Over the past year or so, we’ve been hearing this term more and more: self-care. But what does it mean for the writer?
Self-care just means taking care of yourself so you’re healthier and mentally stable. For a writer, that means making sure you’re taking the time to do what you really enjoy: writing.
Here are some things you can do to make sure your inner writer is healthy and functional:
- Make time for writing, even if it’s only a small amount of time each day
- Get some exercise. Many times, ideas come to you when you’re taking a long walk or riding the exercise bike
- Schedule your writing time just as you schedule your “day job”
- Eat a healthy diet. You can’t run an engine on waste oil and expect the same results you’d get from premium fuel
- Make writing time sacred. Nobody should interrupt the writer unless it’s a true emergency (and a family argument isn’t an emergency)
- Get enough sleep. Your brain doesn’t work well when it’s tired and sluggish. Go to bed on time and set your alarm.
- Write whether you feel “inspired” or not. Make it a habit to write even if your “muse” isn’t present–and soon the muse will show up during office hours
- Take a shower. Self-care also includes things like bathing, brushing your teeth and hair, getting a regular physical from your doctor, and paying attention to your body’s signals
- Try “writing sprints.” Set an alarm for 5 or 10 minutes and do nothing but write for that time. No editing; no reading back over what you just wrote. Just produce words.
- Don’t beat yourself up. If the words just aren’t flowing the way you think they should be, have some patience. It takes time for your brain to get the idea that you’re taking this seriously, but it’ll eventually get on board with the rest of you.
What are some of your favorite self-care tips?