Anxiety is Not a Mom's Best Friend

3 Ways to Journal "It" Away - Today

The IT is anxiety. My little friend and antidote to a good night's sleep and fun filled days. IT interrupts my day and wakes me up at night with its insatiable "To Do" list of miscellaneous concerns, shoulds and potential crises.

You forgot to call the vet, need to re-order his migraine

prescription, Dad's birthday is coming up - where is that birthday card?, defrost the chicken, finish the press release, why hasn't Richard e-mailed me the pictures?, is my personal account overdrawn? Savannah's concert is when?, What is that horrible smell?, Velvet needs her rabies shot, clean the house, I still need a gift for Mom, pick up the photos, we're out of milk, I still haven't called Roxanne back, shouldn't have to weed -but the yard looks like crap - I'm a renter not an owner, I still need to renew my passport - Scott needs new shoes. Today, after school?

Anxiety is random. Miscellaneous. Mundane. Merciless.

"Generalized Anxiety Disorder," a.k.a incessant worry about everyday everythings, affects four million Americans. This is about 2.8% of the population. And, guess what?! Women are twice as likely to be afflicted than men and most of those women are ... moms. Yep, moms and me.

Generalized anxiety is uncomfortable. It shows up as fatigue, insomnia (love that combination!), headaches, poor concentration, fear, frequent need to pee and constipation. IT make sex a chore, puts butterflies in our stomachs and makes us cranky with the kids. Bleh.

Journal It Away


One way I get IT out is to journal IT down. And down and down and down. These days, most days, I journal 3 pages of IT. I do this in the morning with a little cup of coffee after taking care of them and before beginning the rest of my day. Started a couple weeks ago and ... the more I wrote IT down the less of IT there is!

I feel calmer, I sleep better. Been over a week since IT woke me up in the middle of the night. And instead of 3 pages of IT I find myself writing a page or just half a page. The remaining pages (and I always write 3) are turning into gratitude lists or story ideas and vacation plans, everything but IT.