Balancing Self Care and Creativity as an Author

Welcome to another week in the Activated Authors blog. In last week’s article, where Dan discussed his top tips for being more productive in 2024, so this week I thought I’d share some thoughts on how you can balance self-care with the pull of creativity. 

As authors, our stories take centre stage, but so often, we forget that it’s not just the novel that needs attention, it’s the storyteller too. Speaking from personal experience, it’s critical to take that time to put your physical and mental health above words. 

Ready? Good, let’s go. 

1. Understanding Your Creative Rhythms

Navigating the delicate balance between creative flair and structured routine is like conducting an orchestra; it’s a symphony of discovering our own rhythms amidst the chaos of creation. 

We’ve all heard the podcasts. Some writers are up before the sun, and others prefer the solitude of a silent house at night. Others prefer writing in the middle of a busy coffee shop, others couldn’t think of anything worse. The important thing to note is that there’s no definitive guidebook on how to find that ‘golden hour’. 

Here are practical steps to decipher your creative rhythms:

• Track Your Writing Patterns: Start a journal noting your most productive writing hours, days, or environments. Identify recurring patterns to understand when and where your creativity thrives.
• Experiment and Analyse: Try varying your writing schedules or locations. Experimentation can reveal whether you’re a morning muse-seeker or a midnight inspiration hunter.
• Mind Your Energy Levels: Pay attention to your energy levels throughout the day. Jot down when you feel most mentally agile and when you need breaks to recharge. This awareness can help optimise your writing sessions.
• Reflect on Your Productivity: Assess your output during different periods. Evaluate if your productivity correlates with specific routines or environmental factors. If there’s a specific time of day you feel that burst of joy, then make a note. Creation should be fun and should be something you look forward to, not dread. 
• Embrace Flexibility: Embrace the fluidity of creative rhythms. Recognise that they might evolve over time. Allow yourself the freedom to adapt your routine as needed without feeling constrained by past patterns.

2. Developing a Sustainable Writing Schedule

Here at Activated Authors, we’re all about helping our community figure out what works best for them as individuals. We’re as diverse as our characters, and each of us have our own lives outside of the creative world. 

But the one thing we’ve found is that most people are busy scurrying around trying to find a writing schedule which syncs with their creativity. The whole process is kinda like working with clay—flexible, adaptive, and ever-evolving, more an art than a science. 

For example, some of our community swear by rigid schedules while others thrive in spontaneous bursts. What rings true is that a sustainable writing schedule isn’t about always fitting into a pre-defined box; it’s about discovering what works best for you.

Here are considerations that might help you sculpt a sustainable writing routine:

• Exploration over Rigidity: Consider testing various schedules rather than binding yourself to one. For some, a structured timetable fosters discipline, while others revel in the freedom of a loose routine.
• Be Kind to Your Muse: Recognise that creativity can’t always be coerced on command. Allow flexibility for those days when inspiration whispers at unexpected times.
• Play to Your Peaks: Observe when your mind is sharpest and when it’s prone to wander. Tailor your writing sessions around these peaks and lulls to optimise your productivity.
• Quality Over Quantity: It’s not about churning out thousands of words daily; it’s about the quality of those words. Focus on making your writing time count, even if it’s a shorter session.
• Evolving Schedules: Understand that what works today might evolve tomorrow. Embrace changes in your routine as your writing journey progresses.

Creating a sustainable writing schedule is a bespoke journey. It’s about experimenting, tweaking, and finding that unique rhythm that propels both productivity and well-being. 

3. Mindful Breaks for Optimal Productivity

When it comes to productivity, one thing we will always stand behind is making sure that you take breaks when you’re writing. You’re a person, not a machine (well, we hope so anyway), and our minds need as much rest as our bodies. 

Remember, mindful breaks aren’t just intervals between paragraphs; they’re essential pit stops to refuel our creative engines. We’ve heard about a myriad of strategies during our time in this industry, from marathon writing sessions to the famed Pomodoro Technique. 

Amongst these, the Pomodoro method has earned its stripes as our personal ally in our writing endeavours. Those structured writing sprints serve as our compass, guiding us through focused bursts of creativity while safeguarding us against *deep breath* burnout *and exhale*.

Consider these tips for mindful breaks and integrating the Pomodoro Technique into your writing routine:

• Embrace the Pomodoro Rhythm: Activated Authors members use the Pomodoro Technique on a weekly basis, diving into dedicated writing sessions of set times (20 or 25 minutes for example), followed by a 5–10-minute break. This structured approach helps balance intense creation with rejuvenating pauses.
• Diversify Break Activities: Utilise those precious minutes to recharge your mental batteries. Stretch, hydrate, or indulge in brief mindfulness exercises. These brief intervals can be a sanctuary for mental clarity.
• Adapt to Your Rhythm: Don’t hesitate to adjust the Pomodoro intervals to suit your personal rhythm. For some, shorter writing sprints might be more effective, while others might find extended sessions more conducive.
• Mindful Rejuvenation: Practice mindfulness during breaks. Engage in activities that relax your mind rather than add stress. It could be as simple as closing your eyes and focusing on your breath or taking a brief walk to clear your thoughts.
• Avoid Overburdening Breaks: Make sure that those breaks don’t morph into distractions. Set boundaries to prevent the 5-minute pause from extending into an hour-long detour down the rabbit hole of internet distractions.

The essence of mindful breaks lies not just in their presence but in their quality. It’s about crafting a harmonious balance between creative sprints and down-time that will ultimately help you avoid the dreaded Burn Out. 

4. Nurturing Mental Health Amidst Creativity

This section, perhaps, is the most important, in our opinion at least. We’ve all done it; we’ve thrown ourselves into our work as a distraction from what’s happening IRL. However, that’s not the healthiest option we could have taken. Trust me, at the time it feels good, but it’s a false economy. 

Navigating the intricate dance between creativity and mental well-being demands a delicate balancing act—a choreography where our mental health must take centre-stage.

While our creative ventures often ignite something inherently right within us, they can also come with the associated stresses or anxieties. Marketing, pressure to spend time with family, impostor syndrome, and some more serious health issues. 

Here are some practical steps you can take to make sure you nurture your mental health:

• Be Aware of Stressors: Identifying triggers that impact your mental health amidst writing is crucial. These could be deadlines, self-imposed pressure, or the fear of creative blocks. Recognising these stressors is the first step in managing them.
• Practice Self-Compassion: Offer yourself the same empathy you’d extend to a friend facing a hurdle, regardless of whether that’s creative or in their personal life. Acknowledge that rough patches are part of the journey and don’t equate them with personal failure. Life is unpredictable, and there’s nothing we can do to change that. 
• Mindful Stress Management: Implement stress-relief techniques into your routine. Engage in mindfulness exercises, deep breathing, or short meditation sessions to ground yourself during intense writing sessions. Or if you need to, step away and leave the work to simmer. 
• Find Support: Please, for the love of everything, ask for help if you need it. Whether it’s talking to a friend, joining writing communities, or seeking help from a medical professional, having a support system in place can alleviate the weight of external and internal pressures. We cannot stress this enough. 
• Boundaries for Mental Well-being: Establish boundaries between your writing life and personal life. Recognise when it’s essential to step away from the screen and prioritise mental health over meeting word counts.
• Regular Mental Health Checks: Incorporate mental health check-ins into your routine. Take breaks not only to rest your eyes but also to assess your mental state. It’s crucial to recalibrate when stress starts to overshadow creativity.

Nurturing mental health amidst creativity isn’t about extinguishing the sparks of passion but about ensuring those flames burn steadily without turning us all into smouldering piles of ash. 

As we said above, if there is anything you feel you need, from either a personal or creative standpoint, seek help. There’s nothing wrong with that, no matter how hard it feels.  

5. Building Support Systems and Community

We all know the feeling. We’ve spent hours and days and weeks crafting the perfect story, and you’ve told someone you know who’s not in the industry. They give you a polite, if not slightly confused smile, and listen whilst you go off on a monologue about how much you love your art. Right? Maybe just us then. 

Crafting stories often feels like a solitary pursuit, but in reality, it thrives in the vibrant tapestry of connections. Building a support network and, for lack of a better word, tribe, not only fosters camaraderie but also bolsters your resilience.

Here’s how nurturing your support system and community can fortify your creative journey:

• Accountability and Encouragement: Engaging with fellow authors creates a space for mutual support. Accountability partners or writing groups (*cough* like ours *cough*) can offer motivation, feedback, and encouragement during those predictable highs and lows.
• Shared Resources and Insights: Leverage collective knowledge. Online forums, writing communities, or workshops dedicated to author well-being provide a trove of resources, from practical writing tips to strategies for maintaining mental wellness.
• Diverse Perspectives: Interacting with a diverse community exposes you to varied perspectives. Engaging with authors from different genres or backgrounds can broaden your horizons and offer fresh insights into both writing and well-being practices.
• Empathy and Understanding: Within these communities, find solace in shared experiences. Authors understand the intricacies of the creative process and the challenges it poses. Connecting with those who understand the unique trials of authorship can provide invaluable support.
• Reciprocal Support: It’s not just about receiving; it’s also about giving back. Offering support to fellow authors creates a cycle of reciprocity within your chosen community, fostering a culture of mutual help and encouragement.

Building a support system and community isn’t merely about expanding your network—it’s about cultivating a circle of solidarity that celebrates your triumphs, uplifts you in challenges, and collectively thrives in the pursuit of creative well-being. 

It should go without saying, that’s why the Activated Authors community has done so well to support its authors. 

So where does that leave us?

The greatest asset that you have as an author is you. By building a sustainable self-care system into your creative life, you’re investing in the long-term success of your writing. It can seem daunting at first, but it’s so important to remember that you don’t have to do it all straight away. 

Start small, give yourself permission, and above everything else, find your tribe. If you’re ready to take that next step or fancy some unpressured accountability, then why not jump over to our free Discord community? 

You’ll get access to Founder and bestselling author Daniel Willcocks, as well as our diverse family of Activated Authors who each know what it takes to navigate the dizzy heights of creative success.