Think CBT: Amazing Writing Techniques To Deal With Anxiety

How CBT Is Helping Me Untangle My Mind and My Writing

It was a Tuesday morning, the kind where the sky is the colour of wet cement and my coffee tasted like it had given up trying. I’d been working overtime to think of something worthwhile to write. My thoughts had tied themselves in knots – this isn’t working… I’m wasting my time… I’m not a real writer.

That’s when I remembered something my CBT therapist once said: “You don’t have to believe every thought you have.”

At first, CBT felt clinical to me, all worksheets and tick-boxes. But it’s a proven lifeline, not just for my mental health but for my writing. It gave me a set of tools to use when the self-doubt gets loud and the words don’t come easily.

When my anxiety is at its worst, my mind feels like a crowded train carriage at rush hour, too much noise, too many people, and no space to breathe. Writing helps, but sometimes the words themselves get tangled in the very thoughts I’m trying to untangle. That’s when I lean on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).

CBT isn’t some magic wand that makes the anxiety vanish. It’s more like a toolbox. Inside are practical ways to challenge the thoughts that spiral, the ones that tell you you’re not good enough or that you’ll never finish what you started.

Identifying the thought
One of the first things that I am learning about CBT is to catch the thought before it runs off into worst-case-scenario land. For example: “This chapter isn’t working. I’m rubbish at writing.” CBT helped me pause and ask: is that really true, or am I just tired and in need of a break?

Reframing the narrative
Instead of telling myself I’ve failed, I’ve learned to say: “This chapter needs work, but that’s part of the process.” The shift seems small, but the relief is huge.

Breaking things down
CBT loves a good step-by-step plan. So do I now. Rather than “finish the novel”, I break it into manageable chunks: rework dialogue in Chapter 4, tighten pacing in Chapter 6, write one new scene by Friday. Suddenly, it feels achievable.

Checking the evidence
When a thought barges in “No one will read this” I check the evidence. I remind myself of past feedback, supportive messages from readers, or even the fact that I’ve written and finished pieces before. Evidence is the enemy of anxiety’s exaggerations.

Self-compassion as a practice
Possibly the hardest lesson: learning to be kind to myself when the words don’t flow. A CBT exercise I love is writing a short letter about my thoughts, generally from my London commute.

These tools don’t just make me a better writer, they make me a better human to myself. And perhaps the most important takeaway is this, it’s absolutely ok to ask for help. Whether that’s from a counsellor, a CBT therapist, a trusted friend, or even a writing group that understands the ups and downs.

We spend so much time thinking we need to soldier on alone. But there’s strength in recognising when you need another voice to steady yours.

💡Have you ever tried CBT techniques in your own creative process, or to manage anxiety? Which tools worked for you?