Why You Should Write, Not Read, in the Morning
The unspeakable benefits of someone who personally put this experiment into practice.
I recently exposed myself to an experiment.
Contrary to the hype of copying the mornings of “successful CEOs,” I’ve neglected to take the time to read and write by hand instead.
Exactly. The first thing I do in the morning is writing with a pen in a notebook.
And it’s not about writing anything orderly, but doing it freely, without any plan.
Check out more below.
Why Write in the Morning
Inside our brain lives an idiot and a genius. The idiot lives in the limbic system, and the genius lives in the prefrontal cortex.
What happens the stupid part of our head wakes up first, which explains why we get groggy as soon as we get up.
In other words, it takes anywhere from a few minutes to an hour for the neurochemicals of sleep to stop working, bringing us into a fully awake state.
However, this does not stop us from starting to think about what we will need to do that day, our tasks, what was in the memory of the day before, the urgencies etc.
This creates a confused state in our mind, mixing practical things with the post-sleep “brain decoupage” still going on.
The act of writing causes your brain to be forced to slow down. And remember, it’s about writing by hand, with paper and pen. No writing on the computer.
Mindful writing organizes your brain activity by focusing on an active practice — rather than a passive one, like reading.
What To Write in the Morning
If your thoughts are still fuzzy, then the best thing to do is let them go.
Don’t get stuck on a specific issue or order. Write down whatever comes to mind.
Thoughts, anxieties, expectations.
If you’re worried about your day, write about it. What do you expect, what problems are going on, what activities do you have to develop.
Or, perhaps, if you are thinking about some situation or phase of your life, write about what you are feeling, about the possibilities of success (or failure), about your relationships.
It’s an exercise in letting the pen roll across the paper and seeing what comes out, without major compromises.
The Benefits of Free Writing
Handwriting in the morning will help you get your thoughts out to yourself.
Often our head is full, but we don’t know exactly what. Doing this exercise every day will bring clarity about what is populating our minds.
But beyond that, there are proven physiological benefits for those seeking self-development.
They are:
Strengthening of Neural Activity
According to Karin Harman James, assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Indiana University,
“It seems there is something really important about manually manipulating and drawing out two-dimensional things we see all the time.”
This is because the sequential movement of handwriting stimulates brain regions related to language, thinking and memory. Something that doesn’t happen with computer writing, since the letters are keyed in — not “constructed” by an instrument like a pencil or pen.
Increased Learning
Have you ever seen fitness coaches recommend doing cardio exercises in the morning?
The same goes for the brain.
Writing by hand is the same as causing a “mental facelift”, and this work fosters the retention and understanding of information that is pervasive in your head.
In the long run, this makes your mind more sensitive to learning.
Relaxation and Regeneration
If morning dictates what your day will be like, then you need to pay special attention to the early hours of the day.
One of the most stressful things for anyone is waking up in the rush, jumping out of bed straight to the worry-filled computer. This is almost like giving your brain a jolt, disrupting its activity for the rest of the day.
Handwriting here works as a tool for organizing, terminating your sleep state and a quiet warm-up of your mental state.
There are studies, including, that attest that people who write by hand regenerate injuries more quickly.
Contrary to the hype, reading or working immediately upon waking up — when we’re still sleepy — isn’t as effective for a productive day as writing by hand.
So set aside a time, however brief, of 5–10 minutes each day to write by hand.
All these benefits are real because I felt them in my own skin. If this practice changed my life, I’m sure it will benefit yours too.
