Using Poetry as a Coping Mechanism for Anxiety

Oct 16, 2019

Anxiety is different for everyone, but the effects of it on the mind and the body are detrimental. If you are having trouble dealing with the stress that anxiety causes, you might want to try writing poetry.

Why Does Writing Poetry Help?

1. Writing poetry can help you focus on something other than the multitude of fears that you have developed over time. Writing something as complex as poetry forces you to focus on small details.

Poems are a form of creative writing, but they can encourage you to begin thinking rationally again. Usually when someone is anxious, their thoughts will speed up, and it will become hard for them to think clearly. Because poetry helps you to slow down, it can be effective in lowering anxiety levels.

2. Poetry can be a form of self-expression. It is hard to describe to your friends and family the physical and emotional pain that anxiety causes. Writing poetry can be a positive outlet of expression for those unspoken feelings. Even though poetry is an extremely personal thing, you can share it with others who don't understand what you're going through. This can make it easier for them to support you when you're feeling anxious.

When Should You Write?

You can write poetry whenever and however you want. If it helps, you can make a schedule for writing poetry every day or every week, so that you have a constant source of expression in your life, something that you can rely on.

If you have trouble sleeping at night because of your anxiety, writing poetry before bed can help you to calm down so that you can get a good night's sleep. It's a good idea to write poetry both in the morning and at night, so that the day both starts and ends with something to help you calm down.

If you are feeling anxious and you need help dealing with your anxiety, you can contact me today. I offer anxiety counseling in the Fresno, California area.