Want to discover some easy stress management techniques for writers? Read on, and avoid burnout.
I've been burned out a couple of times in my (long) writing career, and neither time was pleasant. Writers are happy when the writing is going well, and miserable when it's not. But hell for a writer is not being able to write at all.
Let's look at some easy stress management skills you can use every day.
1. Learn to Relax
Over time, most professional writers discover that formal relaxation practices, like meditation, are essential for their creativity. These practices help you to maintain your equilibrium and put writing challenges in perspective.
In addition to formal relaxation, find something you enjoy doing - a hobby. My favorite hobby is reading, and I make time for fun reading every day.
2. Write Just for Yourself
When you write professionally, it's easy to forget why you write. It can feel as if you're selling off small pieces of yourself. Therefore, do some writing which is just for you - just for fun.
Your "fun" writing may be a novel, a journal, a play - anything you write just because you want to.
3. Learn to Listen to Your Intuition and Say "No!"
Your intuition is your greatest gift, if you pay attention to it. If you have doubts about a project, or a client, listen to yourself. Sleep on it before you make any decisions, and get comfortable with asking questions.
For example, let's say you're offered a lucrative writing gig, but something doesn't seem right. Ask questions of the client. The speed of response, and the tone of the reply, will tell you just as much as the answers.
You should also get comfortable with saying "No." Saying No to projects can be hard if you need the work. I always tell my students that clients are like buses, there'll be another one along in a moment.
4. Exercise Daily, and Eat Healthily
You know this already, right? So just do it.
5. Avoid Discussing Your Writing With People Not Directly Involved
This is important. Everyone has opinions on writing, and they're often wrong. Don't discuss your writing with friends and relatives. Save your questions for editors and clients - those people directly involved in a project.
A word about writer's forums. There's a lot of nonsense talked on writer's forums, so once you've started to build a career - you've made sales - stay out of writer's forums. Other writers can't hire you. Get involved in forums where people can hire you - on Internet marketing forums, for example.
I've coached a couple of writers who took free "advice" on writer's forums which harmed them; they stopped writing for years and crippled themselves needlessly.
So there you have five easy writers' stress management techniques you can use every day. Burnout is hell - but you can avoid it.
Write more - become a pro writer
Yes, you can write more and become an expert writer - even if you're a world-class procrastinator.
Did you know that when you write more, your writing improves? Many of my writing students experience this. They find that when they write more, writing is easier for them - they're not dominated by their inner editor.
My new writing class, "Write More And Make More Money From Your Writing: Develop A Fast, Fun Productive Writing Process" is based on lessons I developed for my private coaching students to help them to write more, improve their writing, and make more money writing.
If you're struggling with your writing, the class will help. The techniques you'll learn in class with help you write fiction, nonfiction, and copy for business.
Discover how you can write more, improve your writing, and sell more of your writing to higher-paying markets.
Make more money as a freelance writer by writing more
Top 70 Writing Tips To Help You Write More