Keeping up with these practices ensures that I take the needed breaks away from writing throughout the day and keeps me in tune with my needs. These five practices are quick and easy, so I can be consistent. 

There is a long list of health and self-care practices to choose from. These are the ones I have found most important and beneficial for me. Of course, I’d recommend giving them a try yourself, but everybody is different. You have to figure out what works best for you. 

What practices best fit your needs, schedule, and lifestyle so that you can stay happy and healthy as you write? 

1. Spend Time Outside 

I’ve learned the hard way that fresh air and sunshine are essential to being a functional human being. I’ve gone through periods where I was only outside long enough to get to work and back, spending the rest of the day under artificial lights, staring at computer screens. No wonder I was always too depressed and exhausted to write. 

Eventually, I wised up and started taking walks on my lunch break and saw drastic changes in my mood and energy levels. 

Working mostly from home now, I can easily go days without leaving the house. During the warmer months, it’s easier to get outside: working in the garden, barbecuing, or sitting on the porch to read. 

But winters are much harder. I’ve had to push myself into the habit of taking short daily walks. Often tricking myself by spreading out errands over the course of a couple of days. One day I’ll do my grocery shopping, the next a run to the library, and then another I’ll treat myself to a mini shopping spree at the dollar store. 

2. Move My Body 

I can spend hours sitting in the same position in front of a computer, tv, or reading a book. But it wreaks havoc on my body. Especially, when I’m hard at work and focused on writing. 

Maybe it’s just me but does it seem like the more intensely focused on writing you are, the more you hunch over your keyboard? 

Even with good posture, it’s not good for anybody to be in the same position for hours. I always end up feeling stiff, achy, and sore, which drains my motivation to jump back to writing the next day. 

To help prevent the stiffness, I’ve begun starting my day with a few minutes of stretching and maybe even a short yoga session. I’ll usually do it after journaling and before I really get into serious writing, otherwise I lose track of time and forget. 

After a couple of hours of writing, late morning or early afternoon I’m ready for a break. I’d like to say I work out every day, but that’s not true. While I do squeeze in a few short workouts a week, most often I just walk. I enjoy it and I can kill two birds with one stone, moving my body and getting outside. 

It’s one of the best things I can do for my writing. I can’t count the number of times I’ve had a writing epiphany during these walks and came back home even more excited about whatever I was writing. 

3. Treat Myself 

I make sure that every day I find a way to treat myself. I change it up from day to day. It’s usually something small and spontaneous to reward myself for a good writing day or as comfort when things haven’t been going so well. Most often it’s something I can pick up from the local dollar store, a piece of candy, a pen, or cheap art supplies. 

Some days I’ll plan ahead and use it as something to look forward to, a favorite meal, an indulgent dessert, or a long hot bath. 

Regardless, it keeps me motivated to accomplish whatever goal I set for the day. 

When I have had a particularly bad day or week, I’ll give myself an afternoon or even a whole day off to binge whatever show I’m currently obsessed with. It might sound counterproductive, but sometimes we all really just need to give ourselves a break.

4. Embrace Silence and Stillness

I used to be the kind of person that always needed background noise. I’d write, read, and work with music or the TV on to fill in the silence. It’s taken me many years and many abandoned daily meditation practices to really learn how to enjoy and embrace stillness and silence. 

I was a victim of the busy mindset, thinking that to be productive I should always be doing something. This was especially discouraging when writing was hard, and it felt like I was spending more time thinking about writing instead of actually writing. But I’ve come to understand that quieting my brain can help me connect with my creativity and reach a state of flow. 

Every morning before I even take my first sip of coffee, I’ll sit and just do nothing for a few minutes. I try not to think about anything, take a couple of deep breaths and just sit with that silence. 

If I can remember, I’ll repeat it throughout the day when switching from one task to another. Again, I’ll just take a couple of breaths and try to clear my mind before moving on to something new. 

5. Read for Fun 

I was a bookworm from a very young age and was naturally drawn to writing. My desire to write was a direct result of my love of reading. But somewhere along the way, it became a requirement of the job and not something simply for enjoyment. I learned that you needed to read like a writer, interpreting words/lines/sentences, identifying themes, and picking apart the craft elements that made a piece of writing work. 

I’m always reading a couple of books at once. Often it will include a writing craft book, nonfiction research, and writing similar to what I am working on. While I do enjoy reading these books, sometimes it feels too much like work. I get bogged down when I go to pick up a book and think about how it can be applied to my writing. 

I offset this feeling by keeping at least one book handy that I’m reading simply because I know I will enjoy reading it. Even if I only get to read a chapter or two a day, it’s nice to read something just for fun. 

Tell us in the comments: What do you do to stay happy, healthy, and writing?

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Alexis M. Collazo writes in a wide variety of styles, forms, and genres. She’s worked as a freelance writer, copywriter, and content marketing blogger. She is currently working on a memoir written in prose and poetry. After moving to Pennsylvania in 2016, she worked at the local public library where she led monthly writing workshops. In 2021, she was certified as an Amherst Writers and Artists workshop facilitator. She now leads online workshops and hosts write-in sessions, to see current or upcoming events visit www.alexismcollazo.com.

The post #5onFri: Five Daily Practices to Stay Happy, Healthy, and Writing appeared first on DIY MFA.

For me a morning writing routine is like ripping off a band-aid, it’s quick, easy, and fairly painless. That is compared to attempts to write later in the day, otherwise, I’d spend most of the day stressing about when or if I’ll get to write. 

Here are five reasons why you should start a morning writing routine:

1. It’s quiet 

How quiet your morning is will likely vary depending on where you live, who you live with and how early you get up. But generally, it’s going to be quieter in the morning compared to the middle of the afternoon or evening. You may be able to write with noise and think it won’t be much of a distraction. However, anything can become an excuse not to write. Why take the chance? 

Besides, I’m not just talking about outside noise. For me, this applies to the noise inside my head too. 

When I first wake up, I tend to have a much clearer mind. It hasn’t been bombarded with the millions of messages we receive daily through email, social media, television, etc. If you’re good about not checking your phone as soon as you wake up, you’ll be more likely to access whatever creative work has been bouncing around in your head. 

2. Inner critics sleep late 

Speaking of a quiet mind, I find myself being much less critical of my writing in the morning. 

One of the major issues writers often face is their inner critic. That voice in their head that tells them everything they write is just awful and there’s no point in continuing if it’s not perfect. That voice sadly keeps many people from really committing themselves to their writing. Or they become stuck rewriting the same thing waiting for it to be perfect. 

You have to be willing to write badly sometimes just to move forward. 

Personally, I start writing while drinking my morning coffee and I need at least one cup in me before I’m fully functional. So maybe I’m just not awake enough to recognize how bad my writing is. Bad writing is still better than no writing. You can’t edit a blank page. 

3. Avoid Decision Fatigue 

Decision fatigue is the psychological term for the deterioration of our decision-making skills. It happens when we have too many choices and after having made many decisions. 

The further into the day we get the more decisions we’ve had to make. The later in the day you wait to write the less likely you are to choose wisely. Even if you’ve scheduled your writing time, you still have to decide to follow through. 

You may also face the decision of what to write. Later in the day, it will be harder to decide what to work on. Faced with that difficult decision, it becomes easier to just skip the writing session altogether. 

4. Less likely to procrastinate

Writers like to joke about how the minute they sit down to write they suddenly see all the chores that need to be done. It’s not likely that first thing in the morning you’re going to do laundry, sweep and mop or clean out your refrigerator. 

The most tempting form of procrastination will be your phone. 

But, relating back to the concept of decision fatigue, it’s easier in the morning to choose wisely. 

Most likely if you have a day job, you’re going to have a limited amount of time in the morning. Besides writing, you’re going to have to shower, eat breakfast, and all everything else to prepare for your workday. A limited amount of time might be just what you need to get yourself in gear. Think of how deadlines are often the most motivating force a writer can have. 

5. It’s motivating

You know that satisfying feeling when you check something off your to-do list? Well, imagine being able to start your day by accomplishing something as important as writing. 

I first started my morning writing routine doing morning pages, while reading Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way. I found myself going into my day job happier and less full of the usual dread. I also managed to squeeze in work on creative projects during lunch breaks and after work more often.

Eventually, with an established journaling practice as a part of my morning routine, it was easy to add time for creative work. When I started working on creative projects in the morning, I found it hard not to go back to my writing later in the day. I’d find myself continually thinking of a specific project or new ideas throughout the day. I started building the momentum to really get going and push past all the excuses. 

Tell us in the comments: Do you have a morning writing routine?

Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Alexis M. Collazo writes in a wide variety of styles, forms, and genres. She’s worked as a freelance writer, copywriter, and content marketing blogger. She is currently working on a memoir written in prose and poetry. After moving to Pennsylvania in 2016, she worked at the local public library where she led monthly writing workshops. In 2021, she was certified as an Amherst Writers and Artists workshop facilitator. She now leads online workshops and hosts write-in sessions, to see current or upcoming events visit www.alexismcollazo.com.

The post #5onFri: Five Reasons to Start a Morning Writing Routine appeared first on DIY MFA.