You look at yourself in the mirror and ask "Is that vein supposed to throb like that?" In the back of your mind, you're pretty sure it isn't supposed to.
Stress hits everyone at some point in their lives. But it seems to hit writers more often. The solitary life we lead just adds to the amount of stress. Not to mention the deadlines, projects, family obligations, work problems, appointments, meetings, lack of exercise, poor diet, and everything else we have to accomplish in a day. The list of stressful things can go on and on.
Just taking a few moments of time for you when the world is crushing in around you isn't the easiest thing to do. Here are some things you can do to relax without taking too much time away from your writing, or life.
1. Don't take on more than you can handle. Keep in mind that the more you promise to do, the less time you'll have to do the things you want to do. If you really can't write that article this month either see if you can push the due date to something more doable or just say no. Don't over book yourself.
2. Music has charms to sooth the writer's mind, and mood. Listen to your favorite music while writing can lift your spirits and keep your stress levels in check. Some writers even work better with music playing in the background, maybe you are one of them?
3. Walk and stretch at least every 20 minutes. Moving helps keep your body flexible. By taking a short walk, even if it's just to the bathroom, you are giving your body a chance to increase circulation and decrease stress.
4. Take a mini mental vacation. For just a moment or two, imagine yourself in your most desired vacation spot. Is it lying on the beach in the Caribbean, or riding a double-decker bus in downtown London? Feel the sights, sounds and smells of your location. Don't let your work interfere with your trip for at least 5 minutes.
5. Drink water while you work. Water keeps your body hydrated, which will help keep your mind alert and thinking. And writing.
6. Learn to laugh at the absurd. Allowing the little things in life to frustrate and anger you just adds to your stress levels. By learning to laugh at them instead of getting angry, you release the frustrations bottled up inside you and allow your mind and body to relax.
Keeping yourself stress free while writing isn't always possible. But helping your body relax when the levels get to be too much is. Taking just a few minutes out of your day to lower your stress is good for your mind, your body, and your writing!
Dawn Arkin is an author on http://www.Writing.Com/ which is a site for Poetry. Her portfolio can be found at http://www.Writing.Com/authors/darkin so stop by and read for a while.
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