Feeling Good in Your Body in Support of Your Craft
From Abbe Jacobson, Haven Home Wellness Coach!
Abbe and I have known each other since high school. She is an exceptional wellness coach, and she has helped me be MUCH more kind to myself, my muse, my writing life. Abbe will be the first expert for my 8 week Haven Home Writing Course! Please enjoy her wisdom, and consider signing up for Haven Home today! It all begins on Monday, January 18th, and it’s the perfect way to start the new year, process 2020, and finally find your voice! To learn more, click here.
If you could wave a magic wand and have exactly what you needed around your health to support your passion as a writer, what would it be? A clear head and boundless creativity? A strong core and healthy back to provide a sturdy foundation while sitting or standing at your computer? A sense of calm and centeredness with limited mental chatter? The ability to focus, get into the flow, and produce a worthy chunk of writing?
What if all of this was possible without requiring marathon running, starving yourself, shunning favorite foods, or sitting in savasana for hours?
You might be thinking – get real!
But I am here to tell you that this ideal is not as elusive as you might think.
Small realistic changes add up over a lifetime. That, and a little bit of love for your beautiful body, can go a long way to helping you feel energetic, vibrant, and strong. Feeling good each day can be a game-changer.
Here are 6 strategies to help you feel better each day so that you can focus on writing!
1) Move your body.
Notice I did not say run or do CrossFit or even exercise. Just be a mover! Experiment with activities that are fun and feel good. Movement should never feel punishing or demoralizing. If you are not sure what this looks like for you, then get curious and experiment. Maybe you enjoy yoga, or walking, or dance. Whatever it may be, give yourself the chance to move each day for at least 10 minutes. Adopt the mantra: “No zero minutes!” Something is always better than nothing. Sometimes the toughest part is getting started. Ten minutes may morph into 20 and before you know it you will have established a regular movement routine. Writers, in particular, do well to create some structure around movement. Setting an alarm at the top of each hour can serve as a reminder to get up, walk around, and stretch. Or make space for movement first thing in the morning to set yourself up for feeling more centered and grounded in your body as you sit down to write. If you find yourself resisting exercise, shower yourself with some extra compassion. Harsh judgment does not produce more willpower – in fact, it shuts you down. Instead, ask yourself: “What movement can I do today that will be fun, supportive, and loving toward myself?” Be curious about the answer.
2) Reach for quality fuel that keeps you going at a nice even pace.
Gentle nutrition is the name of the game. Consider options that help balance blood sugar and provide sustained energy. Great snacks might include apple slices with peanut butter; a handful of walnuts with some fruit; hard-boiled eggs with avocado; Greek yogurt with berries. Whatever you choose, listen to your body. Is the food you are consuming making you feel good? Do you sit down to write after a meal feeling energized? Or does the meal leave you feeling lethargic? If it’s the latter, you might consider experimenting with different types of fuel until you find foods that provide you with energy and leave you feeling good. Of particular importance for writers is creating structure around meals. Set your alarm if you sometimes forget to eat. Take small bites of a snack at the top of the hour. Make a big pot of soup on Sundays so that you always have something easy on hand that provides good quality protein with colorful veggies and greens. Finally, stay mindful of caffeine and alcohol consumption. Both can cause agitation and anxiety, making it tough to feel grounded while writing. Water is your friend. Staying hydrated is amazing for your brain, your vital organs, and your immune system. Keep a glass nearby and sip it throughout the day.
3) Sleep!
. If I had to prioritize one basic habit that would provide the biggest impact on our overall well-being, it would be sleep. Without a rested body, it is difficult to ascertain what our body actually needs. A tired body sends us conflicting signals. Are we tired or hungry? Are we tired from lack of sleep or because we do not have the energy to exercise? Living in a tired body means we are more likely to overeat and move less. Lack of sleep erodes our ability to practice solid self-care and therefore makes it harder to feel good in our bodies. This has a direct impact on the quality of our thoughts and our ability to show up, do our jobs, and feel OK in the world. The first place to start with sleep is to prioritize listening to your body. A tired body is fatigued for a reason. Fatigue is your body’s way of getting your attention. Most of us are used to ignoring fatigue because that is what we do as a culture. We glorify busyness and the ability to get by on little sleep. But eventually, fatigue catches up to us. Our bodies eventually rebel, sometimes in the form of illness, weight challenges, anxiety, or depression. If you are tired, it’s time to honor your needs around this. Turn your attention to sleep hygiene. Here are some simple strategies to help you get started:
- Turn off all electronic devices early in the evening. Exposure from devices is known to stimulate the brain and keep you awake.
- Be consistent about when you go to bed and wake up each day, even on weekends.
- Exercise moderately each day to promote a good night’s sleep.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark.
- Avoid caffeine after noon and reduce or eliminate alcohol, which is known to disrupt sleep and interfere with sleep regulation.
4) Guard against burnout.
A tired writer is a challenged writer, and your body is a wonderful vessel of information. Guarding against burnout requires staying ahead of your needs and in tune with your body. If you are waking up tired and depleted, it’s time to honor that fatigue and take it seriously (see #3). Burnout is particularly pervasive at the moment due to the current state of our world between managing our minds around COVID and political unrest in our nation. While writers find solace in taking a pen to paper (or hands to keyboard…), it is quite possible that accumulated stress between hard work and anxiety over current events can make it challenging to bounce back. Get ahead of this type of fatigue before it causes harm. Self-care becomes particularly important in this case. While finding ways to “treat” yourself can be helpful, true self-care is more about creating boundaries and systems that help you feel emotionally safe. What this might look like is different for everyone, but the boundaries should help you rest and restore while calming your brain and nervous system. Stay curious about what type of actions might help you feel grounded and centered in your body. This is the path to true rejuvenation and burnout prevention. If you are chronically tired and depleted, think about what might help you renew your spirit in a gentle, uplifting way.
5) Wellness is the foundation for doing what you love.
At the end of the day, your body provides the vehicle for you to write. Feeling better in your body means the opportunity to be more creative and prolific with words, providing you with staying power to get the job done. If you wake up feeling good, you will have more time to focus on what you value both personally and professionally. Taking small, simple action around your health each day is about supporting what’s important in your life. This is not about changing your body size or fitting into a particular pair of pants. While both might be nice, neither are compelling reasons to embrace healthy habits long-term. Instead, think about what you want to be doing 3-5 years from now. What is most important to you at this point in your life? Are there certain qualities you want to cultivate? Are there aspirations or relationships that are meaningful to you? What habits or behaviors might allow you to blossom as a writer? How would you feel with this new habit or change well established in your life? Use these questions to clarify your values around health and reflect on how taking action could support your career as a writer.
6) Be gentle with yourself.
No matter where you are today with your health, your career, or your life, self-compassion is key. Be mindful of your inner monologue. Punishing thoughts will drive the opposite behavior that you seek. While it can be challenging to wrangle with our monkey mind, try using curiosity instead of judgment. When it comes to how you treat yourself and your body, remind yourself to move toward love. The more you can lovingly accept yourself in the moment, the better chance you have of creating sustainable change.
Additional Resources:
On movement: The Joy of Movement, How exercise helps us find happiness, hope, connection, and courage, by Kelly McGonigal, PhD
On eating: Intuitive Eating, A Revolutionary Anti-Diet Approach, by Evelyn Tribole and Elyse Resch; Anti-Diet, Reclaim Your Time, Money, Well-being and Happiness through Intuitive Eating, by Christy Harrison
On sleep: Why We Sleep, Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams, by Matthew Walker, PhD
On habit change: Atomic Habits, An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear
On defining values and purpose: Finding Your Own North Star: Claiming the Life You Were Meant to Live, by Martha Beck
On mindfulness: 10 Percent Happier: How I Tamed the Voice In My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-help That Actually Works – A True Story, by Dan Harris
Also check out the 10 Percent Happier meditation app.
For more information on health coaching, I can be found at:
Instagram: @abbejacobsoncoaching
Twitter: @abbejacobson
Facebook: www.facebook.com/abbejacobson
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