Reasons to Write: It Requires Solitude...Of a Sort

Every time I sit down to write a letter I feel I have carved for myself mental space. Everything  else it turned off or ignored. I don't even listen to music while writing. I like the quiet. I share with you an article from Psychology Today telling the benefits of solitude; something sorely missing from our chronically connected world. By the way, a study done by Nottingham Trent University found that on average people check their phones eighty-five times a day and supports the first paragraph of the article. Most of us are slaves to our phones, fearful of missing a message or a bit of news.

The article (read it in full here) gives six reasons we should spend time alone:

1. Solitude allows you to reboot your brain and unwind.
2. Solitude helps to improve concentration and increase productivity.
3. Solitude gives you an opportunity to discover yourself and find your own voice.
4. Solitude provides time for you to think deeply.
5. Solitude helps you work through problems more effectively.
6. Solitude can enhance the quality of your relationships with others. 

I find that the act of writing a letter facilitates all six of these reasons. My post title says "It Requires Solitude...Of a Sort." Of a Sort meaning that I am alone, still, and quiet when I write but the person with whom I converse is very present in my mind as though I were spending time with them. But then, there's reason number six.