Just Me Being Me: How Writing Letters Can Improve Your Well-Being
As a millennial, traditional mail wasn't a part of my everyday life growing up, but I have found that writing letters now has had a positive impact on my health and wellness.
Just Me Being Me is literally just me being me, living my life outside my comfort zone when it happens as it happens. Since I’m a dedicated introvert, this doesn’t happen much, which makes it doubly interesting when it does.
One of the significant changes in my life after I had a stroke back in early 2021 was a "return" to writing letters. It's not really a return as much as a discovery of the joy and benefits of maintaining this habit.
As a millennial, traditional mail wasn't a part of my everyday life growing up, but I have found that writing letters now has had a positive impact on my health and wellness.
Why Letter Writing Should Be Your New Hobby
Whether I'm writing to a loved one or simply putting my thoughts onto paper, the act of writing by hand has numerous positive effects on my mental and emotional health. After my stroke, I had problems with language processing and forming coherent thoughts, but writing letters has helped me regain some of those skills. It's a therapeutic and creative outlet that allows me to express myself in ways that weren't difficult before that dip in my health.
Enhancing Cognition
Writing letters can improve language skills and cognitive function, which is especially beneficial for those recovering from neurological events like strokes and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). It requires you to use your fine motor skills and think critically, helping to strengthen pathways in the brain and promote neuroplasticity. Writing letters can help keep the mind active and improve memory, even for those without neurological challenges.
Improving Personal Connections
Sending and receiving letters fosters a deeper sense of connection and intimacy with others, as they tend to convey more thought and time investment than digital communication. Before writing letters, I had difficulty keeping track of my conversations with my loved ones—and I don't mean having to remember which platforms I used to message them. Honestly, I would forget to update people about my life—not because I don't love them, but because my brain couldn't multitask and remember everything.
When I started writing letters, I found that I could express myself more deeply and intimately. And it felt special! My handwriting, my choice of stationery and stickers, and my actual hard work and effort go into every single letter I post.
Reducing Stress and Practicing Mindfulness
Writing can be meditative, allowing you to slow down, reflect, increase your intuition, and express thoughts calmly and deliberately. These days, I often take note of significant events that happen so I remember to write about them in my letters. It's an excellent habit to combat my irritating dissociation-based coping skill that leads to me forgetting things. Much of working on myself and manifesting my ideal life includes living in the moment and being present. Writing letters has become a tool for me to practice mindfulness.
Creating Long-lasting Memories
Letters are tangible keepsakes that capture memories and emotions, creating a lasting record of personal history and experiences. I know that every letter I receive is snugly tucked into keepsake boxes and corners of my desk—I think of them as physical manifestations of the care and love from people close to me. I never expect letters back when I write to someone, but I always feel a little flutter in my chest whenever I do receive letters.
What You Need to Start Writing Letters Regularly
Writing letters may seem like a lost art in this digital age, but it's an activity that can benefit your well-being. Whether enhancing cognitive function, improving personal connections, reducing stress, or creating long-lasting memories, letter writing is a hobby worth picking up. So why not give it a try? You never know how much joy and fulfillment it can bring into your life until you start putting pen to paper. You'll need
A pen and paper or stationery of your choice
Stamps and envelopes—or postcards if you want to keep it simple
Addresses of loved ones
If you're going big and not starting with writing to just one or two people, you may find a list of topics or prompts an easy way to begin your letter-writing hobby. I also like adding custom things to my letters, like stickers, post-its, or small drawings. It adds a personal touch and makes it more fun!
Writing Letters vs. Sending Videos: What to Know
Recently, I saw a video of someone explaining "Wednesday waffles," something he and his close friends do. It's a weekly habit that involves taking life update videos and sending them to your close friends—sort of like sending online messages but in video format or a video call at your own pace.
I don't enjoy taking videos of myself, and even though I used to record and perform as a singer, I wouldn't say I like listening to my recorded voice. But I also want to practice loving myself completely, being vulnerable with my loved ones, and communicating clearly. So, I thought these "Wednesday waffles" would be a good idea for some of my close relationships! I proposed it to some people, and some said yes to trying it with me.
Some thoughts: Some people were like me—they were uncomfortable being on video, so they didn't want to do it. Understandable! We can keep writing letters. Others jumped right in and sent me their update videos before I could record my own. I loved their enthusiasm, hearing from them, and seeing them in their natural state and habitat. These videos make me miss them even more because it's like a look into what my life would be like if I lived near them.
One of my close friends said she didn't want to send videos but would happily accept mine—she'd reply by typing out online messages. This week, we realized that this weekly habit would probably replace letter-writing between us because the updates would cover what we would have written instead—something I didn't anticipate when I asked people to do "Wednesday waffles" with me.
Would You Like to Receive Handwritten Letters?
Please let me know! Send me your mailing address, and I'll write you a letter. I may not be as consistent as when I started this habit, but my letters eventually reach their destinations. And who knows? Maybe we can start a regular exchange of handwritten letters between us, too.
You can also start the habit by writing to yourself first.
Photo by Towfiqu barbhuiya on Unsplash
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