Hand writing vs typing, which is better for health?

Try to remember the last time you handwritten more than one page of paper? It's been so long? It doesn't matter, because most people experience the same thing.

As technology advances and daily activities that rely on speed, the need to write by hand is increasingly being replaced by the ease of typing on smartphone , tablet, laptop, or notebook. So, it is not unusual if many people prefer to type on a computer keyboard or cellphone touch screen instead of having to bother writing manually by hand on paper.

Even so, did you know that writing manually has health benefits that are far more than typing using? gadget ? How did it happen? Check out the reviews in this article.

Most people admit that they haven't written manually for a long time

In 2014, Docmail, a UK mailing and printing company, conducted a survey of 2,000 people. As a result, one in three respondents did not handwrite for more than six months. Not only that, the survey also showed that the average respondent had not written manually for more than 41 days.

From these findings, it is actually not too surprising. The reason is, the more sophisticated technology allows you to carry out daily activities, the easier it is. This also makes many people start to leave the habit of handwriting and prefer to type using a device gadget .

In fact, writing manually is useful for honing motor skills

Although writing using keyboard is an ability that is the key to the future, mastering handwriting skills has its own effect on the body.

According to Eduard Gentaz, a professor in the field of psychology at the University of Geneva, writing directly by hand is a complex activity that requires a variety of skills. In simple terms handwriting is the result of a unique singular whole body movement.

The reason is, someone needs time to be able to write hands. You need to learn how to hold a pencil correctly, memorize various alphabets, so that you can write word for word. Well, this is the biggest difference compared to typing using keyboard .

Unlike writing, typing is always the same regardless of the letter, which is only limited to pressing keys. In fact, motor skills that are honed by hand writing are very much needed, especially when someone is a child.

Another health benefit to be had from handwriting

Apart from honing motor skills, handwriting also offers a variety of health benefits that are a pity to miss.

For some people, writing is a powerful way to express feelings for everything they are going through. In fact, a study from New Zealand found that writing down thoughts and feelings after a traumatic event can actually make physical wounds heal faster.

Meanwhile, according to a study published in the journal Advance in Psychiatric Treatment, the benefits of handwriting are not only experienced in the short term, but also in the long term. This is because people who have the habit of writing manually are known to have improved overall body health. Starting from improved mood, well-being, and body functions such as lungs and a better heart. Not only that, writing was also associated with lowering blood pressure as well as levels of stress and depressive symptoms.

It turns out that the benefits of writing don't stop there. If you have trouble sleeping, try writing. According to a study "Applied Psychology: Health and Well-being", spending about 15 minutes a night, just to write down everything for which you are grateful can work wonders for your sleep. The researchers found that study participants who wrote diary diaries of things they were grateful for before going to bed were found to have better and longer sleep quality.