Writing as Stress-Reliever

Well, it's been a month since I've been able to contribute anything to my blog. Could it be—I bet you've guessed it—back-to-school season? I get so behind on my writing around this time each year. I always vow it will be different. So far ... it's not been.

But take heart! We are not seeking perfection around here; rather, progress.

In that spirit, I want to offer a line from a classic 19th-century feminist short story, "The Yellow Wallpaper." While dark in themes, TYW has a few shining moments. One of those is a line I think well-expresses one of the best reasons we can pick up our pen, or our phone, or our laptop:

"Writing will relieve the press of ideas and rest me."

So says the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper." While we might not want to use the rest of her story as a blueprint, that particular observation will guide us well.

Instead of feeling the pressure to write a lot for productivity's sake, how about we just write to bring ourselves some stress relief? That feeling you've gotten something off your chest, been able to lay your burden down for a bit, processed through some pressure or idea or nascent thought—this is something writing can bring us.

So, happy writing! And happy back-to-school.

Image by Steve Buissinne from Pixabay.