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Ten Tips on Beating
the Writing Blues
By Lynn Alfino
The writing lifestyle isn't exactly
a communal enterprise. While we need to immerse ourselves in our
work, sitting glued to the keyboard for days with no social interaction
can wreak havoc on our physical and emotional health. Being sedentary
and socially isolated can contribute to depression, weight gain,
and poor productivity.
I learned the
hard way. Early writing success and regular assignments soon led
to 18-hour stretches at the computer with few breaks and little
outside contact. Exercise was a foreign concept and to compound
the problem, I was living and working in the same small room (which
had taken on the ambience of a prison cell). Within six months,
a 30-pound weight gain, increasing depression, and lack of contact
with friends made me realize how unbalanced my life had become.
I knew I had to do something.
Online writers'
groups provided much needed camaraderie and professional writing
advice. The eclectic mix included well-established full-time writers,
part-timers holding down outside jobs, and those in the throes
of shopping articles around for their first sales. Many were successfully
juggling writing, work and family responsibilities. So I set out
to discover their secrets for keeping mind, body and soul together.
I posted an online
invitation for interested writers to share details of their health
and work habits. More than 20 writers responded within one week.
Using these writers' responses, I've developed 10 tips writers
can use to be healthier and happier.
Schedule
regular breaks
The importance
of taking breaks throughout the day was cited by three-quarters
of the respondents. One third said they eat dinner outside their
work area to give themselves a break.
Move
those bones
About
half of the respondents admitted to weight gains, ranging from
a few to more than fifty pounds, since they began writing in earnest.
Exercise can help ward off lethargy and depression, and jump-start
your thought process through increased blood circulation. Whether
you choose to walk your dog or run on a treadmill at a local gym,
physical activity can make you feel better and increase your productivity.
Try
different work areas
Varying your
workspace might provide new visual and sensory stimulation. Editing
or writing drafts in your family room can be a good way to be
with others while still working on your latest project. A trek
to the local library can also provide social interaction, albeit
peripheral, and remind us we're part of the living. If noise is
a problem, try wearing foam earplugs.
Make
a writing schedule
Some writers
hold other jobs and must carve out a special time in the evenings
or weekends to pursue their craft. Scheduling your writing, even
jotting the time in your calendar, can help ensure a balance between
solitude and time with others.
Get
dressed
For some writers,
staying in their bathrobes may subconsciously encourage slacking
off, while getting showered and dressed may give their brains
the message that it is time for business.
Keep
communicating
If you are a
sociable type, giving up an outside job to write full-time from
home can come as a big shock. Gone are the opportunities for water
cooler interaction with co-workers. If you are committed to working
from home, participating in a writers' group can help provide
a sense of community. Calling friends or even chatting with local
storekeepers can provide the human voice you occasionally need
to hear while you're working.
Create
an open workspace
Even if your
workspace is a windowless closet, a favorite painting, plant,
or cut flowers can remind you that there's a world out there.
Natural beauty can provide the visual inspiration so necessary
to refresh the soul and ready the mind of the work period ahead.
Clue
in to fatigue
Sleep disorders
such as insomnia or oversleeping plague many of us, and may be
symptoms of anxiety, stress and imbalance. Immersing yourself
in a character for a novel or intensive research for nonfiction
can mean you are tired for a long period and not really present
to the moment. It's hard to produce brilliant work when you're
nodding off at the keyboard, so get the sleep you need.
Watch
out for depression
By its very nature,
writing is intensely introspective work. Writers and poets are
four times more likely than others to suffer from depression,
according to the American Association for the Prevention of Suicide.
Dickinson, Eliot, Poe, Emerson, Faulkner, and Fitzgerald -- all
suffered depressive illnesses. For Hemingway, Woolf,
and Plath, suicide followed.
Happily, gone
are the days when self-destructive habits were acceptable parts
of a writer's romantic mystique. Today's writer faces stiff competition,
and it is the clear-eyed pro who meets editorial deadlines and
circulates a steady stream of queries. As one published writer,
who asked to remain anonymous, admitted in the survey, "I've
learned what every writer has to learn. Drinking does not produce
good stuff. Oh sure, it looks good at the time, but the next morning
-- it sucketh!"
Watch for signs
of depression, such as feelings of unending sadness and hopelessness;
ignoring your personal hygiene; overindulging in food, alcohol
or other substances; and withdrawing from friends and family.
If you feel you are losing your grip, don't hesitate to talk to
a professional. You may have issues to sort out before regaining
your equilibrium.
Don't
dismiss laughter
The
bottom line is, while the writing lifestyle invites and requires
reflection and solitude, we must make efforts to reach out and
include friends, family and community. Get out of your chair and
away from your computer, and get face-to-face with people on a
regular basis. Such fun interactions may even provide new writing
ideas!
This Article was found at: http://www.articleblast.com/
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