| Today I’m going to recommend adding one more thing to your busy schedule. When your schedule already feels packed to bursting, this might feel alarming at first, but I promise it will help you find inspiration, motivation, and, most importantly, balance:
Move your body!
We all know that today’s sedentary lifestyle is literally killing us. And yet, we’re writers, so we spend an awful lot of our free time sitting in front of the computer. It can be murder on the low back (says the woman who barely avoided surgery a few years ago after all that sitting took a real, painful toll), but it can also get us stuck in an inspiration rut as well.
There’s a reason when I host the weekly write-ins that are part of the Story Matters Mentorship, I stop every 25 minutes to have everyone get up and stretch (and drink their water, of course). I’ve recently started doing some exercises specifically for back, shoulder, and arm mobility that are helping me keep the pain and stiffness at bay even as I put in long hours on my novel.
These are my top three exercises for writers, all of which can be done in a chair if you have mobility issues. If you have health issues that might make these a challenge, please do check with your doctor before trying them out–I’m a book coach, not a medical professional.
Cat / Cow : This classic yoga stretch is great for back motility. Check out detailed instructions for this pose from Mayo Clinic.
I even do it in the shower to help me wake up in the morning!
Standing Side Bends: Hinge Health has a primer on this here. I’ve recently started doing this one with my opposite arm extended above my head to add a shoulder stretch to this back-friendly exercise.
Jami Gold’s Hand/Wrist Exercises for Writers: Keep those fingers limber on the keyboard with these stretches from Jami Gold.
If you’re up for a fourth exercise, I’d suggest adding a quick daily walk to your list. The fresh air and the movement often helps me unstick a plot problem I’m working on or even just gives me the burst of energy I need to meet my word count goal.
I know adding things to an already busy schedule can be tough, but if your body feels good, the words come more easily. So spending even 5-10 minutes a day on the above might yield even bigger returns during your writing sessions.
Warmly,
Julie
PS - Last week I sent out a big old list of new offerings that might have been a little bit overwhelming, especially to the folks who are new around here. So this week, I’ll highlight one class in particular that I wish every writer would take: Understanding Scene.
It’s amazing to me how many folks can write an entire novel without learning what a scene is and how it works to propel your story forward. That’s why I created this course. It not only tells you what a scene is, it defines the different types of scenes, the essential elements of a scene, and includes tons of examples to help you begin to understand scene. I hope you’ll check it out! I created this series of $25 courses because I know there are lots of people out there who want to improve their writing, but for very real reasons can’t afford my larger programs. If you’re only going to buy one writing course this fall, Understanding Scene is it. |
