The Transformative Power of Writing: Comfort for the Anxious Soul

“How are you doing?”

I had no idea how to answer such a simple question. Six days after delivering my first baby, I was still wandering through the fog of postpartum anxiety and trying to organize my rollercoaster emotions. One moment, I would be elated to hold my new baby, but then I’d be overwhelmed by sleep deprivation.

Often, I’d straighten my shoulders and respond, “Tired, but trying to figure it out—I’m also feeling a bit anxious.”

Cue the awkward silence or sometimes sweet sentiments. I didn’t like awkward conversations, so I’d keep talking. They would smile and nod, but we’d often move on to other topics. I longed for someone to say, “Me too! ” but that wasn’t the norm.

Whenever I wanted to go deeper, emotions flooded my mind like an unexpected wave. I would think about talking to my husband, but my eyes would fill with tears, and could feel my cheeks burning with embarrassment.

 Writing during postpartum helped me sort between feelings and facts. I was feeling sad, anxious, and worried, but I also loved my son. Writing my thoughts down helped me distinguish truth from worry. Journaling, especially focusing on gratitude writing, helped calm my anxious heart. As C.S. Lewis said, “Whenever you are fed up with life, start writing: ink is the great cure for all human ills.” Here are three ways I found writing to be a valuable and transformative process during a time of overwhelm.

Biblical Reflection

Writing allowed me to sort misconceptions from reality. When I wrote down my worries, like postpartum anxiety and new seasons, I was reminded of stories in the Bible where others were afraid and trusted God despite unknown outcomes. During an overwhelming time, writing helped me get to the root of my fears and find hope for the future.

Passages such as 1 Peter 5:7 assured me of the importance of “casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you.” Other times I was directed toward verses like Matthew 11:28, reminding me of my need to come to Jesus for rest when I'm weary and heavy-laden. When we write down our stories or prayers, we can typically find biblical truths to encourage our hearts and remind us of God's unchanging promises instead of our changing emotions.

Today, I can look back at old journals and see how God answered my prayers —like keeping the baby safe during labor. I can also reflect on times when I didn’t trust God and learned a lesson the hard way, like keeping all my worries to myself instead of sharing them with others.

Sharing with Others

Sharing my postpartum story online and with others allowed me to be vulnerable and opened the door for deeper dialogue. Women reshared my post and thanked me for being open about something so common, yet something so often pushed under the rug. Even now, writing allows me to express my thoughts carefully and gives the reader the opportunity to process slowly.

As Ashlee Gadd says in her book Create Anyways, “God filled the world with good things and calls us to do the same-to showcase hope, light, beauty, and restoration as part of the ongoing process of God's glory infusing the earth.” Writing allows us to showcase his hope, light, and beauty to a world longing for hope.

Writing for an Audience of One

As a new mom, I doubted my ability and energy to write. How would I make a difference in a world saturated by information? Then, I remembered my job is to be faithful. If God asks me to write or share my thoughts with a larger audience, I should obey.

But often, when I submitted stories to publications, I received rejection emails. This was discouraging, but writing my story and reflecting on how it interweaves with Scripture was still a valuable lesson. Ultimately, we can write for the glory of God, our spiritual growth, and potentially for the development of others. This work has eternal value, whether journaling our prayers, preparing a Sunday school lesson, or writing a book. Like the little boy in the story of John, who shared his five loaves and two fish with a crowd of over five thousand people, we don’t have to worry about the outcome. Instead, we simply have to focus on obedience.

So, how can we trace the ultimate Truth throughout our life? Do we have memories and experiences of God’s faithfulness and answered prayers? Are we sharing them with others? God can use our words and testimonies to glorify him. He doesn’t call us to production and output; he calls us to obedience (1 Sam. 15:22).

These days I continue to write, now with a toddler running around and another life growing inside me. Although I don’t know what will happen next, I do know God can use our stories for his glory and our growth.