Times when I need it most, I fall behind on self care strategies that help me bring my best self to the page. Everything becomes an either/or trap. Either I can take 30 minutes to do some yoga or I can write. Either I can spend 15 minutes reading something for fun (not for research) or I can write. Either I can call a friend or I can write. Writing wins most of the time–but if I don’t keep up with self care, my mental health suffers. Self care for writers makes the writing part of my work easier.
Self Care and Burnout Prevention
Burnout reduces creativity. It leads to tiredness, dread, and poor performance. When it comes to creative work, you’re the one harmed by burnout–not some boss or company. Self care can help you manage stress before it gets to the point of burnout.
To hold myself accountable, and maybe to inspire some of you, I’m sharing my favorite self-care strategies. When I carve out time for one or more of these actions, I feel better. I always do. And yet privileging the time is so hard.
But this, too, is part of the work. So here’s how I take care of myself.
25 Self Care Strategies for Writers
Meditation
Journaling
Cleaning the house
Getting the laundry done and put away
Reading
Yoga
Being in nature
Tarot
Taking a bath
Painting my toenails
Cooking something yummy
Scrolling through my dream board
Travel
Doing something new
Calling a friend
Cooking something yummy
Picking flowers
Swinging in the hammock
Spending time in the garden
Snuggling the dogs
Complimenting myself
Gratitude
Bonfires
Reflecting on all the things I have
Saying no to things I don’t want to do
It’s really easy to get into a space of beating myself up for skipping the things that make me feel good, so I’m working on loosening up on the negative self-talk and accepting that when things get busy, these habits drop.
From acceptance I can then move into a space of thoughtful action. Recommitting to the techniques that reduce my stress and anxiety, clear my mind (so I can focus on writing) and boost my energy.