Writing Tips

Writing Tip: Care for your body

kaylaannauthor

“What? Care for my body? How does that have anything to do with writing?”

Well, take a minute and hear me out.

It is common for writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and basically any go-getters out there to work toward their goal without stop, without rest, and without realizing the strain they are putting on their bodies because they are so focused on their goal. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with desiring to accomplish your goal. In fact, it’s a good thing! Having goals and dreams worth pursuing is great.

However, we must also remember that we are only human. We are not Wonder Woman or Superman with everlasting endurance and health. It is possible that when we work too hard and forget to rest that we strain both our bodies and our minds.

For instance, I am a type-A personality for sure. I also work toward multiple goals at once. I am a full time Graduate student and worker. I’m also trying to finish my first non-fiction book which is due to the publishing house for editing in May. Additionally, I am attempting to build a social media presence and platform. I am a daughter, a writer, a girlfriend, a blogger, a sister, a receptionist, a cousin, and a friend. All of these roles require time and effort on my part. And I wouldn’t trade away any of the roles for all the gold in the world. I love the relationships I have formed.

BUT.

It is JUST AS IMPORTANT to give myself time. Time to rest. Time to stop. Time to recharge. Time to adjust. Time to cry. Time to break down. Time to build back up.

Time to grow.
Push toward your dreams, but don’t push at the expense of your own health. Be aware of your limitations (physical limitations not writing limitations because I fully believe that we all are given the opportunities to continuously grow as writers!) I know many writers who suffer from health issues that range from migraines to cancer and they can tell you, as well as I, just how important it is to care for their bodies.
So just a reminder this week, just like it is important to set aside time for writing, it is equally important to set aside time for self-care.
Some examples I use are bubble baths, bike riding, and reading! How will you engage in self-care this week?
*If you enjoyed today’s Writing Tip be sure to check out additional tips under the “Writing Tips” category on my home menu!
Happy Writing Everyone!

©KaylaAnnAuthor

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Published by kaylaannauthor

27 thoughts on “Writing Tip: Care for your body”

  4. Yep, I’m always trying to do too much at the same time, reading, blogging/commenting, writing poems, and lots of submissions of my writings, yep, more me time needed for Ivor…… Thanks Kayla, I need reminding…..

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    1. Don’t we all? This blog post was inspired by my third bout of tonsillitis this year after I refused to adequately rest and care for my body. It’s so hard when there is so much we want to do, but honestly, self-care is beyond crucial to our success.

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  6. Amen! I think as writers we tend to get wrapped up in our projects that we neglect our minds, body, and spirit, and it catches up with us. Its caught up with me several times. This post is a good reminder. :~)

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  7. “Be aware of your limitations (physical limitations not writing limitations because I fully believe that we all are given the opportunities to continuously grow as writers!)”

    Yes, we are consistently growing as writers. 🙂 These WordPress hiccups that happened on my blog have taught me more about the technical aspect that comes from being an entrepreneur. I love the writing aspect but now I learning new vocabulary. “HTML Code.” And how widgets are different from plugins, etc. These WordPress hiccups have presented me with an opportunity to learn more. 🙂

    But it’s true, we can’t put the cart before the horse. We need to take care of our bodies as well. I am trying to slim down. It’s such a long and disciplined process. 🙂

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    1. Thanks for your great comment!
      I’m glad to hear that your technical difficulties have begun to work out and that you have been able to learn from them! It’s crazy, we want to be writers right? But there is SO much more to it than writing!
      It definitely takes a very specific discipline that is cultivating over years and through experiences.

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      1. Yes, you have me thinking about how the whole concept of a writer is crazy. It really shows that God is a creative God. Hopefully, the time will come where the arts are on the same playing field of other traditional business routes, you know? 🙂

        Hey, my writing meetup went wonderful today. I got the business card of a potential publisher who is interested in checking out my spiritual and regular poetry. I may write a post about it later. Wish me luck! 🙂

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              1. Hey Kayla, I don’t think I’ll be posting about my amazing writing event. I’ll be emailing the publisher 2 of my poems and 1 musing and a link to my blog. Some maybe after he sees my blog, I’ll post about the event. 🙂 Also, please share with me if there is a poem or musing in particular you think I should share with him. I am asking around for advice before I submit. 🙂

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                1. I understand 🙂
                  I took a look through your poems and I think I’m leaning toward your “Majesty of the Ocean” although you may want to try playing around with the second person tense. Instead try writing it without addressing the you or I.
                  “The ocean fills
                  with wondrous magical devotion
                  Float with the tide
                  As worries and curiosities
                  Vanish” (etc)
                  Be wary of rhyme, a lot of poet publishers right now are hating on rhyme even though it can be done really well. Maybe try rewriting in the minimalistic way and removing the first and second person, then see which version you like best or if there is a way to mix the two.

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                  1. Cool, I like the idea of removing the first and second person temporarily and doing a combination of the two. I understand the thing about rhyming but I feel like that is just a part of who I am as a poet. 🙂 But yeah, this poem hits close to home for me. Literally. It was inspired by South Padre Island, Texas beach. Not the best beach in the world but one of the better ones in Texas where I live. 🙂

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  8. I’d agree that caring for yourself is important when it comes to writing, except in my experience I didn’t always need to be healthy to write well. Actually, I’ve been able to write my most creative and some of my best poems when I was at the worst, most stressful stage in my life.

    Writing was and continues to be my escape, it in itself is self-care, in my opinion. But maybe that’s because my writing focuses on me. Perhaps if the focus was different, I’d feel differently about writing in a stressed state.

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