“Self- care is giving the world the best of you, instead of what’s left of you.”–Katie Reed
Self-care is required by one and all. As writers, we spend hours in front of our computers. We spend most of our times writing and re writing our piece of work. If we are not writing we are reading. Reading and writing are the two inseparable twins of our life. This continuous cycle of reading and writing can leave us feeling burnt out and therefore, it is extremely important that we take care of ourselves. The self-care tips mentioned in this article are easy and effective. It is good to pamper yourself every now and then. Remember, our health is our priority not someone else’s.
Self- care tips to follow-
1. Have a schedule– You must have heard me say this lot of times and you are going to hear it once again, plan your day. It is very important in order to stay in charge of your day. I believe when we stay in charge of the day we avoid getting bulldozed by the events. Instead, we know how we’re supposed to deal with task after tasks. Pro tip: – Keep extra 30 minutes in your pocket for important tasks. I call it buffer time. Just in case a particular thing takes up more you can always switch to buffer time.
2. Care for yourself– Both physically and mentally. Sitting all day staring at your computer screen can leave you feeling drained mentally and physically. Here’s what you can do to have a fit body and mind-
- Join a Zumba class– If Zumba isn’t your cup of tea (I know it’s not mine) join a gym or a Yoga class. Pick up whichever mode of fitness suits you. Go for a walk if nothing else. After a 20 minutes Yoga session, I’m all set to go after my day.
- Meditate– A 15 minutes meditation in the morning calms my ever sprinting mind and lets me breath. As writers we tend to over work our imagination and that is exhausting! We need to recharge our batteries so that we can keep cooking up stories!
- Use essential oils– They do wonders. I personally use lavender and I find it super calming. You can drop a few drops in your bath water or rub it on your wrists. They are designed to eradicate stress away and are a must in my self- care tool kit.
- Drink plenty of water– It’s a no brainer and is also the most forgotten rule of self- care. We get so engrossed while writing that we forget to have a sip every now and then. I either add a teaspoon of tang or a few drops of lemon in my water and that acts as a reminder in itself. Try it and tell me if you found it useful.
3. Find like-minded people– It is so very important when it comes to self- care. Why? We need a support group because; we all need people who understand our struggles and at the same time motivate us to keep moving forward. This is where like- minded support groups come in handy. There are plenty of author/writer groups on Facebook, Linkdin and Instagram which focus on helping the fellow members come out of writer’s block. Also, these groups are an excellent place to connect and grow your reader base. I’m a part of a few such support groups and I mind them extremely useful. You’d be amazed to see how many people feel the same things that you do and how many are actually willing to help each other grow.
4. Do what you love doing– At last just be you! Not a rip off version of someone else.
- Listen to music
- Watch that movie you’ve been wanting to for the past 3 years
- Go on a date
- Eat a pizza and gulp it down with iced tea (I want to do that)
- Get a dog (if you want to)
- Travel
Self-care is not only about looking good. It is also being feeling good both physically and mentally. When you start taking care of yourself you will be more productive. Self –care tips also work as productivity tips. They are intertwined. If you neglect your physical and mental health chances are your productivity will go down the drain in a very short time.
I hope you liked this article. Don’t forget that unless we practice self-care, nobody will care for us. Do leave a comment and subscribe for more meaningful posts.
Love,
Ritiqa.
