6 Ways to Take Care of Yourself While Writing
18:59
While it may not look like it from the outside, writing is a
physically and mentally tiring occupation. Spending hours staring at a screen,
typing away madly, controlling a bunch of headstrong characters while simultaneously
creating a universe out of nothing but chocolate and determination, is exhausting
stuff. But, in the midst of all this, it’s important to remember to take care
of ourselves. Taking a few minutes to look after our needs can not only keep us
feeling good, but also result in better writing all round. So here are six
things you can try to make sure that you’re looking after yourself.
Keep a drink handy: Keeping a cup of tea, or a bottle of
water close by while writing makes it easier to keep from getting dehydrated
during a long writing session. It also means you don’t have to keep getting up
to find a drink when you do get thirsty, thereby not breaking your
concentration up so much when you get in the zone.
Get up and move: It doesn’t have to be much, but making sure
that you get up and move occasionally allows your body to stretch and relax,
and gives your mind a chance to take a quick break as well. It gets the blood
moving again lets your feverish mind settle a bit so it can concentrate better,
and makes it easier to write more without ending up too sore or mentally
exhausted.
Stretch your hands: As a long time sufferer of recurring
RSI, I cannot stress the important of looking after your hands enough. There
are few things worse than trying to type with wrists that scream in pain. Take
regular breaks and stretch your hands, give them a chance to relax and recover.
A quick Google search will find any number of simple exercises to stretch your
muscles and reduce your chances of injury.
Sit in a comfortable position: Find a position that is
comfortable for you to sit in for long periods of time. It shouldn’t put too
much strain on your back, neck, or hands, as these are prone to getting very
tired very quickly. You’ll find it easier to write for long stretches, and won’t
get up feeling quite so sore.
Make sure you have enough light: Your eyes are already
working hard by staring at a glaring computer screen. Sitting in a darkened
room only makes it more difficult for them to do their job. Reduce eyestrain
and the chance of developing a headache by making sure you’ve got plenty of
light around you while you’re working.
Allow yourself to stop: Sometimes, it can be difficult to
know when you’ve done enough writing. It’s easy to keep trying to push yourself
to write just a little bit more, even though you’re physically and mentally
exhausted. If you’re tired like this, just stop. It’s better, and more
productive to work when you’ve had a rest than to keep pushing yourself on when
you’re tired.
These are just some of
the things I do to make sure I look after myself while I’m writing, especially
during NaNoWriMo. What else would you add to this list? Anything here you
disagree with? Anything you’ll be trying in the future?
10 comments
I still write everything by hand, so I don't get a headache from looking at a screen for too long. It does mean that my right hand hurts a lot after an hour or two, so I'll definitely try some small exercises next time I'm writing :)
ReplyDeletex Envy
Lost in Translation
Eep, I couldn't imagine writing EVERYTHING by hand. Though it must be a nice process taking more time and physically forming all the words. How do you avoid hand cramps when writing for long periods of time?
DeleteOoh great post.
ReplyDeleteThanks for visiting, Abi!
DeleteThese are utterly fabulous tips *nods* I haven't ever had problems with my wrists, but I DO get tired hands if I do 15K+ in a day. They just feel like limp splodges. *flops over wailing* And I actually like having water/drink not at my computer because it forces me to get up and go get it and therefore stretch, hehe.
ReplyDeleteWell, I'm sure anyone's hands feel like wet splodges when they've written 15k+ in a day. That is rather a fabulous amount. That is definitely a good way to force yourself to get up. For me, it doesn't work, because otherwise I'm getting up all the time to do things, but every writer is different!
DeleteGreat tips!!! I try to drink a lot of water when I write and I've learned the past couple years that pausing the writing to stand up and move around *is* important. I do need to fix my light situation though; I need a lamp near my desk I think. :)
ReplyDeleteI find the lighting so important. My lamp is broken at the moment, and even though my computer is backlit and I have the light on in the rest of the room, there's still not enough light and for me, that give me a headache. Little things like lighting can make such a difference, can't they?
DeleteThese are some good tips! I try to pause between word wars and rest my hands to keep from straining them hence why I like 10 minute ones instead of hour ones. XD
ReplyDeletestoritorigrace.blogspot.com
Hour long word wars are amazing, but such hard work, aren't they? I've been learning to love the shorter wars. There's a certain excitement to pushing for a shorter period of time, and it's definitely better than writing top speed for long periods of time.
Delete