When Worry Hits, Write

by Rochelle Melander

What’s a lady to do when the floor falls out from under her?

Easy answer: She closes her eyes. Imagines a floor where there isn’t one. Pretends that the twitch in her eye is from lack of sleep.

Worry. Women Worry.

Up all night worrying, I suppose!

—Claire Burke, Yesteryear

Are you a worrier—filling your empty moments with “what ifs” about things that may never happen? Do you worry about your creative projects—will they sell, will they be successful, will people like them? Or do you tend to worry about other things—will you make enough money to keep creating, will you stay healthy, will you find the right connections?

Many of my clients spend hours worrying about terrible things that MIGHT happen. Don’t catastrophize, I say. But I’m guilty of the same habit: using my imagination to create hairy scenarios.

When we worry, we’re using up our creative energy. Instead of writing, dreaming, or drawing, we perseverate. At the end of the day, we feel anxious and depleted.

In the Great Big Beautiful Life, Emily Henry gives these words to her protagonist:

“I began to journal too. I stopped worrying so much, channeled all my frustration and helplessness into documenting. And whenever I was scared, I’d go back to my favorite entries and re-read what I’d written, and I’d feel like I was really there.”

Try this: Consider the times in your day when you’re prone to worry. Those are usually times when you could be creative: when you’re exercising or cooking, while you drive, or the minutes right before and after sleep.

Next time you find yourself giving your energy to worry, stop. Ask, “Is this helpful?” The answer will be no.

Then shift. Spend that time noodling about your creative projects. Ask “What if” about stories. Play with ideas. Write in your journal. Commit to making messy art with many mistakes.

Isn’t that better than worrying?