Writing and Health: 8 Tips for a Healthier Writer
Hello!
This month is the second round of Camp NaNoWriMo where writers from around the world get together in person or online and set a goal to write more words on a project they are working on.
That being said, the push to produce more means more hours at the keyboard, more hours sitting and staring at a screen or at the very least, at your paper or whatever you use to write. So today, I wanted to write about a few ways that writers can use to write and keep healthy.
1. Good Posture and Ergonomics
Posture affects everything from your breathing to your mood to headaches and joint problems. Take it from someone who was yelled at most of her life to "keep your back straight! Sit up! Shoulders back!" You know the drill. This applies to so many other areas besides writing (piano, a desk job, etc.), but I want to specifically address writers here.
Get a comfortable chair that supports your posture. Typically, you should be sitting with your shoulders back, back straight (not slouched), your knees and elbows at a ninety-degree angle. Wrists should be positioned above your keyboard, not resting on the desk. The same principle that I teach to piano students, applies here. Pretend you have a baseball under your hands, your wrists a natural extension of your arms. Wrists should not be up in the air. Stretch your arms out in front of you. Your hands should hover just above the keyboard.
I find that using a USB keyboard is more ergonomic for me than the one on my laptop because it supports my wrists properly. It might be something you want to look into if you think it might help.
A wireless or laser mouse, or even a wired-mouse, is more ergonomic for me than the track pad, which strains my wrist more.
2. Take Breaks
This doesn't mean switch your screen and use your breaks to surf the internet or play a computer game. Get up off the chair, go look at something without an electronic screen and focus on something in the distance.
Go outside and take a quick ten minute walk. Put your phone away and look around you. Take deep breaths and just observe.
3. Avoid Eyestrain
Okay, so this one technically can be placed under #2, but I promise you there is a different tip here.
Some things I have found helpful, besides taking screen breaks, are turning down the brightness of my screen and buying blue-light protection glasses. The last has been a game changer for me. I used to get terrible headaches from the blue-light of the screen, but they've gone away thanks to my glasses.
4. Exercise
Not your favorite thing? Well, it's not mine either, but it's oh so necessary! Not only does exercising bring oxygen to the brain, but it helps your body function better. Five minutes of stretching is adequate if you have a very busy day, or if you have more time, I recently discovered the YouTube channel, "Yoga with Adriene". She has an exercise routine specifically geared toward writers. Here is the link:
5. Drink More Water
I am so guilty of not drinking enough water, so I found a water tracker app that I like for my phone. Right now an alarm goes off every hour and a half, reminding me to drink water. It's pretty cute too! As you input how much water you drank, it fills up an aquarium and there are little prizes every day. So far the prizes have been a background and lots of cute little fish. I have an Android phone so I don't know if it's available on an iPhone, but I'm sure that there are plenty of water-tracker apps out there. I'll place the link to my particular app below.
"Drink Water Reminder Aquarium- Water Tracker"
6. Eat Healthier
As a writer, I know that I gravitate toward the salty snacks more often than I should. Other writers I know grab the sweet snacks and sugary drinks. I'm not saying ditch them altogether, but maybe limit them to times when you've achieved a particularly amazing goal.
Carrots, nuts, seeds and protein bars are my go-to writing snacks. I try to keep snacks that are high in protein and low in carbs and sugars near me because my blood sugar tends to crash if I forget to eat too often.
7. Get Quality Sleep
This is so hard for me because I have insomnia, but good sleep is crucial to overall health as well as helpful for figuring out the parts of our writing that are particularly frustrating. Everyone is different, but try for at least eight hours a night. This may mean going to bed earlier.
I try to stay away from electronics at least a half an hour to an hour before bedtime and read a book. It's a good way to relax as well as to catch up on that giant TBR (to-be-read) list.
A dark, cool room for me is a must, but you can always incorporate a night light if you're someone that can't fall asleep without a light source.
8. Maintaining a Positive Attitude
Okay, I know this isn't realistic 100% of the time, but it's something I strive for because I know that my mental attitude effects my writing. Some things I do for it are:
- Keep a journal: A gratitude journal is a great way to start.
- Practicing breathing techniques. (I hold my breath a lot when I get anxious. I know. It's such a bad habit.)
- Take time to just be. Go outside and put away your phone. Take just ten minutes and just observe the world around you. It's so hard in the American culture to just do this. We feel antsy and anxious if we just stop and rest with nothing to do, but that is a terrible mindset. It's okay to just sit for ten minutes and rest.
- Practice another art form. I like to work on my drawing skills, crochet or make an embroidery bracelet. Doing something with my hands helps my brain calm down and refocus.
- Light a candle or turn on a wax warmer. I'm a big fan of candles, but it's not always safe to light them in my room. I got a wax warmer for Christmas last year and that's been a constant companion for me.
- Have a cup of tea. I'm a firm believer that a cup of tea can fix almost any problem.
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