Transcription
There are sound scientific reasons for keeping a journal, a physical notebook in which you write by hand. And yes, research has shown that handwriting is far more effective than typing or using a digital device for taking notes or writing. Before we look at the benefits of handwriting, however, let's talk about keeping a journal and what to write in your journal.
There are three suggested uses for your journal. One, expressive writing. This type of writing helps the brain recover from stress. According to a 2021 study from Stanford University, the brain treats emotional suppression as unfinished work. Writing in your journal closes this loop. A 2023 study from the frontiers of psychology showed that handwriting activates more areas of the brain than typing. By the way, we will look more closely at handwriting later.
Two, gratitude journaling. So, there are three suggested uses for your journal, but obviously it's entirely up to yourself. But it's widely accepted that expressive writing, which I've just discussed, is one area that you can use uh for your journal. The second is gratitude journaling. Write down two or three things each day that you are grateful for. By doing this, you train your brain to look for what is stable and good in your life. This tunes your emotional system toward balance.
And the third area you might consider is reflective reframing. The third common type of writing in your journal is known as reflective reframing of events in your life. What happened? What did it reveal? What is the next action you should take? One small action. That is basically what reflective reframing is about. This builds the ability to pause and reflect, step back, begin to see problems as data points for growth. This changes how your brain responds to future stress.
In conclusion, expressive writing is useful when emotions feel heavy. Gratitude journaling when feeling numb or distant and reflective reframing when life feels confusing. Journaling is self-expression and self-construction.
Let's have a word or speak about handwriting. So why write by hand? Studies from Princeton University and UCLA have found that students who studied the exact same material, half of whom took notes by hand and half of whom used typewriting, that the typists wrote more longer notes and more complete notes. But when tested on conceptual understanding, they scored 20% worse than the handwriters despite having better notes. Typing creates the illusion of learning, but you're collecting data and not engaging the brain.
Writing by hand activates three distinct areas of your brain simultaneously. A motor cortex, B usual processing areas, and C language circuits are engaged deeply. Typing, on the other hand, sees only your motor cortex lighting up. The rest of your brain disengages. When you're handwriting, the letters require your brain to actively construct shapes. On a keyboard, all the letters are the same. They feel identical to each other. A study in Tokyo University found that students who wrote notes by hand had 34% better recall one week later than those who typed.
The slower speed of handwriting means you have to encode. You cannot transcribe word for word. You must select what matters, what's important and rephrase it in your own words. You are then processing, not just recording. Also, the hand-eye coordination creates multiple memory pathways. When it comes to retrieval, the brain has multiple hooks to hold on to. You don't just remember the idea. You remember how and where you created it on the page. Typists transcribe word for word. Writers synthesize. In a Princeton study, handwriters scored 23% higher on conceptual questions than the typists.
The effort involved in handwriting is what makes it effective. Typists confuse speed with productivity. When learning is too easy, it doesn't stick. When typing or using a digital format of note takingaking, distractions abound and a multitasking, delusion arises. Using pen and paper, on the other hand, ensures no distractions or notifications, provided, of course, you've put your phone away. Taking notes by typing can also lead to an overconfidence in your notes. You may have the information externally, but probably not internally.
Writing rather than typing forces you to choose what matters and to put it in your own words. This leads to greater understanding. When taking notes to understand, follow these three principles. One, slow down to speed up. Force yourself to listen first. Two, make the notes visual. Make them yours. Make them individual. And three, write to review. That is, write a brief summary of what you took down from memory. Don't refer to your notes. Write the summary from memory.
Here are nine reasons why I am keeping a journal in 2026. One, it is scientifically proven to be good for the brain. Two, I like writing with a fountain pen and on good quality paper. The notebooks I use are called like the term 1917 notebooks. There's a link in the description on my YouTube channel and if you use the link I get a small uh commission and uh it's a way that you can show to support the channel if you choose to do so if you choose to buy a notebook. Three, to help me learn things and unpack ideas. So this is another reason why I'm keeping a journal in 2026 to help me to understand and learn things and unpack ideas. Four, to explore ideas and thoughts. Five, to help with mental well-being and stress reduction. Six, to set out video outlines, bullet points, structure of videos, and so forth. Seven, to unpack my mind. Eight, to have a private space, a private place that is not a online or b digital. and nine to have a place that is completely private where I can share no my my thoughts essentially with myself.
I hope you like the video. Please feel free to hit the thumbs up button down below if you're watching this on YouTube or Facebook or wherever. Please note I've left a link in the description on my YouTube channel for underneath this video for the notebooks I use and recommend that like term 1917. If you buy a notebook through my link, I get a small commission and you'll be supporting the channel. Thanks a lot.