6 Ways to Take Care of Yourself While Writing

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Photo credit: webtreats / Foter.com / CC BY

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?

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10 comments

  1. 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 :)

    x Envy
    Lost in Translation

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    1. 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?

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  2. These 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.

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    1. Well, 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!

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  3. Great 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. :)

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    1. I 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?

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  4. These 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

    storitorigrace.blogspot.com

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    1. 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.

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