I find Dr. Thazin Han’s story about her grandfather, who continued to write well into his 90s (and lived till 105 years old), particularly intriguing. She asked if there was any relationship between writing and mental health.
Research has shown there is a good relationship between writing and mental health. Perhaps examining the words of Francis Bacon could serve as a starting point.
Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man; and, therefore, if a man write little, he had need have a great memory; if he confer little, he had need have a present wit; and if he read little, he had need have much cunning, to seem to know that he doth not.
Francis Bacon
Before the advent of the digital age, books serve as storehouses of human knowledge and wisdom. As long as we can read, we have access to them. The man who reads a little, therefore, has a comparatively empty mind. Yes, he may learn something from his own experience and others; but he knows little of what the human race has learned and thought. If he reads widely and wisely, he is on the way to becoming a complete man.
“Conference,” as used by Bacon, means discussion or debate. To be fully engaged in a discussion, we need to have a quick and ready mind. Taking an active part in debating issues gives us valuable practice in various discourses. So, indeed “conference” does “maketh a ready man.”
“Writing” here means making notes as we read. We cannot entrust important points to memory, especially when exact words and figures are essential. The strongest memory is often weaker than the palest ink (attributed to Confucius). So, making notes of what we read helps us to be accurate and precise – “writing maketh an exact man.”
But what about writing essays, blogs, or books? Writing is essentially a thinking exercise, and like physical exercise, it helps us keep our minds fit as we age.
There are now many studies showing the positive effect of writing on mental health. Psychologists believe one of the significant reasons writing is good for mental health is that it encourages self-awareness. Self-awareness, like mindfulness, makes us take a step back to observe our thoughts and feelings as they unfold. It is like shining a light on the parts of your inner world that might otherwise remain unnoticed. This awareness is the first step to change and growth. (We cannot change what we do not know).
There is a significant difference between thinking and writing our thoughts. When thinking, we often get carried away with random thoughts. Writing helps us to focus. We slow down when writing and become more conscious of our words. We become more careful in the way we select what is essential and what is not. We can take a step back and revisit thoughts by re-reading what we have written. Ideas do take time to form, mature and mellow.
We reflect as we write; we explore our thoughts and test our understanding. Before we can grasp a subject, we may have to read further. (Remember what Bacon said? “Reading maketh a full man.”) My experience tells me that curating good ideas (when we write) encourages deeper thinking on topics that matter to us.
Finally, we also learn better when we write. Writing helps us retain information because we integrate new learning into our knowledge as we write. This slow integration of details helps us to keep meaningful knowledge. I am convinced writing promotes personal development.
“Write a little a day keeps the mental rust away.”
Vince
Dr Vincent Chong is a retired Professor of Radiology at Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore.
