Write That Down!!

I don’t know about you guys but sometimes I just have too much going on in my head. Whether I’m running through everything that I have to get done, I’m stressing about something, or I’m just being anxious and overthinking. Getting things down on paper is a great way to help clear your mind. I know Melanie has touched on this a little bit before, so this post is more about options that have worked for me personally.

Lists

I had never thought about this being so helpful until I started doing it regularly. It is a step that can help you function with depression, but you can take it even farther than that. I don’t know about you guys but I always need a list when I go grocery shopping, otherwise I forget something without fail. I’ve found that it helps relieve a lot of stress when I have a checklist. Whether it’s for shopping, a to-do list, or for something else. It helps me to physically see the list before me. Sometimes I panic thinking “I have so much to do” but once I see it on paper it helps me to narrow it down. I can prioritize, and seeing things get checked off helps keep me motivated.

Journaling

I am not very good at keeping a regular journal. I will have months in-between my entries. The hardest thing for me when I started writing in a journal was how to write. It took a few tries but I found that the best way is to write like you are talking to someone. This is nice because it’s like you are talking to a friend, but there is no judgement. It’s nice to get all of the things you are feeling somewhere concrete. Sometimes I will write down my feelings and I will feel better expressing it, or I will realize that it really isn’t as bad as I first thought. Either way addressing those feelings helps me to move forward. A journal is just a nice option to have when you need it.

Stories

This might sound a little odd, but I’m an English major so bear with me. I love to write my own stories. Whether they are only a couple pages long, or a whole novel, writing is very relaxing to me. How this ties in has to do with my characters. When I am struggling with something specific and I’m unsure how to work through it I give a character that struggle. Not only does it make my characters more real and relatable, but it gives me a new way to look at my struggle. If I take a step back and look at it from a bystanders perspective, it can help me to find a solution I didn’t notice at first. You don’t have to be an English major, or even a great writer to try this. Looking at things from a different perspective can give you that solution that you had overlooked.

Writing things down can help your acceptance and it can really help clear your mind. I know it does for me. These are some of the best ways that I have found that work for me to get it down on paper. Have any of these methods helped you guys? Do any of you guys have other ways that you like to write things down?

Written by Emily