A recent discussion online on self-care for scientists in academia (@realscientists and #AcademicSelfCare on Twitter)\u00a0 prompted this post.\u00a0\u00a0 Writers–that is, fiction and nonfiction freelance writers–often have mental\/emotional\/physical problems that can be helped–if not entirely prevented or cured–by some judicious self-care.\u00a0 But we can forget that when deadlines are knocking on the door (loudly) or the check doesn’t arrive when it’s supposed to.<\/p>\n
Here are some important self-care points I’ve learned (and others have shared) for a healthier writing life.<\/p>\n
\tExpect stress<\/strong>.\u00a0 Then defuse it as much as possible.\u00a0\u00a0 All writers have stress relating directly to the nature of a writing life; if you think you will never be rejected, your favorite editor won’t die or lose her\/his job, all your readers will love your work, you’ll never have a personal crisis and a deadline coincide…you’re wrong.\u00a0\u00a0 Surprise stress is the worst.\u00a0 Admitting that it’s going to land on you, and having some coping mechanisms in hand will help get you through it.<\/p>\n \tKnow and counter your own internal stressors<\/strong>. Since you need to know some psychology to write good characters, you can use that knowledge for yourself as well.\u00a0 As much as you can stand (none of us is perfect)\u00a0 develop healthy coping skills ahead of time–learn to manage your own frustration, anger, resentment, envy, and recognize (perhaps with help) any problems large enough to be diagnosable: depression, ADD, autism spectrum, anger management, OCD, etc.\u00a0 Writing is tough enough, and will produce enough stress without having to deal with undiagnosed and untreated conditions.\u00a0 You can still use the insights your personal conditions give you when they’re recognized and treated. \u00a0 So seek out professional help whenever you think you need it (or wonder if you need it.)<\/p>\n \tAvoid sick systems<\/strong>. Learn to recognize both unhealthy personal relationships and sick systems (which may manifest in agent\/writer relations, editor\/writer relations, publisher\/editor\/writer relations, and avoid them or get out of them.\u00a0\u00a0 Here’s a good discussion of how they work: http:\/\/issendai.livejournal.com\/573443.html<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0 An abusive parent\/spouse\/lover\/friend\/supervisor all use much the same techniques for adding stress to your life while evading it in theirs.\u00a0\u00a0 Such relationships suck out your energy and courage–and writing needs both.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if you get sucked into one, get out as soon as you recognize it.\u00a0\u00a0 Since writers now have options for publishing they did not have in the past, there is no reason to put up with a sick system in regard to agents, editors, publishers.\u00a0 You have options; pick the ones that won’t drive you insane.<\/p>\n \tEat real food<\/strong>.\u00a0 Yes, I know the writer’s four basic food groups are sugar, fat, salt, and caffeine\/theobromine.\u00a0\u00a0 But do include protein, vitamins, and minerals and you will feel less stressed because your body has what it needs and thus isn’t sending you constant “I’m not happy” signals.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 If you can, grow some of what you eat (even a few herbs in little pots.)\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Without being a fanatic about it (because, if a writer, you’re probably also a bit of a rebel and unlikely to submit to someone else’s strict rules)\u00a0 eat real food in as wide a variety as you can afford (and stand.\u00a0 No, it doesn’t have to be kale.)<\/p>\n \tExercise<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Your brain needs it.\u00a0 It increases cerebral blood flow, which brings nice fresh oxygen and nutrients to your brain, which means you can think better, which means you can write more and get stuck less.\u00a0\u00a0 Any exercise is better than none.\u00a0\u00a0 If you’re a freelance writer without a day job, you can afford an hour a day at some kind of exercise, and several times a week is better than exercising to injury on one day a week.<\/p>\n \tHave a life beyond writing<\/strong>.\u00a0\u00a0 Have friends, some of whom are not writers\/editors\/publishers, and do some things with them.\u00a0 Movies, opera, tennis, sailing, hiking, volunteering in a soup kitchen…anything that connects you to other people and other peoples’ lives and problems. \u00a0 It will improve your writing, esp. for fiction writers, but it will also add ballast to your life, keeping your ship right side up.\u00a0\u00a0 Do something where you are not the deity to your own creation, where you need to cooperate with others (even one other, but a group like a team or a choir has advantages.)<\/p>\n \tAppreciate<\/strong>. Look for and celebrate (internally, if not externally) all the joy you can get out of doing what you do–both writing and non-writing parts of your life.\u00a0\u00a0 I can sit here in soft comfortable clothes and wool socks I knit for myself, typing away at my very own computer, making mistakes nobody knows about because no one’s looking over my shoulder, and though there are multiple deadlines on my calendar, I’m not being hassled every hour about them.\u00a0 And I can pause to write this–or eat something–or take a pit stop–or go do a few exercises–or put on music I want to hear while writing–whenever I want\/need to.\u00a0\u00a0All are de-stressing options.<\/p>\n More later when I take another break.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" A recent discussion online on self-care for scientists in academia (@realscientists and #AcademicSelfCare on Twitter)\u00a0 prompted this post.\u00a0\u00a0 Writers–that is, fiction and nonfiction freelance writers–often have mental\/emotional\/physical problems that can be helped–if not entirely prevented or cured–by some judicious self-care.\u00a0 But we can forget that when deadlines are knocking on the door (loudly) or the Read More…<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16,10],"tags":[17,7],"class_list":["post-100","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-life-beyond-writing","category-the-writing-life","tag-life-beyond-writing","tag-the-writing-life"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=100"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":112,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/100\/revisions\/112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=100"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=100"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/elizabethmoon.com\/blog\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=100"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}