Morning meditation: The worry list

What is a morning meditation? To help me build a habit of daily writing, I’m publishing a few thoughts here every morning about ideas that interest and inspire me, mostly drawn from ordinary life. I hope you enjoy them.

Life feels a little chaotic right now. Things are beginning, changing, transitioning, becoming both more and less certain in various ways. I’ve found myself more susceptible than usual to anxious thoughts. On top of that, I’m in New Orleans for the next several days with less time for writing — one of my primary ways for dealing with anxiety — than usual.

Typically I hate the idea of “tips and tricks,” especially when it comes to mental health. They tend to diminish the problem or make us feel like we should be able to fix ourselves with this “one weird trick.” But in this case, I’ve found a short method that has actually been very helpful when I find myself ruminating. Instead of a tip or trick, let’s call it one component of a potentially broader mindfulness practice.

It’s called the Worry List, and it’s extremely simple. Take a pen and paper, set a timer if you want (I don’t use one), and write out everything that’s worrying you right now. Don’t hold back, don’t edit, just write everything that comes to mind. About 5 or 6 lines in, I usually start to spot a theme among the seemingly separate issues that have been worrying me, and that helps me begin to understand the heart of the issue.

There’s also something cathartic about getting worry out of my head and down onto paper. Somehow, when I can see the worries written down, I feel less need to roll them around in my head ad infinitum.

A cure for anxiety? Hardly. One of many helpful methods to calm one’s mind? Potentially.