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Letters | To keep calm during the coronavirus epidemic, practice calligraphy
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I am writing in response to “Coronavirus: why hiking is good for your mental health during virus outbreak and flu season in Hong Kong” (February 11).
In 2018, a Hong Kong Playground Association survey found that one in three young Hongkongers suffers from stress, anxiety or depression. Due to the coronavirus epidemic, people have been staying at home, if they can, to lower the risk of infection. But staying at home for a long time can be depressing.
Besides outdoor activities like hiking, there are indoor activities people can do at home to relieve stress.
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While many youngsters would just play computer games, they could also try calligraphy. Calligraphy is a very restful and meditative activity that could benefit our mental health.
A professor of educational psychology at the University of Washington showed that printing, cursive writing and using a keyboard produce different effects on the brain. She found that children were able to write longer texts and of higher quality when using a pen than when using a keyboard.
There are different kinds of calligraphy – Chinese calligraphy and Western styles such as copperplate, Spencerian and Gothic. There are basic tutorials online and you can start with simple equipment like a pencil and paper.
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