How To Manage Your Writing Anxiety This Christmas by Sophie Williams
Artwork by Justas Matkevicius
2020 has thrown many curveballs at us all, and spending time with our loved ones this Christmas has never been so needed - whether in-person or virtually. Unfortunately, this relaxation can also come hand-in-hand with that over-bearing anxiety that you should be writing, instead of taking part in another Zoom quiz.
Anxiety is a real and powerful entity. It can come in many different forms, each one carefully crafted to surprise you in the least pleasant way. The guilt of taking a well-deserved break from writing is exhausting. It can fester in your mind when you’re trying to enjoy an evening in front of the telly, or gnaw away at you when you finish working that little bit earlier on a Friday after a tough week. That nagging feeling telling you to send one more email, write one more paragraph, seems relentless. Taking a day off from writing for an anxious author such as myself is much easier said than done. It takes an emotional toll and can sometimes lead to physical ailments.
I am no stranger to this feeling, it’s come more times than I care to remember. I’ve suffered with anxiety since I was 16, and more often than not, it stems from stress relating to work. Five years later, the guilt of not being productive enough still weighs heavily on my shoulders, but I feel significantly more equipped to deal with the demon when it rears its ugly head.
The first step I take is to breathe. I know it sounds like a cliché and that breathing is a basic human function, but a few long, deep breaths go a long way to recentre yourself and gather your thoughts. Breathing in until my lungs are full, I make a mental list of everything I am worried about. Breathing out all the way, I decide if those tasks need completing immediately, and what the consequences will be if I leave it for another day. Nine times out of ten, the task isn’t urgent at all. If it’s still a source of worry, I assign myself a time limit to spend on this work, usually 20 or 30 minutes will do the trick. If I’ve started a task, that puts my mind at rest a little bit more. By the time I’ve done all this, my breathing has steadied, and I feel calmer already.
I’ve also started to keep a bullet journal. A little notebook that I take everywhere, it’s ideal to write down little tasks you think of while you’re out and about. It’s a great help in reducing the worries surrounding deadlines. It can also help to set a realistic deadline for yourself to complete said task. For example, if you make a note in the journal to do that task on December 27th, it can go a long way for your peace of mind over Christmas week.
The process of handling anxiety when it comes to writing and work is different for everybody. It’s easier for some than it is for others but taking a break from work is essential and everyone is entitled to time off, especially this Christmas. This is a gentle reminder to go easy on yourself.
The non-productivity guilt and I have co-habited for a long time. At times I’ve given it to it, and at other times I’ve battled with it so much that I’ve gone so far as to not do any work at all, almost in protest. It’s been a rollercoaster, but after starting to use my own little tips and tricks, I think the anxiety and I have finally come to an understanding and this Christmas, I will put my pen down and enjoy the season.
Words by Sophie Williams
Edited by Caitlin Lydon