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Posts tagged ‘exercise’

Jul 6

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6 tips for creating sustained energy in your writing life

This week, I’m reminded that writing is hard work in more ways than one. I’m working on a new book—brainstorming and following my 90-day plan–and am surprised at how much energy this takes.

After working for even two hours straight, going deep, and bringing up a plethora of ideas and information, I’m exhausted. I feel as if I’ve just run a race or swam for an hour. Actually, I feel more tired than if I’ve worked out because when I exercise, I usually get a rush of energy afterwards.

We writers need plenty of energy to accomplish our goals. Here are my top tips for keeping the mental gears well oiled while working on a new project: Read more

Mar 2

My 4-step plan for taking care of myself while writing

Writing is a solitary job. We hide ourselves away in our own little world and sit for hours a day, sometimes forgetting to eat, drink, or even get up and stretch. Over time, these little neglects add up and suddenly I find myself having a hard time standing straight after a long writing session. Or, I feel lightheaded or mentally foggy because I haven’t eaten enough.

I don’t like to eat first thing in the morning–I’m more of a “where’s my coffee?” kind of girl. In fact, even thinking of eating something as soon as I get out of bed makes me nauseous. I like to wait a bit. But then I get busy–the phone rings or there’s some emergency in our business–and, before I know it, it’s 1 or 2pm and I still haven’t eaten. It’s no wonder why I’m so hungry at night and then eat too much. I KNOW this wrecks my metabolism and causes even more stress to my stressed-out thyroid so I’ve been working on some strategies to help myself remember to eat and move.

As artists, and especially writers, it’s important to take care of our minds and bodies, to stay mentally and physically alert. The conditions of our body and mind can directly impact the quality of our art.

Here are a few tips I find helpful: Read more