Anxiety and writing

I was reading in Daring Greatly on Tuesday about how connection is the antidote for shame. There was then a quote about some studies that show that writing for 15 to 20 minutes a day for 3 to 4 days can decrease anxiety and depression. 

You may remember that at the beginning of March I wrote about my increased anxiety here on my blog. My new therapist recommended writing more in my journal as a part of my "self-care." I did, for about four days, and I felt much better. I think it's interesting but sometimes I'm looking for a complex solutions to things, when really all I need to do is sit down and write out how I'm feeling.

This is not to say that I'm no longer anxious. Nor is it to say that I will no longer be seeing a therapist. (I'm a divorcée for crying out loud). It's just a comment on how sometimes our brains just need to get everything out on paper, right in front of us, staring us in the face, and it helps them figure out how to feel better.

And if you want to read a book where the author did that, I highly recommend Milk and Honey by Rupi Kapur.