5 ways writing helped me reduce my anxiety

I will not start here giving you fake promises that I can cure your anxiety. I too like most of you suffer from serious anxious state and just have discovered the bomb way of dealing with it.

Remember, you need to help yourself.

I have known the feeling of simply sitting and staring at the blank wall and diving deep in the thoughts of past or something actually yet to happen.

I know how terrible it is when you feel helpless but you wanna get rid of that troubling thing that disturbs your mental state.

And in all such stages of life, writing and solely writing has helped me so much more.

This isn’t because I am a writer or an author so it is easy for me to write or the words come on their own while I am on a blank sheet.

I have received messages where people are simply unaware of this tool just because they aren’t into writing.

I am not telling you all to be a professional writer or use some heavy fancy words or metaphors for your writing.

You don’t even have to show your writing to someone. It is for you, for your cure.

I feel blessed to have discovered this beautiful form for helping me reduce my anxiety and even writing this is helping me a lot.

“Start writing, no matter what. The water does not flow until the faucet is turned on.”

— Louis L’Amour

Use writing as the art of healing and see the wonders it does.

Here are the 7 ways about how writing helped me reduce my anxiety.

1. Expressive writing

This is the simplest form of writing which will help you to vomit out all the things you have within.

Whenever I am at my lows and I have no idea what to write about, I simply use this tool to free myself from my inner mess.

Expressive writing as writing therapy follows no rules. You need not worry regarding the commas being spilled here and there or the exclamation popping out from nowhere. Here you are only asked to express yourself freely. To put down on paper everything that is troubling your soul.

The connection between expressive writing and wellness was discovered by Dr. James Pennebaker, Chair of Psychology, at the University of Texas, Austin.

In expressive writing, you need to sit down for 20mins and write continuously without worrying about spellings or grammar or other’s view. Remember you don’t have to show this to anyone.

Here I have some prompts that I use for reducing my anxiety and helping my mental state.

Some points to pay attention to:

1. Write for at least 20mins for continuous 4-5 days.
2. Your topic should be personal as you wanna spill out your feelings.
3. Do not worry about spellings or grammar.
4. Write continuously but also note that if it pushes you towards the edge of your grief or wound, please STOP!
5. You may feel grieved while writing or even after writing but to avoid the clot, the blood has to flow. It will get better as you practice this.

2. Journaling

Journaling is the synonym of self-reflection.

The most useful and powerful tool for me to reduce the anxiety was to sit down and start journaling.

When it comes to mental growth and wellbeing, journaling has helped me heal and self-reflect inwardly.

This is the oldest form of self-help where you need not master anything but self-aware. You are here diving deep within just to find out the treasure hidden.

You can journal at your own pace but having a proper schedule of doing things has made my life a bit less messy.

Journalling is vast and you can have various days for a particular type.

For instance: Gratitude journal, Stress relief journaling, food and health journal, art journaling, art +poetry journal or just a simple decluttering journal.

How to journal:

• Choose an aesthetically pleasing journal ( I am a stationery addict. Lol)
• Pick up a specific time dedicated to your journal
• Start with decluttering your thoughts
• Write about how you feel and is there any way you could do to make you feel better
• Practice gratitude journaling. Trust me counting your blessings helps.
• Write three things you are grateful for. Every single day.
• Use different journal prompts to keep your mind engaged and let the creative juices flow.

3. Love notes to self

This is something, I recently started writing for my own self.

Last year had taught me a lot more about loving self and honoring my worth since then I am literally the fan of ‘Self-love’.

You can get in touch with me through this 7 days email course of detailed Self-love practice.

My poems are also centric around it. And believe me ‘self-love’ is so very powerful that will drive you through the worst periods of life.

We have often seen and even written (maybe) love letters to our friends or family but ever thought of writing an adorably warm letter to the most beautiful human alive?

Writing little love notes to self will help you know yourself more, it will also make you realize your hidden talents and the things you unknowingly admire about yourself.

Have you seen the sticky notes stuck around the mirror? And whenever you feel low you just go to that space and read all the kind words about your self-admiration. We all at times need this.

How glad you feel reading appreciative words from others?

Imagine reading little beautiful notes that you wrote it for yourself. Isn’t that soul satisfying?

To me, this feels like having an eternal blissful love affair with myself, like being my very own Valentine. (winks)

Here I have a few love notes that I wrote for myself.

4. Dairy writing

I wish I took this art seriously back when my English teacher introduced me to this beauty. But lately, when I began teaching, I simply fell in love with dairy writing and I do force my students to develop a habit of writing through any form.

I know this is annoying but it will relieve you from the stress.

Dairy more or like is a human who just listens without judging or asking weird questions you never seem to find the answers of.

For me, my dairy is the resource of my wellbeing. Whenever I feel low or lonely, my dairy has helped me to quick start my joyous mood.

For introverts like me, dairy is the best companion. If you too like me are an introvert, I highly recommend you to pick up the dairy and start penning your thoughts.

Dairy writing is the account of personal experience which you don’t have to share with anyone if you don’t wish to.

You can list out all the important events of the day or something that went wrong or utterly correct. Your views and reflections on the same.

The Diary of Anne Frank was actually a series of diary which got converted into a book.

Isn’t this something worth pondering!

5. Poetry writing

It took me a while to actually write about this particular topic. Poetry is my home, the place where I can completely be me- the true me. It taught me the art of survival, the art of forgiveness, the art of letting go. I owe so much more to poetry and am truly indebted for doing miracles in my life.

My only way to heal when I was unaware of all the above form was solely my poetry. I started writing poems back when I was in high school but that time I used to write about people, places near to me and now I write totally different.

Even today I burst out laughing when I read my childish poem. But hey, that’s okay. Baby steps, remember.

Poetry to me is my forever home where my gypsy soul finds solace.

Besides writing, even poetry reading helps cure anxiety. It helps to view a better perspective towards life and renders you the gift of thoughtfulness.

Poetry doesn’t follow any specific rule unless it is the specific kind of poem i-e ballad, sonnet, haiku etc

You can pen down two lines which may or may not rhyme but it should definitely be conveying or clearing something at the end.

You can also check out my Instagram for my poetry account and my upcoming book on the same (Woop woop! I am a poet)