Self-care is a practice focused on preserving and improving your health and well-being as a writer, and there are effective ways to practice it.
Sometimes, when we hear or think of self-care, we think it’s something that we should only take the liberty to practice, perhaps once in a while.
Self-care demands more. It’s more than enjoying a bubble bath, a day in Paris, or a ski day. Although these are acts of self-care, it’s much more personal than that.
Self-care is caring for yourself and taking time to do acts of service for yourself, physically, emotionally, mentally, and in ways that matter. It is taking accountability for yourself in ways that count.
When you’re in a good relationship with yourself, and you constantly take deliberate acts to better yourself, that’s self-care.
It comprises the actions you take to nourish your mind, body, and soul, which will enhance your productivity as a writer.
Practicing self-care big doesn’t have to be an elaborate event. It only has to be significant and mindful, and you can show it to yourself in a lot of ways.
Don’t convince yourself that you don’t need it and can carry on without it. Don’t lie to yourself that they built your body out of mechanical parts because it isn’t.
At some point, it’ll get weakened, and you’ll get sucked into an abyss of burnout, frustration, stress, anxiety, and other forms of harmful tendencies that’ll affect your health, creativity, and productivity.
Importance of Practising Effective Self-care
Practicing self-care is important and a necessity for you as a writer to improve your well-being, state of mind, focus, and personal health.
It increases your happy hormones and helps you live a healthy and enjoyable lifestyle.
As a writer, practicing self-care improves the following.
Self-care Ramps Up Your Productivity As A Creative
Practicing self-care increases your productivity levels.
When your body, mind, and soul are at peace and in sync, your creative flow will remain untampered, which enhances your productivity.
Self-care Improves Your Intellectuality
As a writer, you intentionally have to check your mental and emotional state to filter what you feed your mind.
This helps to detach your mind from toxic consumables and clears a path that is refreshing and more in sync with your creative pursuit.
When practicing self-care, you take more time to see yourself, to focus on yourself, and to make yourself your utmost concentration, which is an important detoxifying process for writers.
Self-care Reduces Stress
Intentionally practicing self-care reduces stress from your life as a creative. It also reduces the chances of spiraling into anxiety and helps you rejuvenate.
7 Effective Ways To Practice Self-Care As A Creative
Give Yourself The Chance To Say No
Saying no is an enormous form of self-care. Repeat this mantra severally till it sticks, if that’s what it takes.
Most times, you feel ashamed of saying no, to reject that last-minute job that is at the detriment of your me-time, your sleep, and your break.
That “help me out with this” will sometimes demand more than you’re willing to give. Still, you do it regardless.
I’m not faulting you for helping, by all means, lend a hand. Help a friend when you can. Take a last-minute job if you can. But make sure that you’re not doing this to the detriment of your sanity.
Learn to put your priorities and needs first.
Prioritize Your Healthcare
Don’t disregard prioritizing your health over anything else.
It is an effective self-care practice to engage in activities that’ll improve your health and personal wellness.
Do not abandon your health self-care routines because you’re too busy to care. Take time out for proper care.
Go for checkups, eat regularly, and eat healthy meals. Exercise as much as you can, and practice meditation.
Have Off-screen Time Intervals
One of the best things that you can do for your creative mind and productivity is to steer clear of your phone at scheduled intervals.
Honestly, creative ideas flow to me more when I’m off my phone than when I’m on it.
And admittedly, it’s different for everyone.
You may get more ideas when you’re on your phone or laptop 24/7. Still, too much of everything is not good. Take out the time to set aside distractions — in which your phone plays a significant role.
Stepping away from the screen is an act of self-care, so schedule some time for you every single day offscreen and find something in your schedule to tick off or take as your break time.
Take Regular Breaks
Yes, take breaks. Take long walks with yourself and breathe.
Do something creative that is not your job. It could be journalling, exercising, or even decluttering your space.
Set out a specific time for you to have breaks and take them.
Breathe
In life, there are moments when the most effective form of self-care is to inhale deeply and exhale.
Breathing is an uncommon act of self-care but is highly effective in mindful meditation. So take out time to step back from what you do and breathe.
Simply breathe.
Sleep
One of the worst ways to create is when you are sleep-deprived. Sleep is important to you as a creative and as a human.
I know you have deadlines to meet, and a trailer-load of work to complete, but when you compare the amounts of time you spend working versus the actual time you set aside for rest, does it balance the scales?
Sound sleep reinvigorates your creative mind and keeps it active and alert, but when you are sleep-deprived, it is glaring in the quality of work you produce.
To avoid this drastic outcome, ensure you have quality hours of sleep daily. Don’t compromise having a good night’s sleep or you’ll risk hurting your creative productivity.
Find your flow/timeline
Finally, you can decide how to practice your self-care. It’s not dependent on what you see others doing. Get to know yourself and what works best for you, and start actively doing it.
Endnotes
As a writer, it is easy to get tired, burned out, frustrated, and stressed. Self-care is one way that you can effectively elevate your mood and engage in a more uplifting lifestyle.
Slight changes and small habits go a long way in ensuring your productivity and health stay in check. It improves your efficiency and lifestyle as a writer.