4 Powerful Self-Care Strategies for Busy Writers
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This article was written by guest writer April Meyers. Find more of her work here
4 Powerful Self-Care Strategies for Busy Writers
As a busy writer with so many different responsibilities on your plate, self-care may be one of the last things on your mind.
However, self-care is essential to your physical, mental, and emotional well-being because it alleviates stress, improves psychological health, and boosts creativity, clarity, and productivity. If you’re not taking the time to care for yourself, you could be headed for burnout, chronic stress, and issues in your relationships.
If you don’t have a whole lot of free time to devote to caring for yourself, you’re in luck. Even if you only have 10, 15, or 20 minutes to spare each day, you can still reap the physical, mental, and emotional benefits of practicing self-care.
Check out these tips from A Writers Business to explore the different things you can do to care for your mind, body, and spirit when you’re busy being the rockstar author or poet you are.
Establish an LLC for Your Writing Business
Setting up a business entity for your writing business probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you think about self-care, but it can have surprising stress-reduction benefits.
For one thing, it separates your personal and business finances, so if you encounter an issue with your work, you won’t be personally responsible for your LLC’s lawsuits or debts.
Additionally, these structures offer tax benefits and minimize the legal paperwork needed to run a writing business. You can establish your LLC on your own, but online services make it easy and affordable to take care of this to-do item.
Create a Stress-Free Living Environment
Whether you work from home or in a public office setting, the space in which you live should help you to relax, unwind, and de-stress at the end of a busy day or week. But if your home is constantly messy or cluttered, it may actually cause you to feel more stressed, anxious, and depressed.
According to Elizabeth Scott, MS of Verywell Mind, excess clutter drains us of time, energy, and money — and it adds stress to our everyday lives. However, keeping our homes tidy and organized — even if we only have 15 minutes to spare each day — can help to create a more peaceful living environment.
Some other ways to bring more peace into your home include the following:
Practicing yoga regularly and learning to meditate effectively.
Learning a few relaxing self-massage techniques.
Taking a few minutes to stretch between writing sessions.
Moreover, several mobile apps can help to boost the mind, body, and spirit — whether you’re at home, in the office, or on-the-go. Rachel Epstein of Marie Claire recommends apps such as White Noise Lite, Headspace, Shine, and Colorfy.
Nourish Your Mind and Body with Self-Care Essentials
In addition to creating a stress-free living environment, various self-care products are perfect for busy writers, especially those who are constantly on-the-go, in meetings, or don’t have a whole lot of time to prepare meals for themselves.
To boost mental health and well-being, look for vitamins and supplements containing selenium, omega 3s, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, D, and E. Before taking any new vitamin, supplement, or mineral, however, be sure to talk to your doctor to ensure that it will be safe and effective for you.
Hire Help to Free up Your Schedule
Like most authors who are protective of their projects, you may struggle with delegation. However, delegating is often essential to long-term business success and optimal health and well-being.
As such, it may be time to hire some help for small but time-consuming projects, such as administrative tasks including scheduling appointments and returning client phone calls. If you’re overwhelmed by housework and chores, you could also hire a professional cleaning service, pet sitter, or nanny to help out a bit at home.
Even if you love your job and take pride in the work you do, it’s important to step away from it all for at least a few minutes each day to focus on your self-care needs.
By incorporating self-care into your daily routine, you’ll feel happier, healthier, and more productive in your life and career.
If you’re looking to build your writing career, consider joining the Poetry & Author Community of A Writers Business.
Our supportive services and members can help you increase social media engagement, find beta readers for your work, and so much more.