At the beginning of the year, after a trip, I came home with my head full of ideas. I grabbed my trusty old notebook and wrote down – literally – everything I wanted for 2025: work plans, the next steps in my career, and of course, what I hope to build with this blog you’re reading right now.

It was right there, putting on paper what had only existed in my mind, that I realized how much I had let writing fall by the wayside. At some point, I swapped notebooks, planners, and scribbles for the digital world, thinking it would meet all my needs. But the truth is, my my memory started to fail, my ideas got jumbled, and I found myself more and more lost between endless tabs and infinite feeds. I’d open my phone to check a note, and boom: my precious minutes (sometimes hours) would disappear into distractions that led nowhere. Easy dopamine, hard focus. (By the way, I still want to write more about that here… stay tuned! 😉)

One thing I’ve been slowly bringing back into my life is writing by hand. More than just a nostalgic practice, it’s become a powerful ally for focus, memory, organizing ideas – and even for my emotional well-being. But why did so many people let go of this habit? And what happens when we choose to bring it back?

The human touch digital can't replicate

Writing on paper forces a different rhythm. It makes the mind slow down. With a keyboard, we have the speed of typing, editing tools, and the ability to delete and restart as many times as we want. But on paper, every word asks for intention. Every pause carries weight. It’s almost as if handwriting creates an inner listening space, a moment between thought and action.

As I write my thoughts and reflections again, I notice how much it helps me truly feel what’s going on inside.. Things that often go unnoticed in the rush of daily life take shape there, between the lines. It feels like writing is a way of having a conversation with myself; without distractions, without notifications, without the urge to switch tabs or check social media.

What science has discovered about it

Studies show that handwriting activates different areas of the brain than typing does. Research from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) revealed that when we write by hand, our brain forms more complex neural connections, which helps strengthen memory, learning, and comprehension.

Handwriting also helps us organize our thoughts more deeply. Unlike typing, which is often more mechanical and fast-paced, writing on paper requires more focus and presence. This process naturally slows down our thinking and encourages reflection, which can be especially helpful in anxious moments or when our minds feel overloaded.

Psychologist, professor, and researcher Virginia Berninger from the University of Washington, studied the effects of handwriting on both children and adults and found that the practice stimulates cognitive, motor, and emotional skills. She explains that handwriting helps develop creativity, fine motor coordination, and the ability to better structure what we feel.

“… cursive writing, printed materials, and keyboarding use related but different brain functions. Also, with keyboarding, finger movements are the same for every letter key. As a result, if children only learn to type, they miss out on skills gained from understanding and mastering the ability to write.”

Full article available at BBC News Brasil: “How handwriting benefits the brain and is making a comeback in schools.”.

In other words, there’s so much more to this simple gesture than we often realize.

Writing by hand is also a way to care for your mind

In a world where everything moves too fast and we accumulate dozens of open tabs – real and mental –, writing by hand can be an anchor. A simple act of self-care.

It brings order. It calms. It helps us focus.

When I’m feeling overwhelmed, for example, grabbing of paper and listing everything on my mind already brings me immediate relief. It’s almost like I’m telling myself: “It’s all here. You don’t have to carry it alone.”

This has a name: externalizing thought. It’s when we take what’s tangled in our minds and place it in the outside world, where we can see it more clearly. The paper becomes an extension of the mind, and that changes everything.

Handwriting is also a form of resistance

Resistance against the rush. Against superficiality. Against the productivity-obsessed mindset that often steals the joy of simply doing something for the sake of it, with no goal, no pressure to show results.

Writing by hand may seem like a simple act, and it is. But it also pushes back against today’s patterns of consumption and attention. While everything digital invites us to speed, performance, and exposure, paper invites silence, introspection, and connection with what truly matters..

Maybe that’s why so many people are rediscovering the joy of notebooks, planners, bullet journals, and diaries. Not just as tools for organization, but as a space for expression. We don’t just write down tasks or goals, we allow ourselves to dream, to create, to make mistakes. A space for freedom and care.

If you want a bit of practical inspiration to get started with writing on paper, I invite you to watch this video where I share how I use my bullet journal in daily life. I show how a simple notebook helps me organize my thoughts, stay focused , and create a lighter, more intentional routine.

📺 Back to paper: creating my bullet journal and reconnecting with handwriting

What if you started writing again, too?

If your mind feels too full, maybe it’s time to step away from the screen and return to paper. You don’t need a full planner or a strict journaling routine. It can be a random sentence. A simple vent. A project idea. A sweet memory.

Anything that’s living inside you.

And if you feel blocked, remember: it doesn’t have to be pretty, or perfect, or even finished. It just has to be yours.

How about setting aside 10 minutes today to write something just for you?