A small, supportive practice for overwhelmed brains.

I’m offering one of my favorite tools for free. It's gentle and science-backed.

Dear Reader,

How is your nervous system right now?

Everyone I talk with, especially in the USA, is scared, frazzled, and overwhelmed.

Understandably so.

​I wrote on my Substack this week about how I really, truly, don't want to be an activist right now. I want to just be in Mexico writing my next novel. But the state of the world right now is requiring us to find and use our voices.

But, as I said in the post, we can't advocate for the things we believe in if our nervous systems are shot.

Which is where journaling comes in.

Journaling reduces anxiety and depression, and can help you heal mentally and physically.

You don’t have to just take my word for it.

The scientific studies on the benefits of journaling are endless.

• 15 minutes a day of journaling has been shown to reduce depression, anxiety, and hostility in young adults, particularly if they were very distressed before beginning.
• Journaling helps even if you feel awkward doing it! 80% of the above young adults had never journaled before and 65% said it felt uncomfortable at first.
• Journaling can heal you mentally and physically. In an effort to better support amputees, scientists studied people aged 64 to 97 who had a biopsy. The group that did expressive writing after their biopsy were 76% healed within a week, versus 46% of the control group.

Sources: 1. Harvard Medical School report; 2-3. UC Berkeley School of Psychology study; 4. Scientific American article.

Pretty great, right⁉️

The best part is, there is no “perfect” or “correct” way to journal. You can show up to the page flawed or fabulous, sad or full of joy. A journal never judges.

Journaling also doesn’t have to be boring. You don’t have to just sit there and write drivel for a certain amount of time until your hand goes numb, like so many people think journaling has to be.

In my course Journal Through It: From “Oh $#@!” to “I’ve got this!” in 15 Minutes, I teach you how to make journaling easy and fun.

Right now, I'm offering that course for free with code "LOVE".

Don't have time for another course, even a free one? I feel that. Which is why I've made it optimized for people who are overworked and overwhelmed.

• I guide you through short, specific prompts that work even when your brain feels fried.
• I built in instant wins and made the whole thing take less than an episode of Heated Rivalry.
• I made it so you can download the audio and listen on a walk or while doing dishes, letting you get away from staring at a screen.

This is all my way of supporting this community of advocates for good that we have here at School for Writers®.

I hope it helps you settle your nervous system, find your voice, and use it.

Because the world needs your story now more than ever.

With love,

Lauren

P.S. Looking for more ways to support yourself and your community right now. Check out this post.

Only get emails you love.

I want you to light up when you see an email from me in your inbox. To help with that, I have broken my communication up into three spaces:

• Course + coaching emails – sent through my program platform Thinkific.
• ​Unscripted – intimate letters on the creative process, hosted on my Substack.
• School for Writers® – emails focused on helping you thrive as a creative, hosted on Kit.
  • You're reading a School for Writers® email right now. :-)
  • You can update your School for Writers® email preferences here.
  • Or you can completely unsubscribe from my School for Writers educational emails.

All other changes must be made on their respective platforms.

*Some of the items mentioned in this email we may have gotten for free and we may get a % if you buy a product through one of these link. We have a strict policy here at School for Writers to only suggest things to you that we love ourselves, regardless of affiliate status or price paid.