Have you recently discovered that having a stress ball isn't for throwing at people who stress you out?
Everyone has stress. It's a response to challenges in life. And let's face it, a life without challenges would be dreary and boring.
If you’re a writer, stress manifests itself when you write and when you
don’t. If the writing flows, we say we’re in the zone. When it stops, we
agonize over how to kick-start ourselves. When we end a piece, we fuss over the
editing process. And when we’re finally finished with it, we ponder whether our
creation is worthy enough, then lapse into the insecurity of “what will we write
next”?
I’ve decided, after a half-dozen books, there is no happy medium to getting
the right balance in life that will completely relieve stress levels. But there
are small things that everyone who is stressed can do to ease anxieties.
We all know we have to eat healthy and exercise, but there are other
things to consider. One is to stay as organized as possible, and
simplify routines, commitments, and clutter. A messy desk doesn’t cause
us stress. Not
finding the papers we need which are buried in a chaotic heap on our
desks causes
us to stress.
And lastly, here is my favorite de-stressor idea. I’m giving myself permission
to have free time for myself—whether it’s to do a hobby, read, travel, or just
take time off from writing without guilt. Life doesn’t have to be about always accomplishing
things—always placing the next word on the page or doing the next to-do chore. After all, productivity has
never been a synonym for happiness.
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