I know I've talked about this topic before, but it never hurts to get a reminder. I definitely need one right now. Self care can come in many different forms. It can be as "simple" as getting more sleep or eating better to nourish your body. But for writers, there's even more that we can do to treat our minds and bodies kindly.
So where is this coming from? It's probably no surprise that I have high-functioning anxiety and depression. My default is to keep doing more and more things to keep myself busy so I don't have to deal with some of the nasty internal thoughts. I also deal with the feeling that I'm "not good enough" and my accomplishments mean I'm just a little bit more worthy to exist. I really wish I hadn't tied my self-worth to my writing (or my weight), but unfortunately it's happened, and I'm trying to learn to let go. I could feel myself trying to do too much again and I realized, begrudgingly, that I needed to step back.
I just finished running the big I.O.W.A. author signing that I've written about. In the past week, I've been in a lot of physical pain due to the anxiety and tension that had built up over the months leading up to it. I have a book coming out in December that I'm still working on editing, and a few book signings on my plate. To top it off, I was considering making massive edits to my YA fantasy book, Dragon Steal, to participate in #Pitchwars later this month. All last week and part of this weekend, I could feel myself practically choking on the anxiety, and I knew that I had to make some changes.
You see, my health has been pretty awful this year. I've gotten cellulitis four times since January, my migraines have gotten worse to a degree, I've gained weight I lost, and my sleep has suffered. Most of that I attribute to being too busy and not focusing on taking care of myself. There's always some other writing project, or work, or volunteer thing to get done. I'm terrible at staying still and resting, (and saying no), but it's come to the point that if I don't start making changes, I might not be around to do all the things I want to do.
So, I decided that I would step back from #Pitchwars this year 1. to give myself a break and 2. to give my book the time and care that it needs. I cancelled one of my book signing events that would have equated to a 7 hr drive in one day all while I'm still trying to mend my legs from cellulitis. I'm trying to eat better foods and get more sleep, which means not working myself to the bone until 1 or 2 am to meet self-imposed deadlines.
Living a writer's life is hard, especially with jobs and volunteer work on top of it. I think it's easy for us to stop focusing on our bodies and put our full attention to our work. Yes, sometimes when the deadlines require it, it's necessary, but at other times, we need to remember to breathe and take care of our bodies and minds. Depression and anxiety are both so common among writers because many of us tie our self-worth to our writing. So what can we do to break away from that?
I don't have the answers, but I implore you to take some time and reflect on your own self care. Here are just a few ideas to try if you're pushing yourself too hard.
Take a break. Your book will still be there when you come back to it.
Make sure you're getting enough sleep, if not for your health, then to help your mind stay awake and creative.
Don't create unnecessary deadlines for yourself. Focus on what projects are important, and go from there. You don't have to participate in every writing contest.
Make meals for yourself. Living off of fast food sucks.
Give yourself a real vacation. Taking days off just to focus on writing isn't a vacation, it's work.
Find other hobbies outside of writing that make you happy (I play PokemonGo).
Snuggle with a pet. They need love too.
Remind yourself that your worth is not dependent on your book.
Stop and smell the flowers. Enjoy the little things in life that are so easy to neglect.
Meditate.
Have any other self-care tips? Feel free to post them below. And remember, you are not alone in this. We all struggle with self care and self love. I believe in you.