Psychological & Therapeutic Benefits of Handwritten Letters

By Swapna Viswanathan, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

For 15 years of my life, I wrote and received long, handwritten letters from and to my father, who worked abroad. We both used to eagerly wait for our letters. The sound of the post being dropped at my house, the feel of the stationery, collecting thoughts throughout the week to write to him about school, friends, life and to know more about his work, sometimes at the sea doing some engineering work that he describes in his letters. He introduced me to his lived experience with seasickness and the storms he witnessed during his first time stationed at a location with alternating calm and rough seas.

These letters were filled with love, hope, dreams, experiences, emotions, opinions, different perspectives on the cultures he encountered, knowledge of several festivals from faraway lands, and kindled our imagination. We still have all the letters treasured in albums with nostalgia.

In a world where most of us work on laptops, communicate through e-mails and social media, the art of handwritten letters or notes has gradually dwindled. On the contrary, we see a rise of mental health challenges with many who wish to reconnect with themselves, or the version of themselves which felt calm and safe. Balance is so significant here. Feeling calm and safe, having social connections, serving and feeling a sense of belonging to our expanding community, expressing ourselves, connecting with nature, and taking our time without rushing have become luxuries for many nowadays.
            
Handwritten notes, cards, letters to self and others, or just a small chit bring many benefits to our mental and emotional health.

Some benefits of handwriting or handwritten notes and letters are:

• Enhancing our emotional health
• Supports in depression and anxiety
• Slowing down to manage stress, process information, and emotional release by
  confronting everyday stressors.
• Increases self-awareness and fosters self-reflection.
• Creates Alpha and Theta waves connected to learning, which are otherwise not
  present when one uses typewriting.
• Promoting deeper connections with loved ones and others
• “One task at a time!” Writing letters to ourselves or others needs an intentional
  pause.
• Enhancing cognitive ability and memory
• Nostalgia by cherishing the letters to evoke these memories years later
• Exploring emotions while gaining clarity
• Handwriting letters and notes becomes therapeutic as information is processed
  simultaneously.
• Helps generate ideas and see the bigger picture.
• Processing information
• Handwriting stimulates a vast network of brain areas involved in cognitive processing, motor and sensory abilities, as well as deeper levels of learning and retention (Marano et al. 2025).
  

To share this art and knowledge with others seeking to enhance their emotional and mental wellness, Swapna Viswanathan is hosting a 1.5 workshop on February 7, 4-5:30 p.m.

Click here to REGISTER FOR WORKSHOP

Only 10 seats are available for each session. Open to pre-registered participants only.

Reference:
Marano, G., Kotzalidis, G. D., Lisci, F. M., Anesini, M. B., Rossi, S., Barbonetti, S.,
Cangini, A., Ronsisvalle, A., Artuso, L., Falsini, C., Caso, R., Mandracchia, G., Brisi, C.,
Traversi, G., Mazza, O., Pola, R., Sani, G., Mercuri, E. M., Gaetani, E., & Mazza, M.
(2025). The neuroscience behind writing: Handwriting vs. typing-who wins the
battle?. Life (Basel, Switzerland), 15(3), 345. https://doi.org/10.3390/life15030345
 Shen L, Yang L, Zhang J, Zhang M (2018). Benefits of expressive writing in reducing
test anxiety: A randomized controlled trial in Chinese samples. PLoS ONE 13(2):
e0191779. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0191779