How Writing Can Help You Weather a Crisis

In the midst of this coronavirus pandemic, we’re all looking for ways to cope.

The situation started getting real for me a couple of weeks ago when during a grocery-shopping trip I found the shelves nearly empty of toilet paper. It seemed odd to me as at that time, our state had yet to report any cases, yet the panic had already hit.

Shortly after that, our symphony concert was canceled, which was a huge disappointment to all the musicians and the community because we had planned a night of works from all-female composers—something we’d never done before.

I’d also been practicing my part for Hansel and Gretel, an opera that our opera theater was tackling for the first time. Written by Engelbert Humperdinck, it has amazing French horn parts, and I was excited to be able to participate. But once the symphony concert was canceled, we could see the writing on the wall. The opera, though scheduled to take place three weeks later, was canceled too.

Last weekend, you couldn’t find toilet paper or bread in our local stores, though workers were restocking the shelves as quickly as they could. One told me she had just finished stocking vegetable oil earlier that evening and already it was gone. Ditto for macaroni and cheese, tuna fish, pasta and pasta sauce, and frozen and canned vegetables and fruit.

From all this, one thing is clear: people are scared. It’s understandable. Our health and well-being are on the line. In many cases, our livelihoods are suffering. We worry about our loved ones and friends. I know I’m particularly worried about my parents as they are in the age group that is most at risk from what scientists know so far.

Adding to the anxiety is this need to practice “social distancing,” which can make a hard situation even more difficult. If we can’t get together, how can we support one another?

This is when we can be grateful for technology. I’ve delighted at the positive exchanges on Twitter as people come together to support one another and add humor and light to our dreary days.

Things are likely to get worse before they get better, though, which means we’re going to need other coping techniques. I’d like to encourage writers and non-writers to turn to the pen or the keyboard.

Writing has proven to be an effective coping technique for managing feelings of stress, anxiety, and fear. It’s something we can all do no matter who we are. I’d love to see families sit down to write together, and perhaps share their writings over a weekend meal. We can write letters to one another, offering and receiving support and love. We can email our coworkers and encourage them to hang in there.

Writing can be one of the ways we reach out as well as one of the ways we express ourselves during this difficult time. And of course, what better excuse to focus on finishing that story you’ve been working on? If you’re quarantined or simply staying in on a Friday night, fire up the keyboard.

Let’s recommit to our writing goals, and at the same time use writing in the following ways to help ourselves feel better.

1. Journal your feelings about the crisis.

Research has found that journaling helps us psychologically. In a 2014 study, for example, scientists found that those who engaged in expressive writing (writing about their feelings) showed a significant reduction in anxiety three months later.

A later study showed similar results, with regular journaling linked with decreased mental distress, increased well-being, and reduced anxiety and depression.

The key is to journal regularly and to not hold back. Get out your worries and anxieties, your frustrations, and any other feelings you may be having.

Then before finishing your entry, write down one thing you’re grateful for. Regularly reminding ourselves of our blessings improves mood and even boosts physical health.

2. Write a poem.

You may have tried your hand at poetry when you were younger. It’s a favorite activity of suffering teens after all. But it’s a good idea for adults, too—even non-writing adults (and children!).

Poetry can be particularly well suited to emotional expression, as you’re using metaphor and imagery to give voice to emotions that otherwise may be hard to express. The use of rhythm, too, can open up the imagination, helping you approach difficult situations more easily.

You can indulge in the typical rhyming poem, which can be fun because of the additional wording challenge, or simply go free-form without focusing too much on structure or format. Choose whichever method you’re in the mood for, and go ahead and play. Don’t be too worried about being perfect—just write to see if you can dive deep into the mood of the moment.

This can be a fun family activity, too. Have everyone come up with a poem during the week, then share them over the weekend. This can encourage everyone to express their anxieties and worries through a creative and fun activity.

3. Write a short story reflective of the current situation.

We writers can do this one easily, but anyone can enjoy writing a short story. Choose a character—perhaps one based on someone you’ve seen struggling in this crisis—and build a story around him or her. Maybe it’s a nurse working with people stricken by the virus, or a restaurant owner facing the potential failure of his or her business.

You can write about the mother trying to keep her kids entertained at home (since they can’t go to school), or the teacher trying to prepare lessons for online learning. The choices are endless. Get lost in your make-believe world for a while, and if you like, make everything turn out great for your characters.

This isn’t about writing something for publication, though of course, you can do that if you want. What may be more important now though is writing something that will help you feel better about the crisis so you can approach it with a stronger sense of optimism.

4. Write about how you overcame another crisis in your life.

At the end of the day, the person you can rely on the most to get you through any crisis is yourself. You can help restore your confidence in your own abilities by thinking back on another crisis you weathered.

It doesn’t have to be one related to a virus, though it could be a health crisis you survived. Instead, think of the tough times you’ve gone through so far in your life, then choose one and write about it.

When we go back and review an experience this way, we often remember things about that experience we haven’t thought about in a while. What steps did you take back then to get through? How did you overcome the challenges the crisis presented?

Writing about such an event may also give you ideas for how you may better approach the current crisis as well

5. Make a list of all the fun things you’re going to do when the crisis has passed.

If you’re feeling penned in and trapped, it can help to write down all the fun things you’re going to do once life goes returns to normal.

You can get the family involved in this. Have everyone write down at least five things they’re looking forward to doing once the restrictions have been lifted. You can discuss everyone’s thoughts and perhaps even put into place preliminary plans to make some of those things come true in the months to come.

Having something to look forward to can help boost mood and create a more positive outlook that can make the current time seem less overwhelming.

These are just a few possible ideas for how you can use writing to help you cope with a crisis. If you have others, please include them in the comments below!

How do you use writing to cope with a crisis?

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_{Sources
Niles, Andrea N., Kate E. Haltom, Catherine M. Mulvenna, Matthew D. Lieberman, and Annette L. Stanton. “Randomized controlled trial of expressive writing for psychological and physical health: the moderating role of emotional expressivity.” Anxiety, Stress, & Coping 27, no. 1 (2013), 1-17. doi:10.1080/10615806.2013.802308.}

_{Smyth, Joshua M., Jillian A. Johnson, Brandon J. Auer, Erik Lehman, Giampaolo Talamo, and Christopher N. Sciamanna. “Online Positive Affect Journaling in the Improvement of Mental Distress and Well-Being in General Medical Patients With Elevated Anxiety Symptoms: A Preliminary Randomized Controlled Trial.” JMIR Mental Health 5, no. 4 (2018), e11290. doi:10.2196/11290.}