Since becoming a full-time writer, I have found aromatherapy – the practice of using natural oils to enhance psychological and physical well-being – to be incredibly helpful in balancing my many moods and feelings around my work.

Scents have the power to elicit emotional responses, create moods and aid our memories, all of which can enhance the creative process. Our olfactory sensors transmit impulses to the limbic system, which is directly connected to those parts of the brain that control heart rate, breathing, memory, stress levels and hormone balance. Because of this, essential oils can have exceptional physiological and psychological benefits.

The most popular way to improve a person’s mood and focus is to use essential oils aromatically, whether you directly inhale the scent from the bottle or diffuse oils in your home or office. Diffusion is any method or device that disperses the essential oil molecules into the air. Plugins, mist diffusers, even necklaces – there are several ways to diffuse oils in your writing space.

This holistic technique can be beneficial at many stages in the writing process, both on a daily basis and at different stages in your career. Here are 5 ways aromatherapy can enhance your writing life:

1) Spark Creativity

Inhaling pure essential oils stimulates our senses and emotions, releasing energy that allows us to fill the blank page with our imaginations. When you’re starting a new writing project or brainstorming a new scene, diffuse eucalyptus oil for a fresh smell that aids in boosting creativity. This scent promotes mental clarity and enthusiasm. Frankincense is another scent that is uplifting and promotes creativity and performance.

2) Inspire Confidence

Many writers face several rejections before their work is accepted. To succeed in this field, you have to believe in yourself enough to follow through with your work. Certain essential oils work as natural stimulants that relieve nervousness and anxiety. Cypress oil boosts confidence and awareness in a calm, relaxing manner. Grapefruit has cleansing and balancing effects that aid in lifting your spirits when they’re down.

3) Revise with Focus

Writing and rewriting takes deep focus, and it’s easy to get distracted when you work on a computer all day. Cinnamon raises focus while promoting feelings of happiness. This warm, delicious scent can instantly lift and motivate the senses. Sandalwood is another scent that promotes mental clarity. Because of its ability to increase attention, sandalwood is often used for meditation and spiritual rituals.

4) Ease Pain

Sitting at your writing desk for hours can cause tension in your body. Typing affects your hands, the computer screen can bring on headaches, and sitting too long can strain your neck, shoulders and lower back. Definitely start by getting up and stretching, but if the pain persists, apply peppermint oil to a sore spot to alleviate stress and tension from the area. Marjoram is known for its calming properties as well. Apply topically to relieve tired muscles. Essential oils likely won’t prevent muscle tension from happening, but they work well to reduce or relieve your pain.

5) Relax and Unwind

Using all of these brain muscles for focus and creativity can leave you exhausted at the end of the day. Sometimes it’s hard to turn your mind off after you’ve been immersed in your story for hours. Diffuse lavender, a nervous system restorative that helps promote inner peace, sleep and restlessness. Vetiver is also known for its tranquil and grounding properties, helping with calmness and stabilization.
Diffusing oils adds a beautiful scent to your workspace, creating an uplifting energy for your writing environment. You can also add them to a carrier oil and dab them on your skin.

While the oils listed here are commonly known for their respective properties, scents are different for everyone. Experiment with different scents and take note of any emotions you experience. See what works for you!

Have you used aromatherapy in your writing process? What scents work for you?

Michelle Chalkey is a Des Moines-based freelance writer and content strategist. When she is not blogging for businesses, she is dreaming up her next young women’s issue to explore in a short story. Tweet her at @michellechalkey, visit her Facebook page, or check out her thoughts, ideas and advice on the writing process on her blog, michellechalkey.com/blog.

The post #5OnFri: 5 Ways Writers Can Benefit from Aromatherapy appeared first on DIY MFA.

This past year, I hired an editor for the first time. I had been working on a few short stories and wanted to submit them for publication. Before hiring an editor, my only feedback and suggestions came from a critque group. I wanted to find someone who had never read my work and had never met me, an editor who I hoped would be straightforward and ruthless with her feedback.

My editor’s questions, comments and suggestions helped me learn more about my strengths and weaknesses in my writing, but my relationship with her has also helped my writing career in several other ways. Here are five ways working with an editor is beneficial to writers:

1) You build your community

Working with an editor adds to this significant component of the DIY MFA philosophy. As writers, we know that it can be difficult to find and connect with other like-minded people and professionals in the business. Establishing a relationship with an editor adds to the team of people who are in your corner cheering you on to writing success.The right editor can potentially be with you for a significant amount of time in your career. You have the chance to develop a strong relationship and possibly open doors to more connections. Editors have their own network of writers, publishers and agents – you never know what other doors you may open up.

2) You take your work seriously

When you invest in editing services, you re-inforce the commitment you have made to your writing. You take your writing up a level in professionalism, and you approach your work with more determination to follow through and improve. Hiring an editor takes the activity of writing from a practice or a hobby to a profession, a skill to be mastered. Showing professionalism in this way is sure to carry through to more of your writing habits.

3) They kill your darlings for you

Every writer has their “darlings” that they feel are impossible to delete. The content we have trouble parting with may actually keep our stories from reaching their potential.Editors see what is essential and what is not. They have no problem cutting the fluff. Since they are not as closely tied to the words as we are, editors can easily slice and dice our story to delete those extra pieces and help us get to a desirable word count. A good editor can trim up a passage in a way that delivers the same punch without extra verbiage. Often times, you’ll see how much better the message works without the content you couldn’t part with.

4) You improve yourself

After you deal with the shock of a completely marked-up manuscript, take time to go through the organization and line edits. Seeing the editor’s process can help you in editing your own work during the next pass or when starting a new project. My editor showed me the highlighting system that she used when editing my story, which helped me revise my organization, one of my biggest writing weaknesses.

5) You get a better idea of where to submit your work

Like I said in the first tip, editors have their own network and community as well as their own experience in the publishing world. Bounce ideas off your editor as to where they might think your piece will fit or if they have any agent recommendations for your type of book. They may know of contests coming up or perhaps they have a work history with a magazine or publishing company. Editors can open doors to new possibilities; it never hurts to ask for recommendations.

Getting your work in front of an editor puts you one step closer to putting your work in front of publishers, and, finally, readers! This one inevitable step is healthy for your writing process and career. When you find the right editor for you, you’ll see just how valuable this step of the publishing process is.

Michelle Chalkey is a Des Moines-based freelance writer and content strategist. When she is not blogging for businesses, she is dreaming up her next young women’s issue to explore in a short story. Tweet her at @michellechalkey, visit her Facebook page, or check out her thoughts, ideas and advice on the writing process on her blog, michellechalkey.com/blog.

The post #5onFri: Benefits of the Writer-Editor Relationship appeared first on DIY MFA.