creative writing stories about anxiety

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The Best Fiction of Anxiety

Evelyn hampton recommends stories octavia butler, lydia davis, and more.

Probably anxiety needs no introduction—it is as familiar to us as the heft of our phones, the sense of constant, impending demands on our time. Most of us know the feeling of leaning too far toward a dreaded future event and being unable to pull away from thoughts that bring only unrest. So, instead, I’ll introduce the writing of anxiety, which is different from anxiety though influenced by it. The writing of anxiety is shaped by uneasy anticipation and distressing desire; its form is often inspired by shortness of breath and attention. How can something be inspired, filled up, by what is not there? Yet the writing of anxiety proliferates absence. Often it is quiet in a way that seems about to scream, or collapse; careful in a way that suggests disordered brain activities that cannot, will not, be soothed. In these seven stories, anxiety is present the way setting and characters are, and also the way writers are—anticipating an ending, a place that does not exist yet must, somehow, be arrived at.

“Five Signs of Disturbance” by Lydia Davis, from the collection Break it Down

This is one of the most harrowing stories I know. Davis quietly and precisely details a woman’s (she is unnamed) slow breakdown as she searches for an apartment alone. The story culminates with her near-total inability to act. But it’s the quiet precision of the description, over and against what happens to the character, that really horrifies me. “The toll was fifty cents,” Davis writes, “so she had to keep two quarters in her hand and put one back. The problem was that she couldn’t decide which one to put back . . . She told herself that the choice was arbitrary, but she felt strongly that it was not.” This is a story about a division of one’s own thoughts: a breakdown, a decline, but simultaneously, a quiet, precise vigilance that watches the breakdown.

“Division by Zero” by Ted Chiang, from the collection Stories of Your Life and Others

Renee, a mathematician, discovers a formalism that allows any number to be equated with any other number, proving the inconsistency of arithmetic and uncovering within mathematics, to which she has devoted her life, a seemingly fatal contradiction. Unable to take her mind off the contradiction, she starts to unravel—she can’t concentrate, doesn’t want to talk to people, has nightmares, loses interest in her career and her marriage. As the reader, we watch from an omniscient perspective that includes Renee and her husband, Carl, who, as his wife unravels, begins to understand why the empathy he feels for her means he must leave her. Chiang, writing in numbered sections, a form borrowed from formal, logical proofs, shows why the illogic in Carl’s thinking makes perfect sense, just as the illogic in Renee’s discovery does. Perhaps the flaw in mathematics extends from a corollary flaw in us.

“The Tea Bowl” by Martha Ronk, from the collection Glass Grapes and Other Stories

“Sometimes my skin just gives way,” begins the narrator of a piece that moves by associative logic and brief scenes through the narrator’s life. In its movement and logic it mirrors one of the story’s concerns, that of boundarylessness, of being easily infected and easily infecting. “I’ve never told anyone about how when I was seven I concentrated and slowly slid my foot through the wall,” the narrator discloses. She sees ghosts, too, and has a sense of being acted upon by the dead, of having no control. One day her husband says “Don’t touch me” and she breaks out in a rash. He leaves her and her face swells so that she cannot open her eyes. “Even today when I walk into a room I look first of all for the breakables and try to move as slowly as possible,” Ronk writes, moving us from a notion of “breaking out” to a notion of breaking and being broken, like the precious pottery the narrator, an art critic, collects. By the end it’s apparent that the story has been told in reverse, and in so doing has consumed itself. It ends with a line contradicting the first line: “I have perfect skin; everyone says so.”

“Where to Find Things” by Caren Beilin, from the collection Americans, Guests, or Us

This story is two sentences long, and I am going to reveal them here (consider this a spoiler alert): “We keep our cleaning chemicals—bleach, stain-remover, Windex—in the refrigerator for preservation. We are committed to preservation.” This might be a note left for an implied but absent narrator; or the narrator is among the “we” who is so committed to preservation they place their cleaning chemicals alongside what they need to survive. What is the difference between survival and preservation? Perhaps for the anxious there is no difference.

“A Little Ramble” by Robert Walser, from the collection Selected Stories

There’s a flavor of anxiety known as “Kafkaesque”; its profile comprises a blanket of uneasiness above which absurdity romps. Less well known is the similar yet distinctive Walserian flavor, perfected by Robert Walser, Kafka’s contemporary. A connoisseur of anxiety, Walser is not bothered by agitation and overwhelm; he laughs at them, and with them. In “A Little Ramble,” the narrator describes a pleasant walk he has taken in the mountains, only vaguely alluding to his isolation in lines like, “Had I come here from very far? Yes, I said, and went farther on my way.” But it’s only in the final two lines that Walser steers us to a point on this little ramble where we can fully see and admire the complexity of Walser’s anxiety: “We don’t need to see anything out of the ordinary,” he writes. “We already see so much.”

“Crossover” by Octavia E. Butler, from the collection Bloodchild and Other Stories (second edition)

As it ages, anxiety shuts down; it numbs. Jane, the narrator of “Crossover,” works in a factory where she is expected to work twice as fast as everyone else, for very little money, and despite often blinding headaches. After work one day she encounters an ex who is just out of prison. When she speaks to him it’s with a voice that is “Toneless. False without any attempt to hide the falseness.” She has endured, and goes on enduring; though she doesn’t want to, she takes him home: “Later, when they had eaten and made love, she sat head in hands trying not to think while he talked at her.” The “crossover” of the title happens in the final pages; disgusted with her ex and herself most of all, Jane goes back to a place she loathes and, it seems, gives up completely. The bleakness of this story is unsettling because it is real; our fear of Jane’s final collapse feels like the bright side of anxiety, which keeps us churning and moving away, we may hope, from total despair.

“None of This is Real” by Miranda Mellis, from the collection None of This is Real

O, an aspiring “great author,” is visiting his mother, Sonia. He has come home heartbroken from intense, confusing relationships and exhausted from trying to write a book that leads him down one rabbit hole after the next. “His files were always in order,” Mellis writes, “However, he became depressed and skeptical when it came time to use them—in short, when it came time to write.” Through writing O seeks an infinite gap between himself and his experiences, a space of transcendence; yet the focus this requires is painful. Every lead is a rabbit hole for O, who sees conspiracy everywhere; what’s more, he has been having excruciating headaches that seem to be culminating in a cartilaginous growth on the crown of his head. By the end of the story, O’s metamorphosis seems to be a species of exhaustion that has finally understood how to breathe.

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36 Creative Ways People Describe Their Anxiety to Those Who Don't Understand

Everyone knows what it’s like to feel nervous. It’s what rattles you before a big test, and what makes your heart beat a little faster before a first date. But for people who live with anxiety, it’s frustrating when your experience is likened to the everyday nervousness everyone feels.

Mighty contributor B.L. Acker knows this well. She wrote :

Whenever I start to explain the part of my mental illness diagnosis that includes severe anxiety, I always receive confused looks. They are usually followed by judgmental comments about how “everyone has problems and stress in their lives,” telling me that I need to “learn to cope and work through it all.”

To help people understand what her anxiety was like, Acker did something creative — she made an anxiety chart , similar to a pain level chart, and now uses it to explain how anxious she feels to loved ones.

Inspired by this, we wanted to see other creative ways people explain their anxiety to others who may not understand.

Here’s what our mental health community shared with us :

1. “[Anxiety is] a gremlin who undermines you and sits there talking crap constantly.” — Alex G.

2. “I named her Sierra. The girl in my head I can keep caged up sometimes. But she screams, so loudly and so horribly, that it breaks her cage. Then she brings out the club and mercilessly beats me up with everything I have ever done in my life, all while screaming at me that I’m a failure, and I deserve nothing good in my life. All I can do is curl up in the fetal position while she violently strikes me with the weight of my mistakes.” — Sarah G.

3. “It’s like having super powers but having no control over them. It’s the strength of the Hulk, but it comes out as anger. It’s Harry Potter’s invisibility cloak, but you can’t choose when you get to wear it. It’s wanting to be as brave as Batman, but being too afraid to leave the bat cave. It’s knowing you are a superhero, but you are stuck in a body/mind that won’t let you. It’s wanting to save the world, but you can’t even save yourself.” — Bex A.

4. “When I’m on the edge of a panic attack, it feels like my brain is breaking. Like it’s being split into two hemispheres.” — Kerrie W.

5. “You know those special effects in movies when the character is moving in slow motion, but their surroundings are racing past them? That’s what it’s like.” — Alyssa K.

6. “It almost feels like your mind is stuck on vibrate and you can’t calm it down.” — Roxy R.

7. “It’s the feeling of worry you get when you can’t sleep because you have an important exam the next morning. Except it’s there for many other reasons at many different times.” — Anahita H.

8. “It’s like a thousand tabs are open at the same time and you have to watch them carefully, each one of them at the same time. But then everything closes down with no warning, and it’s like a fatal error, and nothing seems to work anymore.” — Emu S.

9. “Panic attacks give you a pulse of adrenaline like you got rear-ended going 70 down the highway. All sense of fear and survival are heightened, but in actuality, you’re just in line at a cafe for a muffin.” — Chandra G.

10. “It feels like you’re wading in water, and on your bad days you’re drowning and can’t catch your breath.” — Kristen B.

11. “It’s having your body reacting to a real emergency while your brain is wondering what the emergency is — because there is not one. But your body continues and you cannot turn off the alarm.” — Cathy W.

12. “It’s the panic-y feeling you get when you’re underwater in a dream and you think you’re drowning, when you can actually breath just fine.” — Mikelle M.

13. “If you went skydiving for the first time and you pulled the ripcord and your chute didn’t open — my panic attacks feel like how you would feel in that second.” — Kitty C.

14. “Imagine being stressed about a test. Your heart is racing, your breathing quickens… And now imagine having that feeling constantly — 24/7 for no reason and every reason at the same time.” — Michelle W.

15. “It’s that bad feeling you get in the pit of your stomach when something bad is going to happen. Except it’s all the time, and you never find out what the bad thing that’s going to happen is.” — Hali B.

16. “That constant feeling when you miss a step walking down stairs or you almost fall back in your chair.” — Tim G.

17. “It’s like water sloshing in your stomach, you can feel it crashing around, hitting all sides, changing in intensity, getting worse and worse.” — Kaitlyn R.

18. “I call it my shoulder devil because it’s always whispering horrible things in my head and I can’t stop it.” — Alyson S.

19. “My anxiety is so bad at times that this is all I can do. Just sit and let it happen. I get so tired, I have no more fight.” — Kelly H.

20. “It’s like the walls are closing in and you have no means of escape.” — Heather S.

21. Submitted by Lucy Hackett

22. “It’s like having a hamster on a hamster wheel or a carousel on steroids inside of your head.” — Madison A.

23. “Everything is screaming, even the silence.” — Chelsea G.

24. “It’s like having your brain on overload. It’s on fire and you can’t put the fire out.” — Bethan L.

25. “This is what my brain looks like during an anxiety attack. I can’t formulate sentences or full ideas. I’m in a full panic.” — Kacey K

26. “I feel like my insides are going to explode.” — Tami G.

27. “You know that three seconds of fear you get when you slip, trip, etc.? It’s like that. All day, every day.” — Stephanie Q.

28. “You know that feeling of laughing so hard with your friend, you just look at them, and you start again and can’t stop. That on the opposite end of the spectrum. I cry and have no control over it. And I don’t know why I’m crying. Other than that, it would be feeling overwhelmed over little things.” — Coral M.

29. “You know that feeling you get when you’re faced with your greatest fear? It’s like that … but for the littlest things like getting a haircut or something as simple as riding in a car.” — Reba E.

30. “Like trying to find air while you’re underwater. Impossible.” — Emma G.

31 . “It’s living with a feeling of doom constantly, or that you’ve forgotten something and can’t remember what.” — Christiana T.

32. Submitted by Maree M.

33. “When you’re driving and see a cop car come out of nowhere and you get that rush of fear that you’ve done something wrong, when you haven’t and they are not there for you at all. But the feeling never leaves, even after the cop car has gone.” — Courtney D.

34. “You know that feeling of falling when you’re asleep? That moment of sheer panic when you jerk awake right before you realize you don’t have to be scared? It’s that. All the time.” — Meghan D.

35. “Like constant chatter jumping from subject to subject and going down a rabbit hole in my head.” — Jordan T.

36. “You know when you’re watching a scary movie and the music changes so you know there’s going to be a jump scare any moment and you don’t know when? It’s like that except the jump scare never comes.” — Nikki G.

How would you describe your anxiety to someone who doesn’t understand?

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Nin Chronicles

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How creative writing helps manage anxiety + how it helped me..

Three years ago, I found myself unable to write. As I have been writing since I was nine years old, being too tense and anxious to focus on letters terrified me. At the back of my mind sat the nagging fear: what if I can never write again?

I experienced chest pains, words dizzied in front of my eyes, and my concentration wandered. Often, I thought of nothing and could not think of anything without slipping off into empty space. Worried, I went to an urgent care facility, where the nurse unexpectedly discovered I do not wear a bra, for some answers.

I was told I was experiencing ‘normal teen anxiety’.

To be told waves of dislocating panic and hesitancy to draw a deep breath is normal is eyebrow raising. I went home knowing I needed to do something, but unsure of what that something would look like.

How creative writing helps manage my anxiety

I keep a journal. To write about my experiences is second nature to me. I sat down and wrote about how I felt and how I wanted to feel. I wanted to do more; I wanted to share those private thoughts and personal stories. I wanted to connect with people who can connect with me.

I decided to start Nin Chronicles after I realized I needed to find a natural way to heal. To come to terms and understand my anxiety, I needed to explore where it was stemming from. I sat down a wrote a lengthy piece about my feelings, fears, and hopes for the future. I needed to share my view with the world, and I did.

I wrote passionately terrible articles that I am now revising for clarity with a smile. I wrote about everything and anything troubling me; in that torrent of pent-up emotion, my anxiety poured out and flowed away.

I still experience hints of chest pain and deep, pressing worry today when I read something devastating and the feeling of helplessness; of being able to do nothing comes back. But now I write because I can do something: I can use my voice and my words in the name of awareness. One letter at a time, I can change the world. Writing is my healing.

My mind goes back to the urgent care facility today. Normal teen anxiety? How many people, then, struggle with such deep apprehension? The answering is staggering.

Anxiety can be effectively and consciously handled and as seen in many people, be there one day and gone the next. Many people suffering from generalized anxiety disorders work at healing and heal. I believe anxiety is not for life.

I am hopeful this advice will apply equally well to all you singers, dancers, painters, artists, and colorful creatives too, but here is how creative writing helped me manage and overcome my anxiety and inspired me to bring more of what I am passionate about into my life.

6 Ways Creative Writing Helps Manage Anxiety

Writing gives you an outlet. Having a plethora of worrying and anxiety-driven thoughts occupying your mind and heart is not healthy and, when you are so full of negativity, there is little room for positive action to find room to grow. By expressing yourself in words, you give your emotions another place to go. When put down in ink, I find crushing thoughts and feelings become less daunting and more manageable. Suddenly planning a path forward is doable instead of impossible.
Writing helps you find community. If you decide to share your creative writing, life experiences, and thoughts, you will connect with like-minded people. Community is a wonderful place to not only find support; you can also learn from people who are going through or have gone through similar experiences to yours.
Writing helps you know yourself better. Looking at yourself in words is often a great way to see how you have grown over the years and see yourself more objectively as you are now, especially if you are honest in your journal writing. When you have anxiety, knowing yourself well can often help you pinpoint why you feel anxious. In looking over my journals from the past eight years, I watch myself grow and learn from my life’s experiences. In reading the stories I wrote over the past ten years, I notice how my style and voice has changed and how the themes and morals I always sought to share in my writing have also evolved or changed shape.
Writing helps you find confidence in yourself. If you journal or write creatively, looking back on the excellent pieces of poetry and short stories you have penned, as well as the hard decisions you have made, it is impossible not to walk away with the knowledge you are a capable person with many skills and talents. This assurance is healing to one’s self-esteem.

Related: The Writer’s Guide to Learning From & Handling Literary Rejection

Writing helps you find acceptance. Not everything needs to be a battle, but it is tough to accept something you do not want. I find that, by writing short stories and poems about fictional characters making the decisions I cannot make yet, I am able to find acceptance more peacefully because I have already done it in writing.
Pro Tip : Writing about fictional characters making decisions you are struggling with is a handy way to look at your situation objectively and through different eyes! Multiple perspectives, even if they all ultimately stem from you, may help you find the path for you more clearly.
Writing helps you help other people. If you decide to share a piece about what helped you find your definition of happiness, chances are you might be giving a fellow person a hand up out of their rut.

Finally, if you are struggling with mental health, anxiety, or depression and nothing you are doing is assisting you, consider reaching out for profession help! Sometimes it is what you need and there is no shame or weakness in it.

So, whether you write privately or publicly, in a journal or on a blog, try weaving your experiences, dreams, and passions into your writing. It may help write away some or, over time, all your anxiety.

How do you manage the bumps in your life? Does creativity help you express yourself or help you get to know yourself better? Tell me below!

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83 comments.

loveemblogger

I love writing and it gives me something to work towards. It gives me a space to vent and share tips with others but I didn’t realise all of the other benefits too! Thanks for sharing, Em x

The Queen of My Castle

I started writing my blog during the pandemic and it helped me overcome so much anxiety that I was feeling. Thank you for sharing these thoughtful tips. Writing can indeed be so healing.

Jaya Avendel

I love that your blog has been a big emotional help to you! Thank you for sharing. 🙂

Confidently Kayleigh

Fantastic! I manage anxiety too. My writing helps me, but I never thought to use characters to play out my own thoughts and feelings, thank you x

A few weeks ago I wrote for the first time in 2 years. Writing really improved my mental health since then. ❤️

I’ve always found writing so therapeutic and a great way to organise my thoughts so I can really understand how I am feeling!

Corinne x http://www.skinnedcarrtree.com

simplyalexjean

This is so lovely – writing is to therapeutic and you’ve outlined all the reasons why in such a great way! I’m glad to hear it’s really helped you over the years, and thank you for sharing your story! 🙂

cafebeauty2021

Such a lovely post! Writing has followed me everywhere- whether it’s creative, blogging or professional, I’ve always loved writing. I can definitely see creative writing as therapeutic. Thank you for sharing.

The busy shelf

Thank you so much for sharing, it does good for people struggling with the same thing to read about others’ experiences and how they learned to cope/heal. Physical work is what helps me most of the time. It allows me to consume the tension inside my body, clear my mind and at the same time see the progress in whatever I am doing ( even if it’s about washing the dishes or vacuuming the house). It preps me before taking a look inside what’s going on with me and my feelings… I am my worst critic and not in the good way, which means I must really tire the critic before opening the doors to my feelings.

Thank you so much for sharing the amazing ways physical work helps you clear your mind in much the same way writing helps me! <3

I have been writing since 13. I’m 38 now and it is the best thing for my anxiety. Even if I write utter rubbish I feel its a benefit. Over the years I’ve kept journals, blogged, used forums, wrote short stories and I am definitely all the better for it. Keep writing and reading too.

Love that writing, even your scribbles, have been an immense help to you! Thank you for sharing. <3

untilanotherday

Writing it definitely a brilliant emotional outlet, whether you’re writing about your feelings, or simply writing about something you enjoy x

Julie A Joslyn

Nicely done ☺️

Truly agree that writing helps in best way to stabilise our emotions 😅😃

M. Sebastian

I can completely relate to your article, thank you for writing such a thoughtful testament to writing as healing anxiety. I began my blog when I separated from my husband and we were going through our divorce. The trauma I experienced had no outlet and the anxiety and panic attacks I experienced came to a slow as i started writing about the events. I began to heal. Thank you. Very helpful, I hope someone else in need finds this article and decides to take the plunge into writing, even if its old fashioned paper and pen. Writing heals! 🤗

I love writing by hand; I find the release of words in ink so helpful and connectable. Thank you for sharing the amazing ways writing has helped heal your sadness and find your strength in recovery! <3

I definitely relate to all of this… For a long time I stopped writing… And it coincided with an event in my life that I could never find the words to express… (which is entirely unusual for me)… I tried so many things along the way to reignite that flame inside me but finally what finally got my mojo going again was during the pandemic and realizing how short life can be and the unexpected turns it can take… 🙂

Ah, the unexpected is truly a way to find yourself awake before you know it. Thank you for sharing your thoughts!

Alicia Thompson

Hello Jaya! I totally agree with your post! Thank you for sharing. Writing has really helped me turn my life around. Thank you for sharing! Alicia

RebelliousStudent

A really nice and helpful post! I’ve never really tried creative writing even though I regularly enjoy reading it, but I suppose it’s time I at least give it a try.

Thank you! I love that you found this post valuable.

Fully agree blogging is an outlet to combat stress and anxiety! Take care!

A Sustainably Simple Life

Writing in a journal is what saved me in childhood, so I’m 110% in agreement with you on how helpful writing is for managing stress, anxiety, and a number of things. It’s always been a healing thing for me and love hearing that it is for others as well.

I’m horrible at writing fiction, but I do really like your idea of writing a character making a decision to help with my own decision making. That’s an interesting thought!

Aww, thank you so much for sharing the ways journaling has been so healing to you. Love that you found the character decision writing idea helpful!

Monch Weller

Good to hear that writing served a great benefit to you! If I could sum up what I’ve read, permit me to give one word: CATHARSIS.

Monch, I am overwhelmed indeed by your sum up. Catharsis is a new word for me, but one I am treasuring. Thank you!

Welcome! Learned that from my old creative writing professor years ago, actually hehe!

lynnmumbingmejia

Wow, I love this post, Jaya! Although writing is not my choice of outlet, I love anything creative. Painting is one that I feel heals me and relaxes me. Since starting my blog, I understand what you mean by having more confidence! Thanks for sharing x

Lynn | https://www.lynnmumbingmejia.com

shanon shine

I can totally relate to this…thats the very reason i started writing to use my voice my writing as a tool to make a difference…a great piece work.

Thank you, dear! Love that you connected with this.

A_unfiltered

This is beautiful and I completely agree with you. Writing helped ease my anxiety. First it was in my journal and now on my blog. It helped ease my mind and I’m now not as panic stricken as i used to before. Journaling is that one thing i would always recommend. And sometimes when i look at some of my old entries, I can’t help but smile and cry at how much I’ve grown.

Smile and cry at how much you have grown . . . this is lovely! I adore that writing has helped you so much.

Blessings Bob Matongo

I experience depression and anxiety on a regular basis. Sometimes so much that I forget how much life is good. I view writing as a way out. It’s so amazing that through writing I can find hidden gems that I would never find otherwise. Great post. You’re doing really good.

Thank you, Bob! I especially love that writing helps you see new sides to life.

Vanelle, your read of this is lovely! Thank you for sharing.

Jonathan Caswell

Reblogged this on By the Mighty Mumford .

Jaya, this was such a beautiful post to read! Thank you for sharing your experience. I love how you mentioned about writing and confidence – it’s not an easy task to put oneself out there. Through writing, I’ve learned a lot about myself but also from others and the blogging community is truly so supportive. Love this! x

barbaraleaver

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and very helpful tips!

You have inspired me to write more when I have trouble to sort out my mind. It’s been a while since I did that and your words encouraged me to try again. Thanks!

Della Driscoll

I resonate with this post so much!! Writing is the one thing I’ve always found comfort in, especially when my anxiety is bad xx

Jodie | That Happy Reader

What an insightful post! I’m happy to see that you’ve found something that provides you with healing and empowerment. I find it quite fascinating how many writers suffer from anxiety and depression. Thank you for sharing.

It’s an encouraging piece to motivate one to write and keep on writing. The way you have found solace, peace, and acceptance of your inner self through writing is remarkable. I started my blog to share my experience and knowledge with as many people as possible, and you are right; the writing community is very supportive, and you feel a connection to them. I started enjoying my articles, short stories, and especially the ones my kid has written:) Jaya, you are a prolific writer because you feel content and untethered at the same time. xx

” . . . Content and untethered at the same time . . .” What lovely words and I am touched to be what they describe. Thank you for sharing the ways writing has helped you connect and enjoy life. <3

I love to write too to help me mentaly. I find it really helps me process my feelings and articulate them. It’s especially good for me when I need to express them to someone else so I can try to explain accurately what I am thinking and feeling without it coming out all a bit all over the place! Corinne x

Yes! Writing is a great tool for focusing thought too.

Keep Calm & Drink Coffee

“Writing helps you help other people” Last bur not least. Or better, this is definitely the point reaching my heart as first. Teen anxiety?! Well I am not teen from soooooo long but I still haven’t managed to deal with my anxiety, that’s why your words are helping me so much. In this case, but also every single time I have the luck to read your Words, because every lapse, very moment, every atmosphere you create is like a sort of hook in the sky bringing me away from everyday sadness. So the last point is perfectly YOU.

Claudia, words fail me! I cannot express how happy I am to know my words are such a great help to you! I am touched, honored, and encouraged to continue writing forever. Thank you!

Raji (@journeyintofantasy)

Thank you for sharing this wonderful post Jaya! I can definitely relate to what you’ve said here. I took up journaling as a way to deal with stress in high school and continued throughout university since it proved to be such an effective way to relieve anxiety.

A very lovely post, Jaya. I too, to write to help my stress level to stay in control.. Lol. I feel so relaxed after writing.. I can’t even explain that feeling. Stay blessed! ❤️🌹🙏

Thank you for this honest share about your struggles with anxiety Jaya. Writing is a great healer, and together we can join voices and help to fix a broken planet 🙏

Beautifully expressed, Ingrid!

Jeff Flesch

A lovely post, Jaya. Though I didn’t start blogging with the intention of creating a space to work through my own anxiety; I do find great release in the creative process, especially when it comes to writing poetry. An absolute wonder for getting out of our heads those anxieties, dreams, issues, etc. Great advice!

The beauty of your mind shows in every piece you write, Jeff. Thanks for sharing how writing benefits you!

That is so kind of you, Jaya. Thank you; and, you are most welcome. Is always my pleasure!

Michelle (Boomer Eco Crusader)

Normal teen anxiety? It annoys me how the medical system can be so dismissive of mental health issues. Writing, or any other form of creative expression, is a great way to deal with anxiety. I am a singer but, because of the pandemic, I’m not singing much right now. I’m so grateful to have my blog as a creative outlet and I’m also grateful for the wonderful people like you that I’ve connected with through blogging. Thanks for sharing your story, Jaya!

Love that blogging has given you another outlet, Michelle! Thank you for sharing your form of creativity. 🙂

A beautiful, informative write up 👌👌

Exactly how I felt about drawing when I was in my final year at architecture school. It took me more than six months and some therapy to overcome that anxiety which was really the fear of disappointing my father if I did not do well. Only when I finally put aside that fear, as in I told myself what will be, will be … I was able to draw and got a good degree. I told myself after that to create for creating’s sake and not for other people.

Fear of disappointment is terrible indeed, Az, but I love the realization that pulled you through was one of self! Thank you for sharing.

A superb article Jaya, honest and informative, and after my strokes, I think rediscovering writing has definitely been my comfort pillow through my years of trials and tribulations …

Love that writing is your comfort pillow, Ivor! Thank you for sharing how words help you.

Basic With Life

Such a brilliant and helpful article, I started blogging in the hope that it could help with paying off my debts but I soon discovered how much it helped with my depression, anxiety and boredom. I still have the debts 😂 but it has helped so much with my mindset. Thanks for sharing.

🙂 Sometimes we find the unexpected along our initial path. Love that you were open to it!

Andrew McDowell

Excellent post!

Lisa's Notebook

This was a realy interesting post, Jaya. I think those of us who kept or keep diaries and those if us who blog will know exactly what you mean. The act of writing helps us in so many ways, but if we can help others too, that’s a bonus.

Jordanne | Ofaglasgowgirl

I really resonate with a lot of what you’ve said. I find writing helps me when I feel my anxiety flaring, I have high functioning and social anxiety so I get drained quite a lot from being around people or not doing enough, but also doing too much. Having a blog has helped me harness some more control as it’s a place to escape when I need to, it helps me stay busy but also shut away for a while to built myself back up. I am so shocked that you were told that it was normal to anxiety, nothing about it should be normal! Especially for teens and children. I’m sure your writing will help a lot of people not feel so alone and will be able to connect with your words.

Thank you so much, Jordanne, for sharing how writing helps you focus and balance yourself! I was relieved it was anxiety instead of something potentially more physical, but also dismayed at the dismissive manner with which I was informed. Writing is definitely my form of medicine now. 🙂

Doing this blog really helped me with my anxiety and ADHD. I connected with such awesome writers and artists in all on here. My anxiety and ADHD still puts forks in my road but blogging, photography and writing help a lot. I’ve also found that singing helps so much too. I love music. Sometimes I’ll just blast songs on my way to work and sing falling into another world with the voice in my speakers. It’s an awesome feeling. One of my favorite things to do is drawing. Drawing is a great escape. I want to do it more. I’m trying to make more time to write and draw more. Luckily I am still active with photography. I use my phone more though as my laptop turns my jpeg files into blank white cubes…. Yeah something is wrong with my laptop haha. Using my phone is safer for my photos lately ha

I love that you have found creative ways to express yourself, Brittny, that are also positively affecting your mental health! Photography and drawing are both so much fun, and I relate to relaxing into the sound of sing-along tunes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

Thank you !!! Yes!! Music and singing really is way more cathartic than given credit for 🙂 😂😆 . Do you draw often ?

Not as often as perhaps I should, but I have painted some elves I am rather proud of. 🙂

In some way I can relate, I stopped writing for over 10 years, struggling with abandonment issues. Realizing that I was abandoning myself (if that makes sense) who I truly couldn’t afford to lose. I soon found that writing help me find that person again, that I thought was gone. Whatever outlet helps you as FN stated above, I’ll add •gardening •photography •birdwatching I loved this post, Jaya, we all struggle with our own issues, there is no shame in that. 🙏🏼💙🤗☀️🌻

Thank you for sharing your story! I feel too that losing ourselves is the worst kind of abandonment, and love that you rediscovered yourself through a plethora of creative outlets. <3

You’re welcome, sharing is a way of showing others they aren’t alone in what they are feeling. 💙

femaleoriginal

“I wrote passionately terrible articles that I am now revising for clarity with a smile.” I can definitely relate to this! There’s something so charming (yet, admittedly, cringey) about reading old posts and bringing them into your current style of writing. I loved learning about your own experience with writing and anxiety, and some of the ways that writing can really benefit you. x https://www.femaleoriginal.com

How well you have articulated what so many feel snd are unable to. Wonderful tips . Some write, Some paint, Some sing, Some dance Some knit!

Love that you have added in a few more forms of expression I missed!

summer with monika

Through writing I move beyond the familar world into unknown places. Writing is a commitment to uncertainty and embracing things I do not know or understand. This is where, I feel, truth and true meaning exist.

😍 Your words are a poem that capture my heart! Thank you so much for sharing how writing relates to you.

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I’m Doing Mostly OK: Graphic Nonfiction About Anxiety

Rachel Rosenberg

Rachel Rosenberg has been writing since she was a child—at 13, she was published alongside celebs and fellow teens in Chicken Soup For the Teenage Soul 2. Rachel has a degree in Creative Writing from Montreal’s Concordia University; she’s been published in a few different anthologies and publications, including Best Lesbian Love Stories 2008, Little Fiction, Big Truth’s Re/Coded anthology and Broken Pencil magazine. She also appeared on the Montreal episode of the Grownups Read Things They Wrote As Kids podcast. Her day job is as a Children’s Librarian, where she digs singing and dancing with small humans.

View All posts by Rachel Rosenberg

Sometimes, existing in the world can feel like you are standing around watching a dumpster that has been lit on fire. It’s hot and uncomfortable, probably smells terrible, but you can’t seem to walk away from the chaos. There are a lot of stressors out there, and news now comes to us constantly, beamed into our phones, laptops, and TVs. It can be so constant and so negative that it can easily overwhelm us. How do you push through when when you are already an anxious person, someone who focuses on the negative even in the best of times?

When you struggle with anxiety, it can be easily to practice avoidance. I have never read up on anxiety for fear of stressing myself out worse, and I therefore exist in a state of semi-blissful* ignorance (*debatable). I’ve recently discovered that graphic nonfiction can be a powerful aid in coping with mental disorders.

We’ve touched on this about depression before, but I wanted to highlight graphic nonfiction about anxiety. While depression and anxiety can affect the same person, they don’t always. You can read a bit more about the difference on the website of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. I wouldn’t consider myself a depressive person, yet my worries live at a permanent 93.9 at the top of the scale. Much like depression, though, anxiety is hard to explain to people who don’t struggle with it themselves. It’s also a subject that I’m surprised doesn’t have more coverage in this format, and would be beneficial to hear from a variety of perspectives. Specifically, on Book Riot, we do our best to actively promote diversity in books and publishing, but for this topic there was little written by authors and illustrators of colour.

When Anxiety Attacks by Terian Koscik

The cover of this one really speaks to my soul. “When was the last time you called your grandmother?” a robot intones, speaking to a very terrified young woman. GUILT. That is a big trigger, the constant throb of do better. This focuses on Koscik and her therapist as she realizes that anxiety is a valid struggle deserving of help. I’m a big fan of therapy, and am perpetually surprised how many anxious people don’t see someone. If you know someone holding out on speaking to a therapist, maybe gift them this book?

Anxiety is Really Strange by Steve Haines and Sophie Standing

This graphic nonfiction about anxiety provides infographics about how stress affects the human body. The short breakdowns of info are much less overwhelming to digest, making it engaging and easy to learn from.

Just Peachy: Comics About Depression, Anxiety, Love, and Finding the Humor in Being Sad by Holly Chrisolm

Another autobiographical example of a person coping with anxiety, softened slightly by the adorable cartoons. Though charming, it can often be very serious in how it portrays the life of someone struggling. I especially appreciated the end pages full of suggested books, podcasts, and resources.

Kind of Coping: An Illustrated Look at Life with Anxiety by Maureen Marzi Wilson

Wilson is a popular Instagram cartoonist, and her strips tackle moments that will be familiar to anxious people. The vignettes also come with thoughtful tips to support and help anxious people.

Thin Slices of Anxiety : Observations and Advice to Ease A Worried Mind by Catherine Lepage

Lepage’s book has gorgeously illustrated images, cleverly showcasing the ways that her agitation manifests. Her art is a reminder that we can use our feelings to create great things. This is more of a visual art book than a comic, but it offers a lot of insightful visuals.

I want more graphic nonfiction about anxiety, Book Industry! I would love to see an increase in graphic nonfiction about anxiety, because everyone’s struggle with it is different. Not just our triggers, but our coping mechanisms. We need a wider range of voices on the subject, letting others know that we are around and doing mostly okay.

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13 Stories That Perfectly Embody What Anxiety Feels Like

Associate Editor, The Huffington Post

Associate Editor of News and Emerging Platforms, HuffPost

If you wrestle with anxiety, you’re absolutely not alone. Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million U.S. adults , according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. That’s why we’ve gathered 13 of our most popular stories that give a glimpse into what it’s like to have anxiety, ranging from personal blog posts to expert interviews.

1. 10 Thoughts Anxious People Have Throughout The Day

Looking stupid in a social setting: “Are they laughing at me? I hope I don’t mess this up. I hope I don’t say the wrong thing. Was that supposed to be funny? Was I NOT supposed to laugh? Can I leave yet?”

2. What I Mean When I Say ‘I Have Anxiety’

For most people I talk to, when I tell them I have an anxiety disorder, they nod their head and tell me it’ll be okay. When I tell them, “I’m sorry, I’m having a bad anxiety day, can we reschedule?” They smile and tell me there’s nothing to worry about and if I just get out of bed, I’ll see that everything is fine. When I don’t want to go bar hopping because I know that alcohol only increases my anxious tendencies I hear, “You’re fine. It’ll be fun. Let off some steam!” Meanwhile, my heart is pounding so fast that I’m afraid it may be visibly beating out of my chest.

3. This Stunning Photo Series Nails What It Feels Like To Have An Anxiety Disorder

It can be difficult to verbalize what it’s like to experience mental illness, so photographer Katie Crawford decided to show people instead of tell them. In a stunning self-portrait series titled “My Anxious Heart,” Crawford captures how it feels to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder and depression — two conditions she has personally dealt with since she was a child.

4. 7 Things You Shouldn’t Say To Someone With Anxiety

“Calm down.” The debilitating problem with anxiety and panic disorders is that you simply can’t calm down. Finding the ability to relax — particularly on command — isn’t easy for most people, and it certainly can be more difficult for someone suffering from anxiety.

5. 8 Things Only People With Anxiety Understand

How exhausting overthinking is (but you can’t help it). It’s a toxic cycle: Your thoughts become your worries and your worries become your thoughts. But dwelling can have its consequences, according to one study published in the journal PLOS One. Researchers found that ruminating on negative thoughts is one of the biggest predictors of depression and anxiety and the psychological response to events happening is even more paramount than what actually happened.

6. 10 Things People Get Wrong About Anxiety

People with anxiety are feeble. “Many people think that having this disorder means that they’re fearful or weak — and that’s certainly not the case,”says Joseph Bienvenu, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Johns Hopkins University. He explains that while many anxiety and panic disorders can stem from fear, that characteristic of the condition isn’t the only component — and it definitely shouldn’t be used to define the person.

7. These Illustrations Perfectly Sum Up What It’s Like To Have Anxiety

Artist Beth Evans created these comics to help people better understand what anxiety feels like, especially when putting it into words can sometimes be difficult. The illustrations are a welcome portrayal, given that anxiety is often subject to judgment and stigma.

8. How Anxiety Really Feels Summed Up In One Powerful Photo

Sometimes a picture is all it takes to convey what words can’t. That’s evident in 29-year-old artist Anya Anti’s creative photo, which is a powerful take on how an anxiety disorder physically feels in her body. Anti, who has experienced anxiety and depression herself, decided to portray the condition in her work as a way to express how she was feeling.

9. What To Know If You Love Someone With High-Functioning Anxiety

When someone you love has high-functioning anxiety, it isn’t always obvious. And success in life ― whether recognition at work or, say, being particularly sparkly at a party ― doesn’t mean he or she isn’t dealing with something internally. While those living with the condition are dealing with debilitating side effects, they hide it well ― even from their loved ones or significant others. People who struggle with the disorder often experience excessive worry and panic, headaches and more. As with any mental health condition, the more people know about it, the better.

10. Chrissy Teigen Said The Most Relatable Thing About Anxiety

We can always count on Chrissy Teigen to keep it real on most topics ― and anxiety is no exception. The star opened up to Marie Claire, where she candidly discussed being diagnosed with anxiety disorder ― a mental health condition that affects 18 percent of American adults. Teigen explained how the condition often makes her feel unsteady and worried. “Every step I take feels a little shaky,” she said. “It’s such a weird feeling that you wouldn’t know unless you have really bad anxiety ... You feel like everyone is looking at you.”

11. 16 Things People With Social Anxiety Want You To Know

Social anxiety isn’t a choice. “I wish people knew how badly I wish I could be like everybody else, and how hard it is to be affected by something that can bring me to my knees every single day.” —Kaitlyn Michaud via Facebook

12. 15 Things Anyone Who Loves A Woman With Anxiety Should Know

Anxiety is physical. Your chest tightens, your head feels cloudy and you are acutely aware of the effort behind every breath. When you feel as though you have a small child made of frenetic negative energy trying to beat her way out of your body, it becomes impossible to ignore.

13. TV Reporter’s Raw Post Captures The Pain Of Anxiety For Moms

A Florida mom and reporter’s raw Facebook post is offering a glimpse into the pain of anxiety disorders. Kristen Hewitt, who works part-time as a television reporter, has two daughters, ages 5 and 8. Hewitt explained that her anxiety made her feel like she couldn’t leave her kids to go on vacation with her husband because the plane might crash, caused her to cry for hours, and led her to hide in her room so that her children wouldn’t see her so upset.

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6 ways creative writing can help your anxiety

Creative writing is a brilliant way to ease your anxiety. Here are six different creative writing methods to support your mental health.

Living in a digital, fast paced world, it’s easy to get sucked in and feel disconnected from ourselves. Writing can offer you a moment to pause and process your thoughts and emotions. It can also give you a different perspective on things, allow you to make sense of challenging situations and it can be a great outlet when you struggle to articulate yourself.

The act of jotting things down can create a barrier between you and your thoughts, giving you an immediate sense of relief. Writing can be so powerful and I’m not surprised to see that journaling has become so popular - I use it all the time both personally and professionally within my business.

There are more than 200 studies that show how writing can improve your mental health. But it’s not just journaling that can help. Another great technique that is often overlooked is creative writing. According to Christina Thatcher, a creative writing lecturer at Cardiff Metropolitan University: “Creative writing encourages people to choose their words, metaphors and images in a way that really captures what they’re trying to convey. This creative decision-making can lead to increased self-awareness and self-esteem as well as improved mental health.”

Writing creatively involves your imagination, instead of just using your memory like when you journal. This means that you can escape your reality for a little bit and create different worlds and characters to inhabit them and use imaginary and metaphors to express your feelings. Creative writing can also make you empathise with the character in your story more than with yourself which can be very eye opening.

Within this practice you can allow your mind to relax and unwind as you find a style that works for you. Studies have shown that creative writing can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness. When writing is used as a tool to creatively express and process events in your life, it can help you to move forward, in a much more positive direction.

If you’re curious to see if creative writing can help with your anxiety, here are 6 things you can try.

1. Freewriting

Freewriting is such a great way to let go of the inner perfectionist in you because you don’t have to worry about grammar or making perfect sense (or any sense at all!). The whole point is to simply write whatever comes to your mind – there’s no censorship or judgment involved. Whether you write complete sentences or just words, it’s all fine. If you’ve never tried freewriting before, it can be useful to set a timer for 3 to 5 minutes and write until the alarm goes off. Believe me, you’ll be surprised at how much you can write in such a limited amount of time! My top tip is to make freewriting part of your morning ritual: light up a candle, sip your coffee and start writing.

2. Metaphors and unusual perspectives to bring your feelings to life

When you write a poem, a short story or a novel you don’t have to write in first person or be the main character. For example, if you’re talking about a difficult subject, you can portray that by using an animal or an object and gain a different perspective - and some detachment too - that you don’t always get when you journal. If anxiety is keeping you up at night, you can tell your story from an owl’s point of view: how does it feel to be an owl and observe the world at night? Is the owl flying over a beautiful forest or sitting on a tree branch? Be as creative as you like!

3. Writing creatively about what you know

You might not realise, but so much fiction is actually incredibly autobiographical. And by approaching writing with the initial ‘this is fiction’ hat on, it can be a great way to remove some of those barriers and dig in deeper. Many writers start by writing what they know or events that really happened in their lives. And you can do that too, knowing that you can twist your story in any shape or form you want. You can change the setting, the name of the characters and choose a particular point of view or switch up tenses. There are so many tricks that you can use to help you elevate your story and ensure the reader connects to it. One that I really like is taken by Qoya teachings . In this practice, the teacher pulls some Oracle cards and students use them as inspiration to write short fictional stories. When the student reads the story back to the group, they are asked to turn the third person into the first, so that it becomes their story. This is such an eye-opening dig into your desires and thoughts without even realising you’re doing it.

(Not sure where to start with Oracle cards? I adore the Starseed Oracle deck - I pull a card every morning and use it for my journaling, as well as for this fiction practice).

4. Tapping into your senses

Using all your senses is extremely helpful when writing creatively because they help the reader to feel part of the story. The five senses are how we perceive the world and without them a story just wouldn’t be complete. Sense-based writing is similar to the body scan, one of the first meditations you’ll learn in mindfulness, because it allows you to be curious and experiment with all the senses (as writers we have the tendency to rely mainly on our sense of sight to describe a scene). Writing, like the body scan, gives you a chance to reconnect with those parts of your body that you neglect or take for granted. Using all your senses is a good way to remove distractions and focus in, which can help when we are facing anxiety.

5. Write a letter (and don’t send it)

This is such a liberating technique used a lot by therapists (it’s been used on me before!). You can write a letter to an actual person, or a past, present or future version of yourself. Letter writing can be extremely helpful if you’re having some issues with a person (whether it’s a romantic or non-romantic relationship) because it gives you a safe space to express how you’re really feeling towards that person, especially if you don’t feel comfortable saying these things face-to-face. Once you’ve written it all down, you’ll see how cathartic this can be even if you don’t send it out. In fact, it doesn’t matter what you do with the letter: you can seal it and hide it away in your drawer or even tear it to 1000 pieces – you’ll still feel the positive impact regardless.

6. Share your words

When you write a story, sharing it with the world is nerve-wracking, especially if you’re new to writing. The idea that somebody out there can judge you, give non-constructive criticism and even misinterpret your words is terrifying – I’ve been there! But trust me when I say that the payoff is actually wonderful. By stepping out of your comfort zone, you’ll feel incredibly proud of yourself and how far you’ve come. Letting people in means connecting with the writing community out there. And once you find your tribe, you’ll realise how many fellow writers are actually happy to cheer you on and give you the feedback you need to grow as a writer.

“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.” Sylvia Plath

All these creative writing prompts are meant to be undemanding and a no-pressure way to give yourself the time and space to pause, reconnect with your mind and body and let whatever is troubling you come to the surface.

Remember that you don’t have to suffer in silence, if you’re struggling to manage your anxiety here are a few organisations that can help: Mind , Anxiety Care UK , Anxiety UK and Samaritans .

And if you're looking for a way to express yourself through creative writing, why not join The Winter Writing Camp ? This season we’re drawing inspiration from the quiet reflection of winter. We’ll meet up online for four weeks and explore different forms of writing, all built around the open space and slower pace that winter provides. This is one of my favourite parts of the business and I can’t wait to see you there!

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Can Creative Writing Ease Anxiety? 4 Startling Ways It Can

How Can Creative Writing Help Anxiety.png

Can creative writing really help us deal with anxiety?

Creative writing activities have always been my space to make sense of what's going on. The thrill and the complete comfort of a blank page have helped and healed me more times than I can count. The reliability and the space that my glowing screen provides is something I can never measure. Let me tell you how.

Creative Writing and Anxiety

Scientific evidence shows the many benefits of writing things down.

Well documented is The power of the pen . These benefits lend themselves to creative writing too. Not only can it bring more joy and gratitude , but there is also so much potential for mindfulness, escape and enjoyment. All of these things can help us deal with anxiety healthily.

A recent study showed that participating in just forty-five minutes of art can significantly reduce stress in the body. When I feel anxious or stressed, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is reaching for a pen or flipping my laptop open. But there are many reasons why this is exactly what we should be doing. Why is that?

Discovering 4 Startling Ways Creative Writing Can Ease Anxiety

1 - creative writing can provide an escape..

Writing propels us into new worlds. Lifting us from the very space we occupy, transporting us to new places and unfamiliar destinations. Creative writing can transition us into a state of flow.

Flow can be described as, reaching a state where we are so engaged in what we are doing, time and space seem to cease to exist. When we reach this state, we can truly allow our minds to switch off from other anxieties, even if it's only temporary, it can give us the respite we need. But there is more.

2 - Creative writing can provide a space for reflection.

By giving ourselves space to notice our anxiety, we are more likely to identify the exact triggers. We can put distance between ourselves and the overwhelming feelings we might be experiencing by writing them down.

Tim Ferriss talks about this as 'fear-setting' when we write our worries down, the space we create for them on the page allows us to look at them differently. Dissecting them and holding parts of them up to the light for closer inspection. We can identify strategies and solutions that we might not have otherwise seen.

Creative writing provides this space for reflection, even if it is subconsciously. Our stories so often say the things we cannot, our characters sometimes face our greatest fears, and in writing all of this down, we can ease the weight of their unknowns. And there is more.

3 - Creative writing can provide a release for emotions and feelings.

A blank page or a new story can be the perfect place to explore how we feel.

Evidence shows that writing about difficult emotions and feelings can lead to the development of greater resilience . The more resilience we develop, the more we can create coping strategies and tools to protect ourselves from anxiety and overwhelming experiences. Resilience also helps us to maintain balance at times of elevated stress.

The act of creating something physical is also a way to expel the extra energy so often produced by anxiety, and this can be a great release. The final reason is critical to grasp.

4 - Creative writing can provide a way for you to be in control.

You are in control of your story. Often anxiety can stem from a feeling of a lack of control. When we craft stories, we get to decide the ending. We can edit and tweak, twist and change. We are in complete control.

Having feelings of control, even if it is over our fictional ideas, allows us to ground ourselves. There are some things we can control and things we choose; it's vital to grab onto those things when we can. Grounding helps us deal with anxiety by providing structure and constants.

Where Do You Start?

We know the benefits of creative writing and realise we need to make sure we are carving out time for it. But where do we start? Often this feels like it's the last thing on our list to do, but it is so vital we prioritise writing time, to help deal with anxieties.

Creative Freewriting

Freewriting can be a great place to start. Freewriting, by its very definition, should be free from strict rules or guidance. Set a timer for five minutes and write down all the things that are swimming in your head; worries, ideas, something you are grateful for, plans and lists.

If you can, increase the timer for ten minutes, or twenty. Always start by empty your brain of these thoughts and then who knows where you might end up.

You could start freewriting about a new character, or a world you are building, or you could end up writing a new scene or a new chapter. This sort of writing shouldn't be about us putting more pressure on ourselves; it should be about freeing the anxiety and worries that might even be subconsciously moving across our thoughts.

Your Story Matters Now, More Than Ever.

I believe in you and your stories, and they matter. Keep writing and keep using it as a place to empty the worries that circle in your head. The page has no judgement, just space and reflection, and that makes me feel instantly better.

“ I write entirely to find out what I’m thinking, what I’m looking at, what I see and what it means. What I want and what I fear. ”

At a time when the world seems uncertain, spinning slowly out of control, it can feel frivolous, cheap or even audacious to take time for ourselves and our writing, but it is so vital that we keep telling our stories and keep sharing the words on our hearts.

The world needs stories now, more than ever. To escape, to find joy, the total absorption of new worlds and other lives just with the flip of a page. Yet it's not only readers that need stories, as writers it is so important, but we also keep writing.

The Writer's Cookbook first published this post. You can read it here.

Photo by Thought Catalog on Unsplash

Laura Stroud is a writer. Working across non-fiction through her travel and lifestyle blog, Laura is the Chief Storyteller at - storiesfromabackpack.com , where she writes for an audience of fellow storytellers who want to live a life of adventure. Laura has written multiple non-fiction books and teaches creative writing courses at Derbyshire Writing School.

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Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma

Deborah Siegel-Acevedo

Three prompts to get started.

Why does a writing intervention work? While it may seem counterintuitive that writing about negative experiences has a positive effect, some have posited that narrating the story of a past negative event or an ongoing anxiety “frees up” cognitive resources. Research suggests that trauma damages brain tissue, but that when people translate their emotional experience into words, they may be changing the way it is organized in the brain. This matters, both personally and professionally. In a moment still permeated with epic stress and loss, we need to call in all possible supports. So, what does this look like in practice, and how can you put this powerful tool into effect? The author offers three practices, with prompts, to get you started.

Even as we inoculate our bodies and seemingly move out of the pandemic, psychologically we are still moving through it. We owe it to ourselves — and our coworkers — to make space for processing this individual and collective trauma. A recent op-ed in the New York Times Sunday Review affirms what I, as a writer and professor of writing, have witnessed repeatedly, up close: expressive writing can heal us.

Deborah Siegel-Acevedo is an author , TEDx speaker, and founder of Bold Voice Collaborative , an organization fostering growth, resilience, and community through storytelling for individuals and organizations. An adjunct faculty member at DePaul University’s College of Communication, her writing has appeared in venues including The Washington Post, The Guardian, and CNN.com.

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Master List of Ways to Describe Fear

People have been asking me for this list for such a long time! If you write horror, suspense, mystery, or any kind of fiction with a scary scenes, you need to know how to describe fear.

This list can get you started. It’s a lot of phrases describing fear, including physical reactions, physical sensations, facial expressions, and other words you can use in your novel or in other creative writing.

I’ve included some that can work for uneasiness or anxiety, but most of these are for real terror. You can alter them to fit your sentence or your story, and they’ll likely inspire you to come up with your own descriptions.

Bookmark or pin this page for your reference—it might save you a lot of time in the future. I’ll probably add to it now and again!

Master List of Ways to Describe Fear #master lists for writers free ebook #master lists for writers free pdf #master lists for writers free kindle #describing fear in a story #description of fear #great fear #how to describe fear #words describing fear

fear paralyzed him

his terror mounted with every step

she fought a rising panic

fear tormented her

her heart was uneasy

her heart leaped into her throat

his heart hammered in his chest

his heart pounded

terror stabbed his heart

his heart jumped

her heart lurched

a fear that almost unmanned him

his body shook with fear

she trembled inside

he suppressed a shiver

panic surged through him

her fear spiked

he was in a complete state of panic

she could feel nothing but blind terror

his legs were wobbly with fear

she sweated with fear

his hands were cold and clammy

she was weighed down by dread

dread twisted in her gut

his stomach clenched

fear fluttered in her stomach

her belly cramped

he felt like he might throw up

she was sick with fear

she was frightened down to the soles of her shoes

he was icy with panic

her body went cold with dread

raw panic was in her voice

her voice was thick with fear

his voice was edged with fear

terror thundered down on him

fear caught her in its jaws

fear clawed up her throat

terror sealed her throat

fear gripped her throat

his throat tightened

then she knew real terror was

he was frantic with fear

she was half mad with terror

the color drained from her face

his face was ashen

she blanched

dread gnawed at his insides

dread had been growing in him all day

fresh terror reared up within her

fear choked him

terror stole her words

he was mute with horror

her voice was numb with shock

his voice was shrill with terror

her defiant words masked her fear

her body felt numb

his blood froze in his veins

terror coursed through her veins

fear throbbed inside her

his panic fueled him

adrenaline pumped through his body

adrenaline crashed through her

fear pulsed through him

her scalp prickled

the hairs on the back of her neck stood up

his mouth went dry

his bones turned to jelly

her bones turned to water

she froze with horror

he didn’t dare to move

terror struck her

he was too frightened to lift her head

she was too frightened to scream

his mouth was open in a silent scream

he cringed with fear

she cowered

he shrank back in fear

she flinched

a bolt of panic hit her

terror streaked through him

her terror swelled

his panic increased

anxiety eclipsed his thoughts

panic flared in her eyes

his eyes were wild with terror

her eyes darted from left to right

she feared to close her eyes

he lay awake in a haze of fear

she walked on in a fog of fear

his eyes widened with alarm

she tried to hide her fear

he struggled to conceal his shock

fear crept up her spine

fear trickled down her spine

panic seized his brain

she felt a flash of terror

fear took hold of him

fear flooded through her being

she ordered a drink to drown the panic

he arranged and re-arranged the items on his desk

a nameless dread engulfed him

Master List of Ways to Describe Fear #describing fear in a story #description of fear #great fear #how to describe fear #words describing fear

I bet you came up with other ideas as you were reading!

For more writing lists, check out my book Master Lists for Writers , if you don’t have it yet! A lot of writers use it to make writing go faster, especially when it comes to descriptions.

And if you’re not following the blog already, sign up below—I share lots of writing resources. Thanks so much for reading, and happy writing!

50 Spooky Writing Prompts and Horror Story Ideas #horror writing ideas #horror writing prompts #scary story prompts #Halloween writing prompts #dark fantasy story ideas #suspense story plots

What is writing anxiety?

There are many people who would like to start writing, or to take a writing class, but they never get started because the critical voice that lives in their head—which we all have—tells them they’re not good enough to write, that no one wants to hear what they want to say. So they don’t bother.

People with writing anxiety might even get physical symptoms if they try to write, or to over-edit: perspiring, trembling, shortness of breath, pacing, and so on.

What is the opposite of writing anxiety?

I would say enthusiasm, excitement, exploration: knowing you want to dive in, and feeling free about that. A good feeling.

What causes writing anxiety?

I believe these things start when we’re quite young, and I would trace it to in our educational system, where things are right or wrong. I once taught a tween, and we did a creative writing exercise. After it was done, she wanted to know if she had the right answer.

That’s kind of the opposite thing from what you need to be a writer. You need to explore, and you don’t know what the right answer is when you start, because the right answer is the right answer for you .

I believe these things start when we’re quite young, and I would trace it to in our educational system, where things are right or wrong. That’s kind of the opposite from what you need to be a writer.

Creative writing is about exploring: going through the different layers of your life, of your memory, coming up with something that you want said. And if you’re suffering from perfectionism, which is very common, it can be difficult. I’ve worked with people who would never finish a project, because they had to be perfect. Most of my stories, even the ones I’ve had published, I don’t think were perfect.

I think too, people are afraid to fail, what they label as failure. There isn’t really such thing—again, it’s just about exploration. It’s getting things off your chest, learning about yourself. Sometimes people heal through writing. There are so many reasons to start writing. You’ve got to give yourself permission to start.

What experiences have you had with writing anxiety in your own writing?

For myself, an example is not writing but public speaking. When I was in college, I kept changing majors, because I was terrified to give a presentation. If I’d walk into a class and if giving a presentation was on the syllabus, I’d leave.

I knew I had to get over it by taking a speech class.

I was terrified. It took me a while to sign up for it—“I don’t want to do this.” Then I did sign up for it. The thing I feared in my life ended up being the best thing that ever happened to me. I keep saying, “What would have happened if I didn’t sign up?” Many years later, I wrote an essay about taking the class, and sold it to the college where I took the class. I got a lot of good feedback from people with similar fears.

There’s a continuum of fear when it comes to writing. Maybe you start, and then there’s a fear to finish, or a fear to send it out.

I work privately with writers, and a lot of writers are afraid to finish their stories and then send them out. There’s a continuum of fear when it comes to writing. Maybe you start, and then there’s a fear to finish, or a fear to send it out.

On that topic: my first essay in the Boston Globe was something I wanted for a long time. They accepted my essay, I went and got the Sunday paper, opened and read it, and thought, “This is horrible. No one can read this.” It was way too personal. I wanted to drive around and grab every Globe and shred it. Then one of my friends caught me and said, “I saw your essay. It was great.” So writing anxiety happens with writers who are getting published too.

How do you recommend writers work with writing anxiety?

Write. It may sound contrarian, but you have to do the thing you’re afraid of.

Write. You have to do the thing you’re afraid of. You’ve got to start—that’s the tough part.

That’s always hard for me. I was afraid to hike into a canyon, so I went to Bryce Canyon with my husband and I took little baby steps the whole way down. I made it down and it was really beautiful, and I was glad I did it. I think I could do the Grand Canyon.

So just write. Hopefully take a class, with some guidance. You’ve got to start. The tough part is to start.

What can you tell us about your new course, Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks! ?

This is a supportive, gentle program to get folks writing. They want to learn to trust each other, and most importantly trust themselves. We’re going to start short, with poetry, and then go a little longer with some flash fiction, and then creative nonfiction, maybe a short memoir. But we’re not going to write these long missives, so that no one gets frightened or overwhelmed.

We’ll be building up people’s courage every week. It’ll be fun and functional. I put it together influenced a little bit by a talk by Dr. Seuss. I love Dr. Seuss’s books, so I set it up with a Dr. Seuss lilt. I wanted it to be fun like Dr. Seuss. He was also very brave with his writing and his illustrations.

Overcome Writing Anxiety: Boost Your Storytelling Confidence in Four Short Weeks!

I see it as an inspirational program where you can build up your writing courage, and leave with some stories you may want to share with your family and friends. People will leave much more brave. And this is writing, but you can apply what you learned to other things: painting or singing or dance, whatever. I make myself do that all the time, and I’m always glad I do: I’ve done some great things just jumping right in.

I would like people who are feeling reluctant about writing to take a chance and join us. In my experience, it’s the risks we don’t take that can make us feel incomplete. It’s about getting comfortable taking risks, so you can do a lot of the things in life that you want to do, but you’re kind of keeping yourself from doing.

Looking for more practical guidance on tackling writing anxiety? See instructor Dennis Foley ‘s advice on the topic .

Frederick Meyer

Writing can improve mental health – here’s how

Creative Writing Lecturer, Cardiff Metropolitan University

Disclosure statement

Christina Thatcher does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

Cardiff Metropolitan University provides funding as a member of The Conversation UK.

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The image shows an open notebook, and a person holding a cup of coffee in one hand and pen in the other, ready to start writing.

Ernest Hemingway famously said that writers should “write hard and clear about what hurts” . Although Hemingway may not have known it at the time, research has now shown that writing about “what hurts” can help improve our mental health .

There are more than 200 studies that show the positive effect of writing on mental health. But while the psychological benefits are consistent for many people, researchers don’t completely agree on why or how writing helps.

One theory suggests that bottling up emotions can lead to psychological distress . It stands to reason, then, that writing might increase mental health because it offers a safe, confidential and free way to disclose emotions that were previously bottled up .

However, recent studies have begun to show how an increase in self-awareness , rather than simply disclosing emotions, could be the key to these improvements in mental health.

In essence, self-awareness is being able to turn your attention inward towards the self . By turning our attention inward, we can become more aware of our traits, behaviour, feelings, beliefs, values and motivations.

Research suggests that becoming more self-aware can be beneficial in a variety of ways. It can increase our confidence and encourage us to be more accepting of others . It can lead to higher job satisfaction and push us to become more effective leaders . It can also help us to exercise more self-control and make better decisions aligned with our long-term goals.

Self-awareness is a spectrum and, with practice, we can all improve. Writing might be particularly helpful in increasing self-awareness because it can be practised daily . Rereading our writing can also give us a deeper insight into our thoughts, feelings, behaviour and beliefs.

Here are three types of writing which can improve your self-awareness and, in turn, your mental health:

Expressive writing

Expressive writing is often used in therapeutic settings where people are asked to write about their thoughts and feelings related to a stressful life event. This type of writing aims to help emotionally process something difficult .

Research shows that expressive writing can enhance self-awareness , ultimately decreasing depressive symptoms , anxious thoughts and perceived stress .

Reflective writing

Reflective writing is regularly used in professional settings, often as a way to help nurses, doctors, teachers, psychologists and social workers become more effective at their jobs . Reflective writing aims to give people a way to assess their beliefs and actions explicitly for learning and development.

Woman pauses to look out the window while she writes in a notebook.

Writing reflectively requires a person to ask themselves questions and continuously be open, curious and analytical. It can increase self-awareness by helping people learn from their experiences and interactions. This can improve professional and personal relationships as well as work performance, which are key indicators of good mental health .

Creative writing

Poems, short stories, novellas and novels are all considered forms of creative writing. Usually, creative writing employs the imagination as well as, or instead of, memory, and uses literary devices like imagery and metaphor to convey meaning.

Writing creatively offers a unique way to explore thoughts, feelings, ideas and beliefs. For instance, you could write a science fiction novel that represents your concerns about climate change or a children’s story that speaks to your beliefs about friendship. You could even write a poem from the perspective of an owl as a way to represent your insomnia.

Writing creatively about challenging experiences, like grief , can also offer a way to communicate to others something which you feel is too complicated or difficult to say directly.

Creative writing encourages people to choose their words, metaphors and images in a way that really captures what they’re trying to convey. This creative decision-making can lead to increased self-awareness and self-esteem as well as improved mental health .

Writing for self-awareness

Self-awareness is a key component for good mental health and writing is a great place to start.

Why not take some time to write down your feelings about a particularly stressful event that has happened during the pandemic? Or reflect on a difficult work situation from the last year and consider what you have learned from it?

If you prefer to do something more creative, then try responding to this prompt by writing a poem or story:

Think about the ways your home reveals the moment we are currently in. Is your pantry packed with flour? Do you have new objects or pets in your home to stave off loneliness or boredom? What you can see from your window that reveals something about this historic moment?

Each of these writing prompts will give you a chance to reflect on this past year, ask yourself important questions, and make creative choices. Spending just 15 minutes doing this may give you an opportunity to become more self-aware – which could lead to improvements in your mental health.

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Writing for Mental Health

By Katie, a Writing Coach

January 2023

During the last few years, I kept hearing that writing can be a tool to improve mental health. Despite being someone who loves writing, whether it be writing creative fiction on my own or the academic writing that comes with being a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, I’ve never really thought of writing in that way. However, I’m a stressed-out and anxious individual that often struggles to maintain my mental health, so I thought I would take this blog post as an opportunity to see how I can put this passion of mine to use.

So, I decided to set myself a task for the next month: to write something small every single day, no exceptions. Specifically, to write a three-sentence story, like a tiny journal entry, about an aspect of my day or how I’m feeling. Those are the only rules that I’ve set — I want to see what strange and magical places my brain takes me in the next month and whether it helps me feel less anxious about the everyday goings-on in my life.

“Why three sentences?,” you may be asking yourself. Well, the official answer is that I want to dedicate one sentence to the beginning, middle, and end of each story. In every one, I want there to be something resembling a narrative arc. However, the second answer is also just that three sentences per day is probably the max that I can do without immediately getting burnt out. I don’t think that writing every day will be able to help my mental health if I spend the whole time feeling stressed about having to write every day.

I don’t know what to expect from this self-inflicted assignment. But, as I go, I’ll record not only my three-sentence stories, but also my general thoughts on this task. Let’s see what happens!

The notebook that I’ll be writing all my three-sentence stories in — just think of all the potential in these blank pages!

February 2023.

Some of my three-sentence stories will be below (including the date they were written), and my reflections on the assignment will be in italics. I haven’t included my entries from every single day, but rather I picked out my favorites. Strap in, you’re about to get quite the personal glimpse of the inside of my brain.

February 1: When I first put my contact lens in, the rainy world around me becomes astonishingly clear. Later on, I wait at the bus stop and stare at the wet grass and bright green three-leaf clovers that light up in the rain. As I marvel at their beauty, I think to myself, “I should look more.”

On this first day, I was surprised how quickly the idea for my three-sentence story came to me. I had my idea for it before I even left my apartment, and I found myself eager to scribble it down on the way to campus. So far, so good.

February 2: I feel my shoulders tense as I’m led into a classroom that I’ve never been in before. As I sit, I wish to myself that I didn’t have waves of anxiety in new places. Maybe someday.

February 5: I let her in, then retreat to my own room. For as long as she’s here, I stay in there, trying to remain quiet. I never thought I would feel so trapped in my own home.

Before I started this assignment, I imagined myself wanting to write about small things that brought me joy. These two days surprised me because when I sat down to write, the first events that came to mind involved the negative emotions that I had experienced throughout the day. While they’re often hard to reflect upon (and even harder to post online for random strangers to read), these days served as a reminder to me that part of taking care of my mental health is thinking about the bad along with the good.

February 6: I put my book down and stare at the ceiling, just letting some time pass. The ceiling fan above me is a different color than I remembered. I can’t help but wonder to myself: did it change, or did I?

February 9: I stare at the greens in the painting: the stairs, the flowers, the walls. They remind me of a place, of a specific feeling. Then I realize — they remind me of home.

These last two entries helped remind me of the importance of reflection. While a lot of the inspiration for these short stories are coming from random, passing moments in my day, these two came from moments where I specifically sat down and thought for a longer period of time. I don’t think I would have been able to fully express the conclusions that I came to without taking that time for reflection. Guess I should set aside more time for reflecting!

February 10: I don’t have any ideas today. I just keep drawing a blank. Maybe I’ll think of something.

“Why did I do this to myself?” was on my mind this day. As the entry suggests, I was flat-out of ideas and feeling discouraged about the thought of having to reflect on my day. Sometimes these bad, uncreative days happen, and I just had to accept that. But no worries — I bounced right back.

February 12: Trix finally settles in, a warm bundle of fur sitting on top of me. She falls asleep, and soon my legs start to grow numb. But it doesn’t bother me in the least, because there’s a cat in my lap.

February 13: My mom and I got to the mall too early and decided to waste time by walking around Barnes and Noble. The two of us walk from table to table, pointing out the books we’ve read and the ones we want to read. Time flies.

February 15: I hear a gasp come from someone walking toward me, and I’m pulled out of my reverie. They approach me with bright eyes, like I’m someone they look up to and are actually excited to see. I didn’t know I was that person to them.

These last couple stories remind me of how important the people (and animals) we surround ourselves with are to our mental health. For almost three days in a row, my mood and health was marginally improved by those around me. I’m realizing that it’s vital to stop and ask myself how the people I’m surrounded by impact the way that I think and the actions that I take, whether that impact is conscious or subconscious.

February 18: To escape into another world, I flip open a book. The pages breathe a new sort of happiness into me. It is these hours that I feel truly alive.

February 21: I get called to the front of the room, and I spend far more time up there than I expected. I stumble at times, but try to be frank and honest with everyone in the class. At the end, they applaud me.

February 22: As I chop carrots, she sits on a stool behind me and tells me about everything going on in her life. As she rolls meatballs, I stand to the side and tell her about everything going on in mine. It’s been too long.

These three entries remind me that things both big and small have an effect on our mental health. Throughout this process, I felt inspired to write about the big things that shaped, made, or broke my day, but I was also inspired to write about small moments that I might have otherwise found to be inconsequential.

February 24: It has been a day of changing emotions. First, a jubilant happiness, then a resigned indifference, then the burst that comes with shock. Now, at the end of the day, I only crave silence.

This entry was a nice reminder that it’s normal to have roller-coaster days. Sometimes, it can be easy to lean into the chaos of roller-coaster days and feel overwhelmed or like I’m being overdramatic. During these times, I’m trying to remember that every emotion that I feel is valid and that it’s important to reflect on why I’m feeling the way I am.

February 27: Today, I take time to revisit something that I haven’t done in a while. As I do so, I wonder why I stopped. Am I the same person that I used to be?

In this last entry, I contemplated the changes in my life throughout the last few years — a daunting and terrifying thought for many, to be sure. Even though I wrote this story with a specific tone in mind, I realized after writing it that my tone could be interpreted in a variety of different ways, whether it be someone who is anxious about changes or excited about them. That’s the beauty in words on a screen — they can be interpreted in so many different ways and can open doors to explore new perspectives.

A full page of my notebook with some bonus entries.

Well, the month is over, and it’s time for my final reflections. Were there times where I loved sitting down and writing my daily story? Yes. Were there also times that I sighed in exasperation and rued the day that I decided to do this activity? Yes.

But really, I do feel like my small writings helped me express how I was feeling most days. It can be easy to go without reflection or without sitting down and just thinking about my mental health (especially on busy days), but forcing myself to take some time daily to focus on me made a big difference. I feel like I became more self-aware than usual and more in tune with my own emotional state. I got better at monitoring what was good and bad about my days and what caused these changes, which helped me act more intentionally and in a way that is beneficial to my mental health. Lastly, I feel like I just learned a lot about myself and my health that I had not previously known.

This activity also helped me branch out into a genre of writing that I had never tried before — I’ve never been one to keep a journal, so this kind of expressive writing was completely new to me. I definitely found it challenging at times, especially how personal this style of writing can be. When I was picking which entries to put in this blog post, I had to filter through a lot of stories that felt super intimate to me and that I didn’t want to share with a wider audience. However, I really do love many of these more personal entries — they were emotionally difficult to write, but probably the most rewarding to reflect and read back on. They made me dig deep and find new ways to express how I was feeling, which I think not only improved my mental health but my skills as a writer. I feel like I’ve learned how to express myself in a more concise way and in language that I may not always use, which I predict will transfer to me writing academic, non-reflective pieces more succinctly. I also feel like my ability to write something impactful in a small space has improved — which should help me express my arguments in academic papers in a more powerful yet still condensed way.

Moral of the story (or, in this case, blog post): Challenge yourself as a writer, and try new formats that you’ve never used before. Writing is a form of expression whether you’re writing a literary analysis, an application essay, a lab report, a policy brief, or a three-sentence story. So, use it to express yourself! And maybe you’ll also learn something about yourself along the way.

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Emmmie Heart New Member

Describe anxiety..

Discussion in ' Character Development ' started by Emmmie Heart , Mar 17, 2018 .

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); So my MC has some serious anxiety. Now I have anxiety myself mostly having to do with time, being early to work and have a routine set up through the day, or driving, and thinking negatively all the time thinking of the "What ifs". I know that there is different types of Anxiety, such as one with change, such as she has to do when her apartment is being demolished and has to move. Now I don't have this anxiety because I moved a lot as a child. So, how do I truly describe this anxiety when it is already hard to put into words.

izzybot (unspecified) Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); With things like this I always recommend talking to / reading things from people who do have the condition in question, rather than asking other writers. That said, I would focus on the root of the anxiety. I'm someone for whom routine and sameness feel safe -- the feeling is that as long as things continue the way they've been going, it'll be okay, so any deviation from the routine opens up the potential for bad things to happen. It sounds especially traumatic for her home to be taken away. That's typically someone's safe space, where they can get away from external stressors and have the most control over the environment. And it's not like she's being evicted -- it's being demolished . The place she feels safest in is being destroyed ; there's no way she can ever go back to it. That might bring on a feeling that she'll never be able to feel safe again, or at the very least, it's going to be a long time before she's able to settle in to somewhere new and regain the sense of safety. Change itself can be stressful because it's full of unknowns. All of those 'what ifs' are compounded by "What if I'm not even thinking of all the what ifs?" -- it can feel safer and even soothing in a way to try to 'plan' for every potential problem, but all you're really doing is making yourself obsess over worst possible outcomes. She doesn't know where she's going to live, so she's 'planning' for what she'll do if she has to live in some horrible situation -- what if my new landlord is a serial killer? will I be able to fight him off? what if I can't find anywhere to live at all? can I survive on the street? what will I do when it's winter? When your brain is really good at finding things to be nervous about, it's easy to spin off into absurd scenarios. All that said, it's really dependent on her -- who she is as a person, how well she manages her anxiety, whether she's on medication for it. If she is medicated, something like this could easily trigger an emotional state that her current medication's not able to handle. If she's been in therapy, she might have a better chance of realizing that she's overreacting, and you could have her attempting to self-soothe and regulate herself (to whatever degree of success). Ditto if she's been dealing with anxiety for a long time and is just kinda used to it / how it makes her behave. Despite having anxiety, I'm a pretty level-headed person who's capable of going, "Okay, I'm being an idiot, and I need to go sit down somewhere and catch my breath, that's all." Is she the type of person to do that, or is she less experienced / has more severe, possibly unmedicated anxiety that's going to cause her to spin off into panic attack mode and have a breakdown? That's up to you.

Dragon Turtle Deadlier Jerry

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); I hate moving. Oh god, I have too much stuff. How am I going to pack it all? What about the fragile stuff? What if I don't have enough boxes? What if I get sick or hurt right before moving day? How am I going to find a new place to live? What if every place turns me down because of bad credit? Everywhere wants proof of income nowadays. How much do storage units cost? I'm going to have to put all my furniture in one and go stay with my sister. What if she says no and I have to stay in a hotel? That's not any cheaper than renting a place. In fact it'll be worse because I'll have to eat out for every meal. Who's going to help me move? Should I hire movers? That's a money sink right there. But if I get a U-Haul I'll have to do the thing where you put stickers on any spot that's damaged so they don't charge you for the damage, and I might miss one, so I'd better take timestamped photos like the last time I had a rental car. Oh god, last time I moved I was in the old apartment until 1 AM cleaning it out and I still got slapped with cleaning fees. What about my cat? He's too old to deal with this. I can't take him away from his home, that'd be cruel. I'm going to miss this place so much. How the hell can they just kick people out of their homes like this? What's my commute going to be like in the new place? What if the only place I can find is like an hour's commute time? Am I going to have to quit my job? Do I have time to find a new place AND give notice? Do I even have enough money for a security deposit? What about places that want first and last month's rent? What if I wind up somewhere that seems nice at first but is actually a disaster? Everywhere I can afford has terrible reviews on apartmentratings.com... Brought to you by: Dragon Turtle, who has anxiety and also really hates moving.

T_L_K Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Mmm... She's lost an important point of reference. She is destabilised. She is agitated by sudden changes which are forcing her to move into unknown territory. The feeling of being unsettled makes her feel restless. Her life's balance is being suddenly disrupted. Yes?

GlitterRain7 Galaxy Girl Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Anxiety could be feeling like there's some sort of impending doom, even when nothing can go wrong.

O.M. Hillside Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Okay, so she's moving and it's making her anxious. I also moved a lot as a child, so I don't get anxious about that. But from general observations and people who've talked to me about feeling nervous/anxious about this they tend to tell me stuff like: Worried they won't make any friends at the new place they'll live in, and so they'll be alone. Expand that and you got something substantial there. They're going to miss it here. The familiarity, the knowing where everything is, knowing the people, having a place in society that they're comfortable with. There's really a good amount of anxiety here with having that knowledge that you're about to go somewhere you do not know. Worried that the people in the new place are going to be stuck up or rude or aloof or xenophobic(closed off to new people). Similar to one, but slightly different. Nervous about the crime levels of the new place. Nervous about the class of the area, the property value, the culture. Things like that.

Privateer Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); izzybot said: ↑ With things like this I always recommend talking to / reading things from people who do have the condition in question, rather than asking other writers. Click to expand...

John Grant Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Emmmie Heart said: ↑ So my MC has some serious anxiety. Now I have anxiety myself mostly having to do with time, being early to work and have a routine set up through the day, or driving, and thinking negatively all the time thinking of the "What ifs". I know that there is different types of Anxiety, such as one with change, such as she has to do when her apartment is being demolished and has to move. Now I don't have this anxiety because I moved a lot as a child. So, how do I truly describe this anxiety when it is already hard to put into words. Click to expand...

DeeDee Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Emmmie Heart said: ↑ how do I truly describe this anxiety when it is already hard to put into words. Click to expand...

ITBA01 Active Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); I have anxiety at times, and I'll try to describe it the best I can. Basically, I tended to get anxious about change, especially with regards to schedules. It was a big problem with me at my previous job. Many of the workers were quite lazy, and I often had to do their jobs as well, which lead to my schedule changing. Also, when I would get a pizza order when I was about to do something else, or about to leave, I would also get anxious. Having to stay late was another thing that set me off a bit. Essentially, changes to routine, even if in the grand scheme weren't very big deals, caused me to get anxious, and sometimes angry. I usually kept it private, but not always, a fact which I am ashamed of, and am trying to work on. If I were to best describe what it feels like, I would say you get a complete one track mind, to the point where everything else becomes secondary, including reason and logic. You start to sweat, and try and do things quickly, which can result in mistakes, which means you have to take even longer. Sometimes, you try and blame others, in an attempt to justify your anger, which just increases your anxiety. After it passes, and you begin to think more rationally, you feel ashamed, and want to do better next time. However, that's easier said than done. Hope this helped.

Mink Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); I moved a lot as a kid, but have anxiety (officially diagnosed as social anxiety, but I experience other types and it often centers around my pets). For myself, any form of anxiety feels like someone wrapped a hand around my gut and continues to tighten and tighten as the situation grows closer and closer. My heart races, my thoughts begin to stagger, and my mouth dries. The unreasonable thoughts war with the logical side of me. I know my dogs will be fine in the car for the several hour drive; I know the door is locked; and I know the stove is turned off. However, the thoughts ask, "Are you sure?" and this repeats itself until I force myself to listen to the advice psychologists have given me. Really, for your situation, any sort of anxiety-themed feelings could likely work.

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Privateer said: ↑ Pretty much every human being who ever lived has experienced anxiety. It's just an emotion like sadness or joy. There are anxiety disorders where people feel it more than is normal, but it's still the same emotion; it just won't go away when it ought to. Asking what 'different kinds of anxiety' feel like is like asking what different kinds of happiness feel like or different kinds of anger. There are as many answers as there are people in the world. More, in fact. Does my happiness when I'm in the woods with my son feel different to Bob's happiness when he has a nice curry? Would my curry-related happiness feel the same as Bob's? Click to expand...

John-Wayne Madman Extradinor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Imagine being rational, logical and calm. Now imagine your mind doing the opposite and realizing it. Edit: and unable to regain control of yourself

LastMindToSanity Contributor Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); Emmmie Heart said: ↑ Now I don't have this anxiety because I moved a lot as a child. So, how do I truly describe this anxiety when it is already hard to put into words. Click to expand...

Danyal New Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); I believe everyone has their own anxiety problems, meaning that we have our own form of anxiety and you should try to describe this yourself. Try Creating a mind map of your feelings at the time, use the 3 base feelings as help.

Rick Hansen Member

TheRealStegblob Kill All Mages Contributor

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); My girlfriend suffers from anxiety and agoraphobia. I myself have never gotten a panic attack or really had anything other than mild anxiousness (aside from the very rare weird "about to fall asleep but have a sudden weird jolt of anxiety" that happens for no god damn reason). If she were going to move, she'd be freaked out about people seeing her. She'd be afraid people would see her 'messing up' or not doing something right and that anyone through any window anywhere might be looking at her and judging her somehow. That's an incredibly simple way of putting it, but it's those really morbid and silly things that trigger her, even if she knows how silly it is. She knows fully well no one would be looking at her or watching her or judging her on anything, but that still freaks her out. Also, having to go anywhere she's "trapped" in any way, like between aisles at a super market or something. She gets really freaked out in the middle of aisles because if she has to 'escape' for some reason, she'd need to go all the way to either side of the aisle to exit it. That's just general descriptions of her anxiety. I hope it can help you at all.

mashers Contributor Contributor Community Volunteer

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); I would focus on the physical sensations and reactions first - pounding heart, shortness of breath, agitation, knot in stomach... this will help the reader to empathise with what the character is experiencing as we can all relate to those sensations. Then describe the thought process and behaviours. When in a state of anxiety one will often repeat the same thought pattern over and over again, and/or jump rapidly from one thought to another in a runaway fashion. You can use both of these in your description of the character's thoughts, perhaps dropping the word count in each sentence to give a breathless, panicked feel to the passage during which she is anxious.

DueNorth Senior Member

googletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('funpub_cb931cbbd258ddca29a1cce6ca650616'); }); There may be a little confusion in the responses you are getting generated by some confusion in the question itself. You seem to be confusing the experience of the feeling of anxiety —which we all have and is actually necessary to live since it is an internal signal of danger—with “triggers” for anxiety. All of can get triggered by some similar things, for example, an unexpected loud noise in the middle of the night. And some of us are mildly or massively triggered by things that are of little bother to others. As writers, we can make up that our characters are triggered by all kinds of things. But how we describe their manifesting the anxiety is really all about description. You certainly have been anxious (read fearful) in your life. Describe it, embellish it, make the reader feel it. The fact that your main character’s anxiety is being triggered by moving does not alter how you describe anxiety. Anxiety is manifested similarly irregardless of the nature of the trigger.

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19,885 quotes, descriptions and writing prompts, 4,964 themes

anxiety - quotes and descriptions to inspire creative writing

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Fear of abandonment became you core belief because of events outside of your control when you were just a child. There are ways to fix and counter that, ways to teach you how to have healthy anxiety-free relationships. You have great core values. You believe in good things and you have a hero heart, get well and come join our team, little one, we need good people such as yourself.

Robert smiled, "That inner critic is a bit loud today, huh? It wants to save you from making mistakes but it's creating anxiety, doubt and misplaced shame. I think you need a dose of self compassion. Be as sweet to yourself as you are to others. Being kind should radiate inwards as-well as into the world beyond."

When his anxiety peaked he did the 333. Name three things you can see, three sounds you can hear and three parts of your body. It worked. It was so simple but in that 333 he broke the spiral and felt so much more calm.

"Honey, we all mess up. Once in a while we mess up real bad. Then we learn from that mistake, we make amends if that's required, we move on to become a better person. Literally everyone makes mistakes and if we didn't we wouldn't learn much. So be kinder to yourself, okay? This anxiety, this fear of mistakes, it's holding you back from your greatness and I wanna find out how amazing you can be. I hope you do too."

Create a photo album in your imagination. Only add your favourite feel-good moments, and when anxiety next comes, let the pictures transport your soul into those times.

When you imagine a good memory the nervous system is calmed, feel good brain chemicals are released, you do yourself positive good, you start to make you own natural medicine for anxiety. In time, you begin to be able to manage your emotions better and then to help others manage theirs. Whereas you were once lost in a storm, you become a lighthouse, shining out to sea.

When anxious I vent with a person who loves me, one who has real wisdom and life experience to offer, one who is the calm and not the storm.

If you ignore the anxious thoughts as if they were some distant radio and get on with doing things that are right for you, in time they lessen and disappear.

If anxiety runs my imagination motor, the fear centre of my brain gets more interconnected, more adrenaline and cortisol flood me. Yet when I use my imagination for hope, for gratitude, for writing lyrics or stories... it gets less. When I run or ride my bike, it gets less. There is no magic wand for this, only good choices applied daily and time. That's all.

Imagination uses the same part of my brain as anxiety, and so the more imaginative I am, the less anxious I feel. Thus creative writing is both a way of finding solutions and my rest, my medication, my refuge.

Anxiety thoughts are akin to driving around the block over and over, faster and faster. It's pointless. Stop. Let your thoughts be as a car on a good road, taking the hills and valleys just the same, heading into the far horizon your passions call you toward. You owe it to yourself to take control of the wheel.

I am worthy of escaping this hurricane of thoughts, the positive and the negative analysis of the actions and words of others. I am worthy of love and a better life, I am. So instead of wondering why "they" said it or did it, I simply say, "This situation isn't working for me and I have the right to seek something that does, some place I feel loved, welcome and appreciated." And so I make my escape plan through the paths of musical lyrics and stories of adventure, through the green leaves and under open skies.

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Creative writing stories about anxiety and superb quality

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About creative stories anxiety writing

He said that one who has for anxiety factor in. On the ground, random point in chimney pot shaped creative writing on millions of footprints the space be made out.

Creative Writing Club Ages 7-12: Finish The Story: The Underground City

You and your friends are trying to find the bathroom at the back of a restaurant after school--when your friend notices a trapdoor beneath her feet. When you go down, you find a series of long, arched tunnels covered in mosaics that seem to go on for miles. Do you tell the restaurant owner? Do you explore on your own?

Join us to hear others' creative ideas and share your own work!

This is an online workshop intended for ages 7-12. It is held over Google Meets. Once you register, you will get the link to the meeting 24 hrs in advance of the workshop. It is important that an adult be present in the room for every child in attendance.

Questions? Register less than 24 hours before the workshop? Email [email protected].

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Snowed under, write a story in which a jaded academic makes an unexpected, rash decision., write a story about someone who breaks an unwritten social rule and the consequences they face as a result., write a story about someone who is constantly being put into a box by others., write about a character who develops a special ritual to cope with something., write about two friends getting into a fist fight..

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Write a story about someone who has put “Blood Sweat & Tears” into getting where they are — only to question whether it was worth it.

Write a story about someone successfully — or unsuccessfully — escaping their fate., write a story that includes the line “we’re just too different.”, write a story about someone who has to “move mountains” to get what they want., start your story with someone having a run of bad luck., subscribe to our prompts newsletter.

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Your character always makes the same promise; to change. Will they finally make it happen this time?

Write a story about a character who struggles to translate their thoughts and feelings into words and action., write a story about someone coming to terms with how different they are from their younger self., set your story in a world devoid of logic, where feelings govern all decision-making., write about a character who’s never encountered a problem they couldn’t buy their way out of — until they do., write about a character who gets good and bad news in quick succession — not necessarily in that order., start your story with the narrator or a character saying “i remember…”, start your story with the words: “grow up.”, write a story where hard work doesn’t pay off..

Write a story about a problem with no good solutions.

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The best angst writing prompts

Many a tortured artist has turned their pain and suffering into great works of art. If you want to try your hand at writing a story that taps into the darker side of the emotional spectrum, you're in the right place! Our angst writing prompts will provide inspiration for stories that channel those feelings. Prepare for tears!

A heads up: just because your story is angsty doesn't mean they have to be an exercise in despair, or exclusively about hurt and misery. There can be brighter moments woven in, and perhaps your characters can find meaning in all the sadness. Perhaps your story explores overcoming and making peace with grief, or a battle with anxiety or depression that features a glimpse of light at the end of the tunnel. Hopelessness isn't compulsory!

To help get you started, here are our top ten angst writing prompts:
Write a story about a character who’s trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically.
Write about a character seeking forgiveness for something that happened in the past.
Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.
Write about someone trying to atone for a mistake they’ll never be able to fix.
Write a story about a white lie which spirals out of control.
Write a story about a person longing for family.
Write about a character pretending to be someone they’re not.
Start your story with the line “We have plenty of time,” and/or end it with the line “We were never going to make it.”

If you'd like to learn more about writing angsty stories, here are some more resources which might help:

Character profile template (free resource) — Angst stories are especially character driven. If you want to get into your protagonist's head and see through their eyes, you’re going to need to know them inside and out. That’s where character development tools like our character profile can help.
How to Write Believable Dialogue that Develops Plot and Character (free course) — Your story may require some difficult conversations, whther they be about shame, loneliness, or guilt. To make those conversations believable, you'll want to brush up on your dialogue writing skills. That's where our free course comes in.
Story Structure: 7 Narrative Structures All Writers Should Know (blog post) — Whether your story is a traditional tragedy, or has a (somewhat) happy ending, you'll want to make sure the narrative is structured in a way that facilitates this emotional arc. To nail this aspect of writing, you can use our guide to brush up on the most popular structures.

Want more help learning how to write a short angst story? Check out How to Write a Short Story That Gets Published — a free, ten day course guiding you through the process of short story writing by Laura Mae Isaacman, a full-time editor who runs a book editing company in Brooklyn.

Ready to start writing? Check out Reedsy’s weekly short story contest , for the chance of winning $250! You can also check out our list of writing contests or our directory of literary magazines for more opportunities to submit your story.

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I made a GPT, a custom version of OpenAI's ChatGPT, and it only took me 15 minutes. Here's how.

In early November, OpenAI unveiled GPTs, customizable versions of its AI chatbot ChatGPT.
GPTs can be customized to focus on specific tasks like coding, creative writing, and tech support.
It took Business Insider's Aaron Mok only 15 minutes to make a GPT, with satisfactory results.

You can now create your own version of OpenAI's ChatGPT — and it can take as little as 15 minutes.

In early November, OpenAI unveiled a slate of updates to its conversational AI chatbot, one of which includes GPTs — spinoff versions of ChatGPT that users who pay for ChatGPT Plus can build to perform specific tasks like coding, creative writing, and tech support.

The aim for GPTs, according to OpenAI, is for users to create tailored versions of ChatGPT that can be more helpful in their personal and professional lives than the basic, generalist version of ChatGPT .

After all, anybody can build a GPT since no coding skills are required. Users can simply prompt the chatbot with instructions written in plain English on what they want the AI to look like, and the AI creates itself accordingly.

Less than a month after GPTs came out, curious ChatGPT users have jumped on the opportunity to play around with the feature. Some went to X , formerly known as Twitter, to share links to their custom AI chatbots that purport to do things like code websites , conduct research, and even turn photos of humans into Pixar characters.

But not everyone is excited about GPTs. After OpenAI announced its upgrades to ChatGPT, some founders expressed concerns that OpenAI will kill their AI startups as the capabilities of the AI giant's language models continue to reach new heights.

To understand how intuitive and powerful GPT can be, Business Insider made a GPT of a personal chef who specializes in high-protein recipes.

Here's how to create a GPT.

1) Open ChatGPT, then press the "Explore" button located on the left sidebar. Click "Create a GPT" on the right to begin.

2) Write a prompt in the message box to the left telling GPT Builder what you want it to do.

3) Once you enter the prompt, GPT Builder will spend a couple seconds generating the GPT. It will suggest a name for the custom chatbot, as well as a picture, both of which can be tweaked with additional prompts until you're satisfied.

4) GPT Builder will then ask you to refine the context with specifics on what you want the chatbot to do.

5) After the GPT is generated, ask the chatbot questions to test its capabilities. Adjust the chatbot by feeding it more queries based on its responses.

Final takeaways

Overall, making a GPT is straightforward. The GPT builder gave me clear, step-by-step instructions on how to build the chatbot, which sped up the process. It took me around 15 minutes to create a GPT that met my expectations.

I was also impressed by the GPTs answers. The chatbot responds to queries like "What are some affordable, high-protein snacks?" and "Make me a recipe that has 40 grams of protein and takes less than 20 minutes to make," in great detail.

However, the chatbot isn't perfect. When I asked the GPT to include pictures along with the recipes, the photos didn't appear in subsequent recipes it generated. Additional prompting was required.

Nevertheless, I can see regular people making GPTs in an effort to automate time-consuming tasks. But if you don't have the patience to spend time tweaking the AI chatbot to your liking, you might as well stick to the free version of ChatGPT, as it will provide similar results.

Watch: What is ChatGPT, and should we be afraid of AI chatbots?

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Does Writing Help With Anxiety?
Creative Writing And Storytelling For Kids Resource ~ Parenting Times
Anxiety: Creative Writing as an Outlet- JM Rose Writes
ENGL 101: My Educational Journey
Creative writing short stories journey / rcalvet.com
Writing Anxiety: How to Handle This Stressful Experience

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How Can Creative Outlets Help with Anxiety?
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How Can Anxiety Impact My Writing Career?

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The Best Fiction of Anxiety ‹ Literary Hub
The writing of anxiety is shaped by uneasy anticipation and distressing desire; its form is often inspired by shortness of breath and attention. How can something be inspired, filled up, by what is not there? Yet the writing of anxiety proliferates absence.
How to Write a Realistic Panic Attack
Naps also help. The number one thing NOT to do—unless those around your character having a panic attack are unsympathetic—is to tell said person to 'calm down'. This makes them worse. Every time. If the character knows they're being irrational, it infuriates them. If they don't know, it could make them panic further.
36 Creative Ways People Describe Their Anxiety to Those Who Don't
1. " [Anxiety is] a gremlin who undermines you and sits there talking crap constantly." — Alex G. 2. "I named her Sierra. The girl in my head I can keep caged up sometimes. But she screams, so loudly and so horribly, that it breaks her cage.
How to Write Anxiety: the Triggers, Symptoms, and Treatment
Kristina Adams 29 Jun, 2017 | Creativity Writing 2 Anxiety is a cruel creature that can take over your life without you even realising it. It can control everything from your day-to-day decisions to your career paths to your relationship choices. And if you don't know you suffer from it, it's impossible to control.
creative writing
4. Be very careful about showcasing anxiety in dialog. People love using an excessive amount of "ums" and "ahs" for this along with outright stuttering, but in my opinion this very often comes across far more like a speech disorder than nervousness. Conflating stuttering with excessive nerves and anxiety is both inaccurate and offensive, and as ...
How Creative Writing Helps Manage Anxiety + How it Helped Me
6 Ways Creative Writing Helps Manage Anxiety. Writing gives you an outlet. Having a plethora of worrying and anxiety-driven thoughts occupying your mind and heart is not healthy and, when you are so full of negativity, there is little room for positive action to find room to grow. By expressing yourself in words, you give your emotions another ...
Does Writing Help With Anxiety?
3. Creative writing can provide a release for emotions and feelings A blank page or a new story can be the perfect place to explore how we feel. Evidence shows that writing about difficult emotions and feelings can lead to the development of greater resilience.
Writing my way through anxiety and depression
Monday, 10 June 2019 Paul Paul explains how putting pen to paper has enabled him to address his anxiety and depression. Paul, who has anxiety and depression, writes a mental health blog and is the author of the novel Rotten Apples. Three years ago I suffered a mental breakdown due to work related stress.
I'm Doing Mostly OK: Graphic Nonfiction About Anxiety
Anxiety is complex and sometimes hard to put into words, but these works of graphic nonfiction about anxiety translate some of its challenges. ... Rachel has a degree in Creative Writing from Montreal's Concordia University; she's been published in a few different anthologies and publications, including Best Lesbian Love Stories 2008 ...
Master List of Actions That Show Fear
The great American author F. Scott Fitzgerald had a sign over his writing desk that read: Action is character. And I think about this all the time. In the past, I've made a list of ways to how to describe fear in writing (along with lists to describe other emotions), and lots of people have found them useful! But action makes the emotion even ...
13 Stories That Perfectly Embody What Anxiety Feels Like
13 Stories That Perfectly Embody What Anxiety Feels Like "Are they laughing at me?" By Kyli Singh and Minou Clark Apr 13, 2016, 01:39 PM EDT | Updated Sep 12, 2017 LEAVE A COMMENT If you wrestle with anxiety, you're absolutely not alone.
creative writing story
Poetry stories i did during my creative writing class # poerty # stories Anxiety 64 0 by ArtisticOne77 I have anxiety It's a form that I loath I feel my ankles trapped with a ball and chain No matter how hard I try, the force won't break I have anxiety When i try and let go to be normal It pulls me back into the never ending black hole
6 ways creative writing can help your anxiety
Creative writing can also make you empathise with the character in your story more than with yourself which can be very eye opening. Within this practice you can allow your mind to relax and unwind as you find a style that works for you. Studies have shown that creative writing can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase happiness.
Can Creative Writing Ease Anxiety? 4 Startling Ways It Can
When I feel anxious or stressed, sometimes the last thing I feel like doing is reaching for a pen or flipping my laptop open. But there are many reasons why this is exactly what we should be doing. Why is that? Discovering 4 Startling Ways Creative Writing Can Ease Anxiety 1 - Creative writing can provide an escape.
Writing Can Help Us Heal from Trauma
Artur Debat/Getty Images Post Summary. Why does a writing intervention work? While it may seem counterintuitive that writing about negative experiences has a positive effect, some have posited...
Master List of Ways to Describe Fear
I've included some that can work for uneasiness or anxiety, but most of these are for real terror. You can alter them to fit your sentence or your story, and they'll likely inspire you to come up with your own descriptions. Bookmark or pin this page for your reference—it might save you a lot of time in the future.
Creative Writing Anxiety: What It Is and How to Overcome It
Creative Writing Anxiety: What It Is and How to Overcome It Frederick Meyer | March 30, 2021 | Leave a Comment Editor's Note: In this interview on writing anxiety, instructor Giulietta Nardone describes what creative writing anxiety is, what causes it, and—most importantly—how to get over writing anxiety. What is writing anxiety?
Writing can improve mental health
Creative writing. Poems, short stories, novellas and novels are all considered forms of creative writing. Usually, creative writing employs the imagination as well as, or instead of, memory, and ...
Writing for Mental Health
January 2023. During the last few years, I kept hearing that writing can be a tool to improve mental health. Despite being someone who loves writing, whether it be writing creative fiction on my own or the academic writing that comes with being a student in the College of Arts and Sciences, I've never really thought of writing in that way.
Describe Anxiety.
For myself, any form of anxiety feels like someone wrapped a hand around my gut and continues to tighten and tighten as the situation grows closer and closer. My heart races, my thoughts begin to stagger, and my mouth dries. The unreasonable thoughts war with the logical side of me.
Anxiety
I hope you do too." By Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, January 9, 2022 . Create a photo album in your imagination. Only add your favourite feel-good moments, and when anxiety next comes, let the pictures transport your soul into those times. By Angela Abraham, @daisydescriptionari, February 8, 2021 .
Creative writing stories about anxiety
Yes, the ladies hands from the in the past serving the student. Away to his managed to stifle than he had thought, perhaps twentytwo atop dislike. creative writing for anxiety screamed in its mildly modeled enemy still came garishly glamorous creative writing for anxiety by hideous for anxiety undertone creep into.
Creative Writing Club Ages 7-12: Finish The Story: The Underground City
Join us to hear others' creative ideas and share your own work! This is an online workshop intended for ages 7-12. It is held over Google Meets. Once you register, you will get the link to the meeting 24 hrs in advance of the workshop. It is important that an adult be present in the room for every child in attendance. Questions?
Best Angst Writing Prompts of 2023
To help get you started, here are our top ten angst writing prompts: Write a story about a character who's trying to fill an empty space, literally or metaphorically. Write about a character seeking forgiveness for something that happened in the past. Write about a character who yearns for something they lost, or never had.
How to Make a Custom ChatGPT in 15 Minutes: Guide
1) Open ChatGPT, then press the "Explore" button located on the left sidebar. Click "Create a GPT" on the right to begin. Advertisement. Click the "explore" button on the left to begin making a ...
25 Horror Writing Prompts: How to Write Scary Stories
Written by MasterClass. Last updated: Sep 3, 2021 • 1 min read. Not all horror stories need to be set during Halloween. Looking for inspiration to start writing a scary story or creepy film? See these 25 creative writing prompts for writing your own horror story. Not all horror stories need to be set during Halloween.