Body and Mind Fitness for the Writer
By Heather Webb | February 23, 2023 |
Most of us are busy humans, living busy lives, filling up the time with SO.MANY.THINGS. Child-rearing, elder care, building our careers and riding the waves that come with it, maintaining our homes, our relationships. For me, the last several years I let those things expand until I’d squeezed out my hobbies and squeezed out my self-care—and squeezed out my health. I hit major burn-out mode with writing and major physical and mental exhaustion. Finally one morning last fall, I woke up as tired as if I hadn’t gone to bed and said, why am I doing this to myself? What’s it all for anyway? ENOUGH. It was time for an about-face, a change, a rejuvenation of sorts. I decided I needed to make some major changes. To take action.
Action creates motivation, not the other way around.
You aren’t suddenly motivated to get up and change your habits, or to finish that book that’s languishing on your desktop. Objects in motion tend to stay in motion and that’s the truth. I knew I had to take the first step toward this fresh, new path I wanted to be on.
It’s been a few months since that fall day of ENOUGH and the calendar turned from 2022 to 2023, and as it did, I decided my word for the year would be HEALTH. Physical health and writing health.
So that’s what I’ve been doing. Taking action. Working toward health in body and health in my writing life.
FOR MY PHYSICAL HEALTH, I…
Bought a new fitness watch. I don’t use every feature, but I really do love it. All that data has been fun for my researcher’s brain.
Joined a spin class at my gym. I’ve never been a fan of exercise classes because I like doing my own thing. These days, though, I have to rely so much on my self-driven efforts for writing and other aspects of my life, so I decided it was time to join a new community, to absorb the motivation and joy of accomplishment from others. Turns out the regularly scheduled classes (and very friendly, great instructor) were exactly what I needed. Loving it!
Started a weight-lifting regime with a good friend. I’m not new to weights, but I’m new to this level of dedication! My good friend happens to be long distance so we don’t do them together, but we check in every day and it’s been SO FUN to learn new moves and track the incremental progress.
Started investigating the small treadmill/walking pads to potentially put it in my office. I figured the key is to make exercise easy. If the weather is lousy so I don’t want to get steps in that way, now I have an alternative. I haven’t pulled the trigger yet, but I’m seriously considering this.
Threw away the scale. Honestly, who gives A CRAP what you weigh? What does the number even mean? Okay, sure, a very large number would generally indicate poor health, but given the enormous range of body types, heights, musculature, and physical demands each of us face, numbers really aren’t all that comparative. So I said f*ck it. I’m done with this stupid scale. It destroys my will power and consistently makes me feel defeated. Health, remember? Physical and otherwise. And ditching this stupid thing was empowering. I’m going by how I feel, how my clothes fit, and by a cloth tape measure that I only bust out about once a month or two.
Filled my social media feeds with athletes and fitness coaches who are motivating. I’m not referring to those who are like, hey look how skinny I am and how sexy I am in this swimsuit. This engenders more defeat in my view. I’m talking about athletes. And people on a similar health journey.
This is a great segue to my evolving WRITING HEALTH.
Interestingly, filling my social media feed with fitness peeps has also helped with my writing health. I’m thoroughly enjoying having posts to scroll through that are positive beyond the “look how great I’m doing in publishing” and/or lists of “the best books” noise. All of that constant bombardment begins to make us jealous and feel inferior when really, we’re happy for these people and want to be supportive. We just don’t need to see it all the time, every day. I’ve also started following historical costumers and seamstresses, artists of all kinds, and chefs (foodie here!). Suddenly I’m feeling so much more balanced—so much healthier.
I also started…
Warm-ups that are fun and get the brain lubricated. I’ve never been into these much, but I’m finding that it’s bringing a lot of fun to my writing routine. Writing prompts, super short sprints of fifty to 100 words, reading a couple of poems, answering questions about my current scene, writing a paragraph in my character’s voice in a journal style, reading a few pages per day of a new craft book, reading a couple of writing blog articles…All of these have been so good for my writing health and setting the tone for my day.
Building in brainstorming time with a writer friend. This is as much about camaraderie and not feeling adrift out there in our solo pursuit as it is about getting great ideas from my brilliant friends who send me down rabbit holes I might not have ventured into otherwise.
Finding ways to alleviate the stakes. We may want high stakes in our fiction, but we certainly don’t them in our lives on a daily basis. That leads to all the breakdown in health we’re talking about today. For some, this means working another job to pay the bills so when or if that advance that’s offered is far too small (or non-existent), you aren’t in overdrive with anxiety while trying to keep a roof over your head AND finishing the book. For others, perhaps that monetary pressure is good motivation, but this would then mean the stakes are centered on the outcome of how well the book does when published. I’m not sure where I’m at with this, but I’m at a crossroads. Regardless, listen to your needs. Alleviate the stakes because frankly, life is hard enough and having crazy stakes surrounding your creative work can often make it much more difficult to do and do well—or to enjoy!!!!! Which we all really want to do.
Healing Time. I haven’t had as much time for this aspect as I catch up on the final deadline I’ve been behind on since the pandemic, but in about six weeks, I’ll have a significant breather and I can’t wait! We all need to heal from burnout, rejection bruises, flat sales, or publisher/agent/critique partner break-ups. All of these things are inevitable for a working writer at some point or other, but they require healing time. See to it that you add it in.
Internalizing the fact that body and writing health is a process and it takes time. It’s also a process that changes. Whether we’re talking about physical health or healthy writing habits, we need to learn to A.) be kind to ourselves because putting ourselves down is like putting a giant obstacle in our own path and really, who needs more of that? B.) our bodies change, our needs change, our habits change so try something new if what has always worked for you in the past doesn’t any longer. Seriously, this is probably the most important lesson here. We change or we die, right? Change. Try something new. It will get you out of your rut and it will help you find a new path to success.
Finally, as I wrap this post, I urge you to remember that small goals always win. Small goals mean you can probably accomplish them and the next thing you know, you’ve created an avalanche of change and goodness. Every change has a ripple effect. And this can be a very, very good, healthy thing.
Is there an aspect of your body or writing health you’d like to improve, or one that you’re succeeding at? I’d love to hear them!
Heather Webb is the USA Today bestselling and award-winning author of historical fiction. As a freelance editor and an adjunct in a MFA in Creative Writing program, Heather has helped many writers sign with agents and go on to sell at market. When not writing, she feeds her cookbook addiction, geeks out on history and pop culture, and looks for excuses to head to the other side of the world. To date, her books have been translated to seventeen languages.
I love ALL of this. I needed this. Thanks, Heather.
So happy to bring what’s needed. Xxxx
Thank you for a comprehensive post full of care, Heather! As you know, I’m in the early stages of planning for this year’s UnConference. The theme is what you’ve tapped into here (I’m calling it “All In.”)
“…I have to rely so much on my self-driven efforts for writing and other aspects of my life, so I decided it was time to join a new community…”
Ooh, this is insightful. Sometimes you may need to lean on the energy of the “peloton” to sustain your own, especially if you’ve been in a rut, especially if you’re already asking a lot of yourself re: other “self-driven efforts.”
And hooray for the good we can make from chaos.
Thank you again!
All In. Yesss! I can’t wait for the Un-con already. Thanks, T. You’re a continued source of support and inspiration
(And friendship 🩷)
Love this so much! Health is everything. I started a tiny habits regime the start of the year to increase my sense of vitality. Changing two things per month, like adding a second walk each day, taking the sugar out of my oatmeal. This month added 2 servings of veggies per day and it’s crazy how much they improve my energy! And I’m a fan of those starter writing exercises, and priming the pump for the day.
Years and years ago, I stepped on the scale, hated myself for not being whatever weight I thought I should be, and picked up the scale, stomped outside and threw it in the trash. When I came back in, my ex husband was laughing and said, “if anything made me feel the way that scale makes you feel, I’d have thrown it out long ago.”
Xoxo
Barb, I can absolutely picture you heaving that thing into a dumpster! Love it. And as always, we are distant twins. Thank you for your continued wisdom and insights. Xxx
What a fabulous post! Thanks so much, Heather. There are so many take-aways from this post to help writers to balance all of the demands and pressures they face, while maintaining good physical and mental health. This advice in particular resonated with me:
“Whether we’re talking about physical health or healthy writing habits, we need to learn to A.) be kind to ourselves because putting ourselves down is like putting a giant obstacle in our own path and really, who needs more of that? B.) our bodies change, our needs change, our habits change so try something new if what has always worked for you in the past doesn’t any longer. Seriously, this is probably the most important lesson here.”
Recognizing and dealing in a positive way with the changes that occur over time is one of the most important things a writer can do. We need to be flexible and to adjust to our ever-changing reality. It’s a balancing act and there are times when I feel I am juggling more balls than I can handle, so the solution is to drop some of the balls.
I am always in awe of what you are able to accomplish and your productivity in turning out high-quality novels. Be well and thanks again for this helpful post.
You’re always so kind, Chris. Thank you!
Yes, the change piece…it has taken me a while to come to terms with its constancy, which seems like a funny thing to say, but it’s true. I suspect I will wrestle with it more as I go but for now, I’m at peace with accepting where I am! I hope you are too
I enjoyed reading this. A lot of research has been done that shows aerobic exercise enhances creativity. I know I’ve gotten my best ideas when I was out jogging.
Thanks, Kay! That makes good sense to me as I’ve gotten many ideas while doing what I call “moving meditation” which is essentially what you’re saying. We are animals after all…
I love all of this, Heather. After nearly a year of trying to power through a deepening sense of exhaustion and a host of weird symptoms, I was recently diagnosed with Lyme’s. I was actually relieved to have a ‘reason’ for all of it, but it also made me realize that I need to start paying attention to the inside game. My last eleven years have been full of care-taking others (aging parents, newborns, toddlers), while struggling to maintain a butt-in-the-chair writing practice. When this physical setback came to a head, I had to admit to myself that along with a fateful tick bite, I had a festering resentment. That in itself is an energy-suck and a weight that was dragging me under. So, I am retiring from care-taking others to begin truly care-taking me. To speak my truth, to say no and mean it, keep my immune system and mental state strong and positive. Wishing you vibrant good health on every level!
Goodness, Susan, I’m so sorry to hear what you’ve been through. And how I understand it. I’m glad you’re taking care of yourself now. It sounds like it’s time. It’s time for me, too! Wishing you the absolute best on your journey🩷
Yes, thanks, Heather. SMALL GOALS ALWAYS WIN. And after you achieve them, you find yourself setting bigger goals. Great stuff.
So so true! Let’s go get them! :)
Thank you for these suggestions. I started small and free with a daily walk along Lake Ontario. I just add a block or 2 each day. Sometimes I think about writing (and sometimes I get a great idea!) and other times I stop at the coffee shop on my way back and get a coffee (also a great idea!).
This sounds perfect, Maria. Wishing you continued success!
I’m feeling you! The last six months of last year were incredibly stressful on the paid-work-front, and I’m discovering how long it takes to get my body out of high-alert-mode — how much rest, movement, and connection. But I’m committed to it. At the same time, for my writing health, I’m paying for a mentorship/small group experience all year to ensure that I keep writing and learning. The two together are making me feel hopeful about 2023.
I love the idea of a small group experience. Sometimes we need that sort of focused camaraderie to keep us going. And it’s amazing how long it takes us to relax. We’re such survivors in the end…but I think I’d rather thrive and then rest, myself. Ha! Best of luck
Such a great and inspiring post, Heather! Sounds like you are in a major transformation stage! Like everyone else, the last few years have been stressful, and I’ve decided this is the year I give myself a break and stop piling on the pressure to be perfect — whatever that means. If something comes up and I can’t get my daily walk or workout in, I’ll do it tomorrow. I’m setting tiny realistic goals for each month — For Feb., for example, I’m focused on getting enough water every day — and hoping these small steps will serve me, instead of me serving all my energy toward meeting impossible goals.
You know, I am? But I actually feel like I’m getting back to who I really am. I lost myself for a while, but I’m fighting my way back there. I love what you’re focusing on. Trying to be prefect is so stressful and a perfect way to put ourselves down so I think this is an excellent goal. Xx
Notable but not surprising that all the responses so far have been from women. And, I, too, resonated with this post. One thing I have done to improve my writing health, since the end of last year, is to work through Julia Cameron’s book The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity. (OK, I discovered it 30 years after publication!) One of the two core practices is the “morning pages.” Writing two or three pages long hand first thing in the morning has been a tremendous boost to my mental health. And just writing in long hand has spurred me to engage again in short writing activities as well as revisit earlier projects and goals. Significantly, the various tasks in each chapter have helped to identify, among other issues, the activities that drain me and channel my creative energy into others’ needs. This and reading these Writer Unboxed posts are a daily boost! As for physical health, weights twice a week, walking, and come May, swimming. So important to MOVE! Thanks Heather for sharing your process.
Thanks, Julia! I’ve just recently bought The Artist’s Way myself. It’s a great book and I’m eager to do more of the exercises, too. Also, yes, most commentoers are women (there is one male), but why do you think that is? Thanks for stopping by today!
Excellent post, Heather, and some terrific comments. Last year, I agreed to a short deadline in order to keep my series on schedule and it was exhausting. I had little time for pleasure, including hikes and my garden, and ended up with a painful case of tenosynovitis in my left thumb joint. After returning from a long-planned, wonderful trip with family, I found myself not really wanting to write, because of all that sprint had taken out of me mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. The hand is much better now — I’m typing this with the brace I wear at the computer — and so is the heart. Giving myself time to write short pieces, to begin researching a couple of other ideas, to heal emotionally from a broken agent relationship (thank you for acknowledging how painful that can be), felt counter-intuitive — I wasn’t being productive — but it was what I needed. At year-end, I returned to morning pages, which I hadn’t done for 20+ years. And now that I’m back at work on my series, with a reasonable deadline and timeframe, I am excited about it. But cautious, too — I’m wearing the brace, doing home PT, and trying to honor my physical limits so I don’t reinjure my L hand or injure the R. Honoring the physical and mental limits in the present will help us continue on this writing journey long into the future.
Leslie,
First of all, I’m sorry to hear about your agent break-up. Even when necessary, it’s painful and a little frightening moving on to the next thing. But I’m so happy to hear that youre hand is healing and you’re optimistic about the future. Wishing you the very best as you finish your new book! I truly hope you continue to enjoy it and your morning pages as much as I am!
Great post. Congratulations! All that resolution and you didn’t even wait for new years. Sounds like a great start.
I’m way past all that activity. Done what I had to; done what else I could; time to do what I want. You’ve accomplished so much. A lot to be proud of.
For me, everything that comes after getting it like I want it on the paper is terra incognita. Excelsior! If I could think of anything better to do than writing, I’d do that. Soooo much wonderful stuff to learn…..
I cut what I think is called a meme out of the newspaper and framed it.
It’s hand drawn. On the left are a series of a dozen or so short vertical lines, like a tally without the horizontals; under them, it says ‘activity.’ On the right is a curved line beginning low on the left and curving upward toward the right; under it it says ‘results.’ Keeps me honest.
Thanks for your thoughtful post. Here’s to your continuing success!
Thanks so much, Bob and wishing you success as well!
2021 was the Worst Year Ever.
2022 I focused on my health (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual).
2023, I decided, was the year I was going to get into the garden for 30 minutes every day. Increased exercise led to increased energy, and then…I got covid. About a month on, I managed to get into the garden again for the first time today – for five minutes. Tomorrow it’ll be ten, weather permitting. Mighty oaks from tiny acorns grow.
Great post, Heather. As a fitness professional and published author I appreciate what you’ve written. We all need to remember there is no “and” between these two words, body mind. When we think of them as one, we realize how closely related body is to mind and how we treat each, our bodies and our minds, come together to how we feel about ourselves, physically and emotionally. And when that’s in balance we can soar! Plus, taking a walk, riding a bike (stationary or road) swimming, etc gets the endorphins flowing and it all spills into our stories. And maybe, like me, your characters will even talk to you at those solitary times and gorgeous words will come to you. Happy writing. Happy exercising