From the outside, the life of a writer might seem idyllic. But being a writer brings unique stresses, just like any other career.
Many writers, especially true of writers who are also mothers, are also juggling writing with family life and all of the distractions that working from home can bring. There’s writer’s block. There’s creative anxiety. There’s isolation. There’s the physical demands of the job, mental exhaustion and creative burnout. There’s socio-cultural pressure, pressure to keep up with algorithms, demands from editors or publishers, and masses of self-pressure we put on ourselves.
And that’s just professional stresses being a writer can bring. We’re also swamped with the usual life challenges that stress most people out – money, family, house stuff, you name it.
When I’m stressed, my writing suffers. I lack the energy and motivation to even start writing and when I do start a writing session, I can’t focus. I tire easily. Sometimes stress makes me feel physically unwell. I’ve been living with a host of mindbody syndromes for over a decade, all of them stress induced. Often, I feel like the world is on top of me and I’ll never be able to claw my way back out and breathe properly again. But I always do find my way back on top, the stress subsides and I get on with life and work until something else sparks a stress cycle.
Dealing with stress is a personal experience. We all have our own methods and ways to escape.
Even though my work is suffering through these stressful times, I am still a writer. I get up and I put words down and I move forward. If I stop writing or creating when stress hits, it makes it all worse. Creativity is part of my stress management.
Tips To Keep Writing Through Stress
Accept It’s a Low Time
Life comes in ebbs and flows. Sometimes we’ll have high energy periods where the words flow like magic, sometimes we won’t. The high point will return on the other side of this slump.
Take Smaller Sessions
Keep writing, keep moving forward. Just two minutes a day if that’s all you can manage. If you can’t manage any writing for a while, then that’s okay too.
Have an Indulgence
Not as a reward for writing, but as a reward for just being. Treat yourself for being yourself.
Celebrate Past Success
Look at how far you’ve come as a writer, think about all of the things you’ve achieved and learned and remember that more good things are coming.
Take A Pause
There’s no point trying to force yourself to write if life just won’t let it happen. You can stop writing for a while if it feels good and right to do so.
Do Something Else Creative
Paint, draw, make music, dance, knit, cook, anything else you find taps and resources your creative spirit. These are not only incredibly rewarding activities in themselves, they’re also excellent stress management tools.
Writing might seem like it’s your entire life, but it’s just one part like anything else. It’s okay to let it slow or pause while the rest of life takes the focus. You’re a writer. That’s not going anywhere even if stress makes your writing life look a bit different for a while.
