Aside from wine and Xanax, how does one manage anxiety? Writing is a management technique that works for me (now that my hand and wrist are fully functional again). As Joan Didion said, “I don’t know what I think until I write it down.” Writing penetrates my mental mosh pit and provides clarity. Even anthropomorphizing anxiety, giving it a name and personality, helps me step back and gain perspective.
I believe creative expression helps mitigate anxiety. New York Times reporter Laura Holson notes: “Our best selves are merely one doodle away. Where once drawing and other painterly pursuits were the province of starving artists or simply child’s play, unlocking one’s creativity has become the latest mantra of personal growth and healing.” The Mayo Clinic recommends the health benefits of painting and ceramics.
Aside from writing, ceramics is my preferred creative outlet. Clay comes from the ground and grounds those who touch it. Centering a bowl on the potter’s wheel helps me feel centered. Clay has a way of corralling my monkey-chattering brain and meditatively focusing it on creating something beautiful.
While these techniques are helpful, I still experience goose bumps when I hear the sheets rustle and feel her breath on the back of my neck in the early morning. What sardonic snippets will she spew this time? I wonder. Usually I don’t have to wait long to find out. She is always eager to share. After all these years I’m grudgingly growing accustomed to her appearances; I just wish she’d choose a more convenient time to visit!
Liz Kitchen is a writer and blogger. Her blog, Be Brave. Lose the Beige! focuses on women of the Baby Boomer generation. She is a guest contributor for Sixty and Me and Medium and has contributed to Growing Bolder, the Boomer Café, and Vibrant Nation. Liz is the author of Be Brave. Lose the Beige! Boldly Breaking the Rules after 50. She writes in Orlando, Florida.