The Writing Life – Finding Healthy Balance
After hearing Joanne Rock speak at RWA National in Washington this summer, I knew I wanted her to lecture at RU. As writers, we’re always concerned about word count and query letters and deadlines. But sometimes we’re not so concerned about our health, both physical and mental. Joanne’s here today to coach us on how to take care of ourselves and find a healthy balance in our lives. This is an especially timely post for me since my son has been on school holiday for the past week, and last night we discovered the Ministry of Education here has closed all schools this week as well. Can everyone hear me beating my head against my desk? Probably not a good balance technique.
Today, Joanne will award one of her books to a lucky commenter! Welcome, Joanne!
I’ve thought a lot about finding balance between real life and career life this past year. Anyone who is self-employed can tell you that work has a tendency to spill over into leisure time until there is no leisure time, and self-employed writers are no different.
It’s an insidious problem you don’t notice at first. Chances are, you’re a writer because you love to write. So writing isn’t just work. It’s a labor of love, right? When we start off on our writing journey, we happily grab pen and paper or computer time whenever possible to chip away at the new story swirling around our heads.
That’s great in short spurts. But if you don’t guard your leisure time and find a way to keep a happy balance between your writing life and the rest of your life, it’s very possible that you will soon grow weary and overwhelmed with your labor of love. Like anything else you love, you must nurture it, respect it, and take a break from it now and then in order to appreciate what is unique and wonderful about it. Here are a few other tips to help you find balance in the writing life:
Organization— an organized physical space = an organized mind. There is a certain peace in taking charge of your work and imposing order on it.
Physical Comfort— you need a better chair, good lighting, and the right keyboard. I can’t tell you how many writers I know who suffer the physical effects of sitting in one position for too long. A good chair may be the best investment you make in your career.
Room of One’s Own— failing that… space of one’s own. You deserve a place to spread out and a spot that appeals to the five senses. Decorate with verve and put your Muse at the wheel to create an area that inspires you. Print pictures and inspirational quotes. Hang them everywhere.
Social Networks— keep yours varied with cyber groups, real life writer friends, clubs or special interest groups with interests outside writing
Entertain Your Muse— experiment with what maintains your creativity by keeping a writer’s journal, finding a creativity coach, engaging in alternative arts
Schedule Breaks— small ones throughout the day, days off in a week, weeks off in a year.
Sleep— your body requires it for good health, your brain needs it to work out story problems. Depriving yourself of rest in order to carve out more writing time is never a good idea. You’ll write better in a well-rested twenty minutes spurt than in a painful three hour block of time if you’re exhausted. 
Rewards— good managers offer incentives and so should you. Find out what treats motivate you and follow through on the reward when you reach your goal. The writing life doesn’t always come with a lot of tangible perks early on (we celebrate things like good rejection letters!), so it’s important to provide some inspirational lifts for yourself when you know you’re making progress.
I really think attention to these things will help give you a longer, more productive career. Even better, you’ll enjoy the journey more. All you’ve got to do is implement the advice early and often. I recommend you print this blog on pretty paper and it can decorate your office space when you spruce it up. Hang it above your computer and it will remind you to walk away from that story problem when you’ve struggled too long on the same snag. You’ll come back tomorrow—well rested and happy—with just exactly the right idea. See how balanced you are?
So RU crew, what are your techniques for keeping a healthy balance between your personal and professional lives? What would you like to do better when it comes to balance?
Don’t forget, Joanne will award one of her books to a lucky commenter!
Be sure to stop by on Wednesday when our man panel will share men’s views on jealousy and what they think constitutes a lie.
Bio
Three-time RITA nominee and Golden Heart winner Joanne Rock writes sexy contemporaries for Harlequin Blaze and lush medievals for Harlequin Historicals. A romance fan since forever, Joanne liked to tuck romance novels in her school backpack to read after completing the day’s lessons, and she is certain that her extra reading improved her school skills tremendously. (Just ask her three sons who’ve heard her preach this since birth.) When she’s not writing or chatting with fans, Joanne teaches English at the local university to share her love of the written word in all its forms. FMI, visit Joanne at: http://joannerock.com
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You are so right, we allow our delight at having an idea and beginning to write to take over all of our leisure time. Soon we’re neglecting family, friends and ourselves. It’s the good friend who gives us a wake-up call. Your article helped to do that as well, putting things into perspective.
I was also taken by the points you made about creating the best work space/life possible. You caught me out in the Physical Comfort department. I’m working in a substandard chair with a keyboard that is beyond its prime. I will take more seriously the need to replace them now.
Thank you for the article. I enjoyed it.
Take care,
Jessica Rosen
Thanks, Jessica! I figure the more comfortable we can be at work, the more we’ll enjoy it and the easier it is to get writing done.
Some very common sense tips you make here. I don’t work.. but have a busy household.. so it’s nice to build in some “you time”.
Joanne, I thank my Dutch heritage for a very practical nature . And you know, I didn’t mention it in the article, but I’ve found it can be helpful to leave the house for my you time. When you work there, play there, take care of family there, etc. it can become a place full of distractions and things that need “doing.” Sometimes I sit at Starbucks to read my book because I know there won’t be anyone who needs me. Thank you for stopping by the thread!
Joanne –
Thanks for being with RU today and sharing your wonderful advice!
Writers so often have odd “working hours.” Do you use some type of signal to alert your family you’re in work mode? I share an office with my husband and sometimes find my family just walks in and starts chatting. At the same time, I know it must annoy my husband when I take a handful of papers to bed to edit.
My abililty to balance is also impacted by the fact that I live overseas, putting me at off hours to the US. This means I check email and communicate from the time I wake up until the time I hit the pillow. And one of the most productive times of the US day, the morning, comes during “family time” for me. I try to give 2-3 hours for dinner and family and then I have to head upstairs to make sure nothing needs attention (especially with the blog)
.
Best,
Kelsey
Hi Kelsey! I appreciate you having me here today
. I am fortunate in that I have an office of my own, so I have the option of closing the door when I want to work. However, my sons use my office as their homework spot, so they’re in and out a good bit (door closed or not!). I would play with the space as much as possible to see where you can carve out nooks for yourself for privacy. Can you put a chair and stand in a corner of the bedroom where you could retreat with your work?
I have a couple of different places in my office to work, BTW. And sometimes just moving from one spot to another feels less cluttered and distracting. Having a laptop is helpful so that you can– when need be– run away from everyone a bit . Good luck!
Hi Joanne,
Thank you for hanging out with us today. I love your balance/healthy writer tips. I find myself performing a balancing act on a daily basis. Husband’s are so high maintenance!
No, between working full-time, keeping up with a wonderfully active blog, writing, spending time with hubby, and just having some play time, I’m juggling priorities all the time.
I will keep your tips in mind.
Thanks bunches! Tracey
Hi Tracey! I think you’ve hit upon an important key for balance… juggling all the time. Mainly, revisiting your approach several times a year will help keep you aware of what’s working and what isn’t.
Hi, Joanne,
I agree totally with your recommendations. Especially about the good chair. I’d also add the need to get up and move around, stretch, work out the kinks. I messed up my back in grad school sitting and typing for hours at a time.
I also found it important to acknowledge progress. I track the number of words I write every day–I’m a slow writer, so every word that’s a keeper is golden. I tell my husband at dinner how it’s going. He says, “Yea!” and I feel like I got somewhere. A small thing, but every bit helps.
I might also add that he likes your books too! He doesn’t read mine, but that’s okay. He helps with the “research.” LOL
Thanks for your suggestions. Writing can be truly a brutal undertaking, and we must take care of ourselves.
Cheers,
Ann
Hi Ann, I’m sorry to hear you’ve had some back issues! Having rheumatoid arthritis, I’ve come to appreciate how fortunate I am to keep the disease in mostly my outer joints. The deeper the joints that are affected, the worse it is because it impacts more movements. So, better to have a toe hurt than an ankle. Better an ankle than a hip. But a back… ouch. You need it for every move you make! Do take good care of yourself.
Your husband sounds like a keeper!! He cheers you on AND he reads romance? Please tell him a big thank you from me for reading. I track my writing too, BTW. It’s great to look back and revel in work accomplished. And, on the other hand, it’s best not to deceive yourself when you’ve been unproductive!
Joanne,
I heard wonderful reviews on your seminar! I am so excited you shared this information in your blog today! Thank you! It really is excellant advise.
I think it is important for an aspiring writer, like myself to form good habits now as I embark on this new adventure of writing and I appreciate your advise in acheiving those goals!
Thank you again and happy writing!
Hi Jane! Am so glad you introduced the idea of forming habits. Our brains respond so well to habits, so definitely take advantage of that tendency and use it to be more productive in your writing. My brain really picks up cues from the enviroment, so if I turn on certain music, light my scented candles, and put my tea at my side, chances are I will start working.
And likewise, creating a habit to reward yourself after a certain amount of work is a wonderful way to self-nuture and help you maintain balance. Good luck in your writing!
Hi Joanne….great article, thanks for posting!
I can honestly say I don’t have a balanced life at all…I have a full time job, 2 part time jobs and I’m learning to write. =) But I have learned, the hard way, that I can push it over the edge. I took a challenge to write 50K in 2 weeks, and revise in 2 weeks as well, and found myself in the doctors office wearing a heart monitor. Not something I’m going to try again! But it was a lesson learned. I might still go on story writing rampages, but now I only let them last an hour or two instead of half the night!
Thanks for your comments, and I agree – 100%!
carrie
Ack! So glad you’re doing better, Carrie. It is a blessing to have life throw us those wake up calls. I should mention that sometimes, instead of “learning to write” it can be helpful to use writing as a release. Maybe allowing yourself to journal or freewrite– whether it’s about writing, your characters, or about the stresses inherent in holding down three jobs!– can be a way to work through frustrations or obstacles. Sometimes sitting down to vent is a fast way to find balance again. Take good care!
Hi Joanne and thank you for being with us today. Great tips. After reading your post, I realize I need to work on my workspace a bit. My writing space is also my day job space so I have stacks of writing related things and day job related things all over my desk. I think I need to do a better job of organizing the piles because it has a tendency to overwhelm me.
I get this with my writing things and teaching things. Although perhaps the biggest piles of material in my office are kid-related… homework papers, lunch calendars, permission slips… who knew I’d need a wall full of bins just for them? I bought 3 big used bookcases for my office and use a lot of the shelves for this kind of organizing. Only about half the shelves have books. And I really do have bins dedicated to kid stuff
. Happy organizing!
This is a great post and one that I will print and place in my workspace. Of course, that’s after I use a few little scrapbook items to spruce it up.
No, really, I’ve found that I’m a much better writer when I take a break, give my self permission to read the book that’s been silently screaming my name for several weeks, or tend to my flowers, make a few cards, or just plain ole watch TV.
Thank you, Vicki! I’ve got one of those books screaming my name this week, too. Reading is something else that helps remind me why I love writing. So it makes all the more sense to indulge it often!
Thanks so very much for posting this. I have been researching chairs to add a decent one to my space, getting things filed and organized, but haven’t paid much attention to decor. Just needed your input to motivate me.
Oh good! I can’t tell you how happy I am to have spent some time on the decorating. And I love that it’s the one spot in the house where I can hang things that *I* adore and that inspire *me.* I have a framed photo of the house C.G. Jung built at Bollingen, which reminds me to honor the work your soul is called to do. And the other piece I really love is a Renaissance-era tapestry I purchased after finalling in the RITA. I didn’t win the big prize, but the occasion felt big and important and I’m glad that I marked it with something tangible I enjoy every day.
I really appreciate the simplicity and yet depth of these comments. I am learning all the time. But I really feel there are basic things some writers have mastered, which I haven’t yet. I appreciate the message from Joanne. thanks a million.
Anna, you’re so very welcome! I vividly remember the intellectual thirst of those first few years of writing– feeling like I knew so little and wanting to know so much on a million different fronts (the business of writing, the craft of writing, the art of storytelling, the challenges of networking, the impossible task of balancing family and big dreams… you name it!). So once I started forging my own path after learning boatloads from generous folks along the way, I figured it was only right and necessary to aid those who were starting the journey. Plus, chatting with folks who are just getting underway in their writing is always inspiring. Their enthusiasm helps me to recall my own.
I really appreciate the feedback. I have been working all day on a novel I hope to submit to Silhouette Romantic Suspence in a two paragraph blurb tomorrow. I have always read Harlequin Romances and started again recently about two years ago. It is nice to be able to have a guidepost like this which helps make daily life more comfortable. Thank you.
Hi Joanne,
Nice post, great tips. I write full-time and I split my day in half. There is a noon class at my gym every weekday—circuit training, pilates, yoga, etc. I walk to the gym (city living in Washington, DC!) do some cardio exercise and take the noon class. I come back to my keyboard refreshed and ready to go again. I require myself to do this because 1) it lets me fool myself thinking that it keeps me sane
and 2) it allows me to enjoy the yummy food available in this city!
I particularly like your suggestion of a rewards system. I think I’ll implement one right away. No telling what kind of wonderful rewards I can offer myself!
Thanks again for your advice.
Tracy
P.S. Tracey, I wholeheartedly agree. Husbands are so high maintenance!
Your schedule sounds so wonderful! How wise of you to maintain those healthy breaks that inevitably give you more energy in the long run. I’m tucking my bag of peanut butter kisses back in my desk drawer now .
I really appreciate your tips on finding balance. It took me a while but I finally found that if I keep my writing area neatly organized it does help my creativity. I also rewarded myself with a scent diffuser that makes my writing area seem like its own little world. Worked wonders!
Loree, I swear by Yankee Candles for just that reason! Thanks so much for stopping by the thread!
Joanne – Just wanted to say hi! And thanks for the wise words. You gave me some new ideas to implement. I must get organizaed right after this deadline!
Hi Blythe! So good to see you! Good luck with the new book and can’t wait to see what you’ve got in store for us next
.
Thank you, RU, for having me! I had a great time visiting with everyone and hope to come back again down the road. Good luck to all with WIPs and staying balanced with all you do!
***Prize winner*** It’s my pleasure to giveaway a signed copy of one of my backlist books to Barbara Ann. All you need to do is email me at joanne@joannerock.com with a shipping address and your choice of book from. You can see all my titles on the Bookshelf page of my website: http://www.joannerock.com If you don’t mind listing an alternate, that way you can be sure I’ll have one if not the other! Thank you again!