1. Overcoming Writing Anxiety
Presented by the Academic Success Center

2. What is Writing Anxiety?
Writing anxiety is defined as the negative feelings writers have when they try to produce words and ideas. These feelings can make it difficult or impossible for writers to complete their work.

3. Is Writing Anxiety Common?
Yes!
It’s perfectly normal to feel some anxiety before a writing project
Too much, though, and you may find yourself making poor choices, like procrastinating, or experiencing symptoms, like writers block, that can lead to increased anxiety the next time you have a project to complete
Many people struggle with serious writing anxiety
The best way to deal with anxiety is to meet it head-on

4. What Causes Writing Anxiety?
Writing can be affected by many things, including boredom and exhaustion, and can cause you to feel many negative emotions, including anxiety, frustration, doubt, confusion, and despair

5. Exhaustion: This can include physical and mental fatigue and
lack of energy and enjoyment
We are constantly busy running between work, school, family, and friends. Finding time to take care of ourselves is often the last thing on our to-do list.
Addressing this issue is essential not just to better writing (because you’re not firing on all cylinders), but to better health.
It’s important to monitor both your sleep and the expectations you place on yourself.
Creating a schedule may help to combat this, especially if you leave room for relaxation.

6. Boredom: Lack of interest in what you’re working on or writing about
Do you find yourself thinking things like, “I wish I could write about something else”?
You may be suffering from boredom! Boredom can seriously get in the way of your motivation and productivity.
Brainstorming ideas so that you know exactly what you’re going to write about can help move your through your boredom.
Positive reinforcement (if I get this page written, I can go watch an episode of X-Files!) can also be a very effective tool.

7. Anxiety: Worry, nervousness, unease
Identifying what is causing your anxiety is the first step toward overcoming it!
Positive self-talk is really important in overcoming anxiety:
“I know that this feeling won’t last forever, so I’m going to write this paragraph while I wait for it to pass.”
“What’s the worst that can I happen if I write this paragraph?”
“This is my rough draft—no one will see my mistakes, so I can feel free to write anything that comes to my mind.”
Deep, calming breathing can also help you move through feelings of anxiety.

8. Frustration: “I’m not improving” “I don’t know where to start”
“I don’t know what comes next”
When frustration hits, the problem is often that you didn’t leave enough time for all the steps of the writing process.
Make sure that you plan ahead for brainstorming and organizing ideas, writing, and revising.
You might also find yourself unable to see issues in your writing. This can be a sign that you need to step away from your work for a while.
Confusion or not understanding what you’re supposed to be doing can also be a source of frustration—make sure to ask questions if you aren’t sure of something.

9. Doubt: “My work isn’t good enough” “Why should anyone listen to me?”
Self-doubt is one of the most common causes of writing anxiety.
Everyone feels some level of this, so rather than fearing it, expect it! You are putting your blood, sweat and tears on paper and handing it in to be judged! That’s not a comfortable feeling.
Remember, though, that your rough draft is just that—rough. Don’t expect perfection, and concentrate on the fact that you’re the only one who needs to see it.

10. Confusion: Are you unsure of what you’re supposed to be doing?
The beginning of the writing process must always be to review the assignment and ask for clarification.
Your teacher is there to help you, so take advantage of their expertise!
You can also schedule time with a tutor to help with assignment clarification, or talk to a classmate.
The most important thing, though, is to do this right away, not wait until your assignment is nearly due. Waiting will only lead to increased anxiety and frustration.

11. Despair: “I’m never going to figure this out”
“There’s no point in trying”
I like to call this the “terrible future”—where we focus 100% of our attention on all the things that might go wrong or that we’re struggling with, and decide that we can’t ever make it better.
Sometimes, we need a few minutes to wallow in this kind of despair, to get it out of our systems. When you feel this way, give yourself permission to wallow for a few minutes, and then make the decision to identify the cause and address it.

12. Despair: “I’m never going to figure this out”
“There’s no point in trying”
First, look at what you’re saying, and determine if it’s justified. Has your writing really not improved since childhood?
Negative self-talk is a habit that can be hard to break, so schedule time every day to celebrate your successes, no matter how small.
Remember that you can’t control how you feel, but you can control how you respond to those feelings.
Often, this means making a conscious choice to feel those feelings, but do what you have to do anyway.

13. Think of Writing as a Skill, Not a Talent
If something requires talent, we tend to give ourselves a pass on not mastering it. When something is a skill, mastery requires dedicated practice. This mindset is essential to giving ourselves permission both to fail and to improve.

14. Simple Actions to Increase Your Comfort with Writing
Practice writing and become familiar with the conventions of academic/formal writing
Practice timed free-writing
Keep a daily journal or reading journal
Pretend you are explaining something to a friend
Record yourself speaking on a topic, and then write down what you said
Read articles and books

15. Simple Actions to Increase Your Comfort with Writing
Plan your writing in increments
I can’t stress how important this is! Anxiety can get in the way of productivity and leave you with lots to do and not enough time to do it.
Making a schedule takes away some of the decision-making that can trip you up while also breaking your work into manageable chunks.
Schedule time for brainstorming and organizing ideas, time for review and revision, and time for fun and relaxation.

16. Simple Actions to Increase Your Comfort with Writing
Brainstorm and create outlines
Allowing time to brainstorm and creating an organized outline eliminates the need for decision-making once you sit down to start writing your rough draft. This website has some really great brainstorming methods that should help kickstart idea generation!

17. Simple Actions to Increase Your Comfort with Writing
Gather your materials ahead of time
Do you write best with a cup of tea or soothing music? Make sure you have those things with you when you sit down to write.
If you start writing and discover that you need to get up to find a resource or an extra pen, it can increase your stress and pull you out of your groove. Make sure you have everything you need before you start writing!

18. Simple Actions to Increase Your Comfort with Writing
Practice positive reinforcement
We are all experts at criticizing ourselves and focusing on the things we do wrong. It’s important to take the time to focus on the good things, and reward yourself when you do something great—e.g., “I wrote for 45 minutes, so now I can spend 15 minutes scrolling through my Twitter feed.”
Don’t edit as you go!
Plan to meet with a tutor or your professor
If you find that your anxiety is unmanageable, consider meeting with a counselor

19. Websites Consulted
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