Pandemic Anxiety? Try Writing About It

I’ve been thinking recently about how much writing has helped me cope during the pandemic, when so much feels out of control. Putting thoughts on paper, where I can see them, makes them feel more manageable. When they stay in my head too long, colliding with other thoughts, I start to go a little batty.

In the latest issue of Psychology Today, there is an article about how people deal with adversity (like losing a job, for example). One study involved participants who had recently been laid off. Half were assigned to write about “their deepest thoughts and feelings about getting laid off” for 30 minutes a day for 5 consecutive days. The other half were not given the writing assignment. Within days, the people in the first group reported feeling happier and healthier. Within 6 months, over half had new jobs (at higher pay), compared to only 20 percent of the participants in the second group.

Why is writing like this so helpful? Studies allude to several reasons. Usually, after a layoff (or, say, during a pandemic), people are somewhat frantic, trying to understand what happened and also plan for their next move. As the article says, writing enables people to “begin to organize and simplify their thoughts. Merely labeling and applying some structure to the experience can help us to understand and find some meaning.”

Further, several studies show that after writing, people ruminate less about upheavals, sleep better, are less distracted, and feel more emotionally stable. To put it simply: “Writing stills the mind.”

I was born an anxious type so it’s no wonder I found my way to writing. Writing has always served to organize and simplify my thoughts. It is, essentially, a coping mechanism. During the pandemic, I have been working on a novel, but I’ve also taken to “journaling” (in quotes because I don’t use an actual journal; I just send emails to myself). Just the act of writing out all my thoughts, which are often overwhelming in these crazy times, helps me feel less overwhelmed. I don’t need anyone to read the thoughts. I don’t even re-read them. I just get them out.

In a way, writing is like meditation. And, like meditation, many people seem intimidated by the practice. They think there is a “right” way to do it when there really isn’t. You don’t have to be a Buddhist monk to meditate, and you don’t have to be a Writer to write. It’s one of the simplest activities there is and there are so many benefits. Scientists agree.

Originally published at http://blog.kimhooperwrites.com on November 25, 2020.