Tip 9: Think Outside the Box
Some summers it can be especially hard to find time to write. If you know this is the kind of summer you will be having this year, then it is important to think outside of the box so that you can find time to do some writing. The place may not be ideal. However, if you form an intention to write, you will be able to get some writing done. The key is to remove yourself from the noise and give yourself some privacy and quiet for about 30 minutes. If you can find a place to do that, you will be able to write wherever you are.
Be creative and innovative. I have even heard of writers writing in the bathroom. Some went back to their hotel room and wrote for an hour. Be courageous and get used to people wondering where you are, especially those who are outside your immediate family. Remember, you are a writer, and this time is important to you.
Here are some unlikely places that you can get some extra words down to complete your goal during the summer:
• Write in the car—of course when you are a passenger. If you are taking a trip to a special destination that takes an hour or two, you could bring your paper and pen or even laptop and just write for a few minutes at a time. I sometimes got into the back seat where it was quieter, and I wrote for about half an hour or so until the next pit-stop on our trip. You may want to do something like that too.
• Write in the airport—while waiting to board the plane. Sometimes there are delays. Most times, we have to get there at least an hour ahead of time. So, this can be a time to write for even a few minutes.
•Once the plane is in flight, you can write during your flight or at least read to prepare to write.
• Wake up a bit earlier and write.
• Stay up a bit later and write for a few minutes.
• While your spouse is watching television in the evening, remove yourself on the bed or at a table in the room and write for a few minutes.
• If it is a nice day, write outside. If it’s noisy inside, take your laptop outside and write into the greater outdoors. Or take your pen and paper and head to the park. Nature is a wonderful creative force for me. There is no better feeling than writing and thinking by the Avon River where I live. I go there often during the summer for creative escapes.
But also have times when you’re plugged off writing during holidays. Otherwise, you will get on your family’s nerves and you will probably not get much writing done. So, do your writing as bookends during the day, either in the morning or at night. During the day, go out and enjoy yourself. After all, that is what being on vacation is all about. Make memories. Take photos. Eat great food!
By taking these steps, you will be getting some writing during the summer holidays.
Tip 10: Practice Extreme Self-Care
Many writers have a difficult time finding the energy to be creative because of their overwhelming fatigue. By the time they end their day, they are so tired and exhausted, they just don’t feel like writing. I know first-hand how this feel. I too worked full-time and tried to fit in writing. The only way I survived was to practise daily extreme self-care.
To practice self-care, you don’t have to endlessly do things. You could just BE and relax for a few minutes. You could sit down or lie down to take the weight off your joints. Or, you could do a few stretches or a nourishing ten-minute meditation. Whatever you do to practice extreme self-care, try to decompress physically and mentally. It is a time to replenish your batteries and feel good.
Most writers spend a long time doing a lot after work. The concept of just being is a foreign concept for most of us. We want to be doing and going all the time. If we’re not doing all the time, we feel that we’re not being our best. But we need down time to be our best. Therefore, we need a paradigm shift in our thinking from always doing to just being—and to being content to just BE as a way of replenishing our energies.
There is nothing more sacrosanct and nourishing to writers mentally and physically than being still and present in this moment. Even our exhaustion from work is better managed when we are in this relaxed state of being for a bit. But it does take some work to discover this place of peace in each of us. It is not self-evident for many of us, but it is there, I assure you. We just have to take the time to turn inward.
As a writer, you must learn to be kind to yourself and not overdo it. There are serious consequences to overdoing it. It will harm your health and well-being over the long-term. And you really don’t want that to happen because then you won’t get any writing done. It is one thing for your situation to cause us a lot of exhaustion and another to be your own worst enemies when it comes to self-care. Therefore, I encourage all writers to engage in extreme self-care.
Here are a few things that you can do to practice extreme self-care in your daily life.
De-stress a few times a day
Many of us live our lives full throttle. We do as much as we can, and we don’t want to stop to pace ourselves or listen to our bodies. This can overwhelm us and cause extreme fatigue. However, in order to practice extreme self-care, we must make the time every day to take care of ourselves and to rest.
I usually have a centering ritual before I start writing. I go into my spare room that I have devoted to myself. I turn down the lights and light a candle, and then I take out my journal and write in it for a few minutes. My journal entry has little to do with reporting with how my day went; instead, it is more about how I am feeling. I record things such as how I felt and what is bothering me. Most of my entries are in a stream of consciousness format.
Don’t hesitate to do things that you really enjoy
Because of the fatigue that writers experience, often they don’t take the time to do things they enjoy. They just keep doing the things they usually do all the time, causing even feel more monotony and unhappiness. Many writers don’t know what makes them feel happy without experimenting.
One way to feel happy is to find something pleasurable to do for fifteen minutes every day, such as reading or crocheting. If you don’t know what you enjoy, experiment a bit. Try to determine what it is that puts a smile on your face or try doing something that helps you to feel peaceful. For a lot of us, doing something creative can put that smile on our face.
Once you find a few things to do that really make you happy, try doing these activities at least once a day, or at least two or three times a week. This will not only lift your spirits, but it will also help you to feel good about yourself, and it will put your life in perspective.
One of the most important things that you can do is to practise extreme self-care. This will not only ensure that you get some writing done, but you will also feel more in control of your life. This is essential to build self-confidence as a writer and a person.
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