Lesson Three

[Sunny Irene Roth]

Lesson Three

Preparing for NaNoWriMo​

Welcome back!

In this lesson, you will learn the next tip to having a successful NaNoWriMo. This tip may surprise you. But it is just as important as the other tips because you don’t want to burnout.

One of the reasons why writers quit in the middle of November is because they have absolutely run their energy levels into the ground. Some writers catch the latest virus, or they contract some infection somewhere. This is usually because they are burning out their energy levels completely to the point of exhaustion.

Thus, as you are going through this lesson, jot down some notes of what really resonates with you and what you think may be a problem for you and an area that you have to pay attention as you start writing in November.

Tip 5: Practise Extreme Self-Care​

There is nothing more necessary for writers both mentally and physically than being present in this moment to how they are feeling. Even your writing is more enjoyable when you are in a more relaxed state of being. But it can take some effort to discover this place of peace that is in each of us. It is not self-evident for many of us, but it is there, I assure you. You just have to take the time to turn inward.

In order to be as healthy and productive as possible, writers have to realign their habits and how active they are to suit their lives. This isn’t easy to determine at first. It takes a lot of adjustment and a complete mind shift. But it can be done with a bit of patience and perspicacity. It is reassuring to know that you will feel much more content and happier as a result. I was amazed by how good I felt after I started to seriously practise extreme self-care.

As a writer, you must learn to be kind to yourself by not overdoing it. There are severe consequences to overdoing it. It will harm your health and you’ll-being over the long term. And you really don’t want that to happen, especially during NaNoWriMo. You may also experience a lot more pain and discomfort in your hands and back as well as neck, making it hard for you to write. So, you should take steps not to be your own worst enemies when it comes to self-care.

So, this is why I encourage all writers to engage in extreme self-care, especially during NaNo. You can never take care of yourself too much. Here are a few additional things that you can do to practise extreme self-care in your daily life.

1. Take a walk every day or do some form of aerobic exercise.

Most of you have a difficult time to find the time to exercise every day. We simply prefer to be sedentary. It is easier and effortless. This is especially the case for those writers who experience a lot of pain and chronic conditions. You just simply prefer to do nothing because you think that your pain will get worse if you move about.

The best thing that you could do is to take a 30 minute walk every day. The outdoors can help you to feel rejuvenated and energetic as well as inspired. In addition, this can be a time to regroup and to be the best that you can be. You should aim for 30 minutes of exercise a day, 5 days a week. This will really help you to feel better and more in control of your fatigue levels too.

Exercise can also make you feel more flexible and experience fewer stiff joints and muscles. In addition, when you walk, you will be releasing feel good endorphins. Inflamed joints can feel better after a bit of stretching and flexibility exercise too. So, all in all, there are many benefits to exercising every other day.

2. Stay in the present as much as possible.

The culture teaches us to always want to be anywhere else but here. But isn’t a form of insanity? Why would you want to be anywhere other than here? You are in this own writing space and time. So, you should enjoy this time and space and you should not want to be anywhere else.

When you try to be somewhere else, you are not living in the present. But living in the present isn’t easy because most of you have been trained not to do that. You’ve been trained to multi-task constantly and to do so many different things simultaneously that you never truly experience what you are actually doing right now.

Here are a few ways to stay in the now.

• Always center on what you are doing right now. If your mind wanders, bring it right back.
• Become conscious of what you are feeling right now. Do you feel warm? Cold? Tired? Sad? Happy? Ecstatic? Just pay close attention to your feelings and sensations.
• Turn inward right this moment. How do you feel? Do you feel anxious? Are you afraid, torn, upset or tired? Become aware of these feelings and emotions.
• What is happening around you? How fragrant is the air? Or is the air stale? Is there a warm or cool breeze on your skin? Do you feel comfortable in your skin this very moment?
• What do you hear around you? Pay close attention to any noise or music around you.
• Do whatever you are doing this very moment with your whole attention. For example, as you are reading this page right now, try to do nothing but read this page. Don’t think of what you have to do this evening, what you will have for dinner or what your spouse said ten minutes ago or a few hours ago. Just focus on NOW.
• Realize that in this moment, right now, everything is exactly the way it should be. Accept that and don’t want anything else.
• Be happy to just sit down and do whatever you’re doing. If your mind wanders, just keep bringing it back to the here and now. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t live in the present moment. Most of you have spent a lifetime living anywhere else but here. What a pity. If you don’t live your life in the now, you’re not living your lives at all.
• In fact, you are not living because if you’re not living now, where are you living at all. All you have is now. Now is where everything starts and ends. It is always now and right here. You must learn to live this way and to keep your mind and thoughts here.

3. Don’t hesitate to do things that you really enjoy as often as possible.

Because of the pain and exhaustion that writers may feel during NaNo when they have to spend many hours at their desks and computer screens, many times they don’t take the time to really enjoy themselves. They just keep doing the things that they do all the time, making them feel more monotonous and unhappy. And many writers don’t even know what makes them feel happy.

I have spoken to quite a few writers in my local critique group and conferences through the years, and many writers told me that they don’t remember the last time they you’re happy or even content. They feel the stress of constant overdoing it has zapped their vitality and happiness. This is not only sad but tragic.

Regardless of your circumstances, you should not allow things to make you feel this way. Try to change your attitude towards yourself. You have to realize that you have to take care of yourself in order to be a productive and happy person as well as writer.

If you don’t know what you enjoy, experiment a bit. Determine what puts a smile on your face. Or try doing something that helps you feel peaceful. For a lot of you, doing something creative can put that smile on your face. Just do whatever it is that will distract you from your current gloomy situation.

Once you find a few things to do that really make you happy, try doing this activity at least once a day or 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 you will feel happier and more productive. But what is more, you will be successful during NaNo. And what is more, once you determine how to best work and plan your goals as well as pace yourself, you can take this with you after NaNo and be a successful, fulfilled, and happy writer.

Here are a few questions to ask yourself. You may want to answer these questions in your writer’s journal.

• Do you practise extreme self-care now as a writer?
• What part of this lesson really resonated with you?
• What changes will you try to instill now to ensure that you have a successful writing time in November?
• Do you schedule consistent breaks for yourself as you write?
• Do you create a success plan?
• Do you have a writer’s journal? If not, I success you start. Buy yourself a journal and start writing in it frequently. This will give you a lot of space to reflect on your writing life and how things are going. Then you can start and create your success plan?

That's it for now!

Irene S. Roth