3), 244-250. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10">https://doi.org/10.1207/S15324796ABM2403_10 </a>

Van der Weel, F. R., & Van der Meer, A. L. H. (2024). Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity: A high-density EEG study with implications for the classroom [Original Research]. Frontiers in Psychology ,14 . <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945">https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945 </a>

Wilson, R. S., Boyle, P. A., Yu, L., Barnes, L. L., Schneider, J. A., & Bennett, D. A. (2013). Life-span cognitive activity, neuropathologic burden, and cognitive aging. Neurology ,81 (4), 314-321. <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829c5e8a">https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0b013e31829c5e8a </a>

Discover the Power of Handwriting

Handwriting vs Typing

Improves Your Brain

Keep Your Mind Sharp

Feel Happier

Stay Sharp as You Age

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