5 Reasons Why You Should Write Every Day

When you hear the word “writing,” what image comes to mind? Do you imagine books you can buy on Amazon, or remember that time in high school English class when you had to write a paper on Shakespear? 

While those thoughts came to my head when I asked myself that question, I also thought about all the positive reasons to write. Whether it was edgy poetry that I wrote in high school or press releases that I’ve written professionally, I’ve always been in love with writing. In this post, I’ll explore the reasons why everyone should grab a pen and paper (if anyone still uses that in 2021) and write.

1. It helps express your emotions

At our core, humans have the need and desire to connect with others. One way we do this is through expressing our emotions. For many, expressing ourselves is a daunting challenge, and with writing, you can tap into those emotions and put them into words. 

Remember in the paragraph above that I talked about writing edgy poems in high school? Taking all of my complex teenage feelings to paper allowed me to understand those feelings, where they came from, how to process them, and most importantly, how to communicate them to those around me. While you may not be an angst-ridden teenager, everyone needs to be able to express their emotions. Writing provides the avenue to channel your feelings into something constructive and share them with those around you (or keep them to yourself).

2. It helps you clear your mind

If your mind is anything like mine, it runs a million miles a second. I’m always thinking of something no matter who I’m with or what I’m doing. With a mind that always has its gears turning, one way I’ve been able to channel the chaos is by writing.

Writing provides a single task that I can use when a million thoughts plague my mind. The best part about using writing as a way to shut off your mind is that it doesn’t have to be perfect. It can be as chaotic or eloquent as you want. While there are many other ways to clear your mind, like yoga, painting, or other activities, I always find that writing is my go-to when I need to take a step back and clear my mind. 

3. It helps you discover your passion

Many of us could not escape writing. It’s a part of curriculums in every subject all over the world. While the art of writing is forced (and many people hate being forced to do anything), it can ultimately help you discover what you’re passionate about. 

Most people can’t find what they’re passionate about by sitting on the couch and rewatching their favorite shows on Netflix. It usually takes the individual doing some activity to discover their passions. While you may never be passionate about writing, writing can help you learn new things about yourself or consider new viewpoints you hadn’t considered before. 

You might be able to discover that spark within yourself that could lead you to something extraordinary. In my experiences, writing press releases in college made me realize that I want to incorporate writing for an audience somewhere in my career. I’m blessed and lucky to have the ability to do this every single day. 

4. It helps your career

No matter who you are, where you live, or where you’re from, work is something you can’t avoid. Everyone has to work to meet basic needs like food, shelter, and monthly subscription charges to your favorite video game (while video game subscription charges may not apply to everyone, but it does for some - including myself). But did you know that writing can help you in your career? No matter the type of work or industry you’re in, writing can support you regardless of your career goals.

The ability to write clear, concise, and relevant text is something that all professions can benefit from. You may think that writing only exists within the world of journalism, communication, and marketing careers, but this isn’t true. In many professions, you have to communicate with coworkers and other professionals via email and instant messaging channels. Guess what...that’s writing! You may need to do some qualitative research and present your findings to your manager. Guess what...that’s writing as well! 

Since writing is something you can’t avoid, writing in your personal time can help you with those eloquent emails and groundbreaking qualitative research. In the past, I’ve used the skills I acquired while writing research papers to help me write out a thorough Instagram launch campaign in a previous role. I wouldn’t have been able to write a well-researched and extensive document without the knowledge I acquired from my previous writing experience.  

5. It helps improve your writing skills

I know what you must be thinking, “well, duh, of course, writing can help improve your writing.” It may seem like a no-brainer, but writing every day can help improve your writing skills. No matter what style of writing you do, simply writing every day is, in my opinion, the most crucial benefit of this entire blog post.

Improving any skillset, including writing, starts with accepting the fact that you will fail. Failure is a part of life that many of us find scary, but it’s necessary. You can’t improve on something unless you’re willing to stumble and learn from your mistakes. Writing has the same mentality - you can’t become a better writer unless you take the chance and write. I’ve failed a lot in my academic and professional career in writing, but I still write because I know that everything I write will help me the next time I write.

Final Thoughts

If you’ve made it to the end of this blog post, I hope you’ve seen the value that writing every day can give. From expressing your emotions to helping your career, writing serves many purposes. 

Is writing something every day challenging? If it is for you, I recommend starting small by writing 3-4x a week a gradually increasing until you reach every day. If you commit to this challenge, you just might see that it’s the most beneficial and productive thing you’ve ever done.

If you write every day or if I’ve missed a crucial benefit of writing, please let me know in the comments section below.