A few thoughts on health and writing
I am (currently) not the most healthy person. I am trying to fix that; but right now I am rather on the portly side. (I describe myself as a pear balanced on two turkey legs, heh.) One reason I am trying to loose weight isn’t just so I feel better, but so I can do better at writing.
Here is the thing: As a writer you sit and stare at things…a lot. It might be a computer screen (My choice) or a Typewriter or maybe even a pad of paper: But your going to sit and stare at whatever it is you use for a good amount of time. Hours and hours of time, in fact. That doesn’t include editing your work, dealing with correspondance, IMing associates and other people, or just dealing with everyday life. The thing that a lot of people don’t seem to realize is that sitting on your butt so much using and using your gray matter over everything else can be quite exhausting.
One thing I am coming to realize is that eating right and excercising actually effects my energy levels *a lot.* I mean I don’t remember it being like this when I was younger: I could run for a week on a 54 oz soda. Now, however, I can feel the minute changes in my body when I switch from eating hamburgers on a constant bases to healthier fair, like salad. I am not old, by any means, but it is like I am more attuned to my body then I have ever been before.
I don’t really like what I’m feeling.
A couple of weeks ago I went on a fast food fast. I did that for 14 days: I felt so much better at the end of those two weeks and craved healthier fare. Then I went back to my regular eating habits. Guess what? I feel like crud and my emotional state is back to being a roller-coaster. Needless to say I am going to be going back to eating healthy stuff as soon as I can buy groceries.
I am also starting to walk. I am going to start walking after I wake up in the afternoon; I need more energy. It is funny to think that writing takes energy, but it does. Think about it: writing a 300 page novel over the course of say 2 months, working six hours a day…that takes a lot of gray matter electricity sparking on and off.
Things have changed a bit since I last really dug in to writing, but that is okay. I’m glad to be on the road to being healthier. It helps with all areas of my life.
Actually, walking serves more than one purpose. Something I read/heard/whatever long ago was if you’re stuck on something or can’t find something, go do something else. When you come back to that thought, suddenly the answer is there, like it’s been waiting all along. My best NOT thinking places are showers, naps, morning when I sit up (I don’t wake up for hours lol), and walking to do an errand. I keep planning to use these times to think deep thoughts regarding what I’m writing - but I can’t be that focused. Getting away from this computer screen often reminds me of so many other things that, when I return, I’m surprised my answer waits.
OR, it doesn’t, but it’s guaranteed to show up, only when I stop racking my brain to think of the answer.
And speaking of which - don’t know why you aren’t promoting this blog so much, but there are other writers out there. I’ve found some, the moment I started letting people (on Gather - I just finished reading your article about web logging) know I want input from other writers. Amazing, how much I’m learning just about the writing process, simply by letting other writers know, I’d like such info.
Don’t know if my comment has helped, but get even just 25 writers commenting on your blog, and sooner or later, you’re bound to get helpful hints you would never find elsewhere. Some have changed my life - just became serious about writing books.
Hey Lynn, thanks for stopping by! I know the benefits of walking really well: I once got in to pretty good shape doing a daily walking routine and working out with weights. I want to get back to that point, but it is a struggle for me right now. However I am not giving up. The only true disappointment is when you let your failures keep you from trying again, you know?
I have issues with staying focused as well, even when I don’t have a PC in front of me. I just have to sit a few minutes and write, regardless of what I am thinking, and things start to come together. My mind is *always* going though, that may be one of the issues. I think my thoughts, creative/deep/shallow/whatever something is always going through my head, heh. I was surprised to learn that not everyone is like that…
As for promoting this blog: I do put this one and my other websites on most profiles and such I have on the net and it is in my sig on my email, but I am not sure what else to do. I automatically tweet posts from here, so if a person is on my tweet list they find it. But I also need to make this a routine, which is isn’t at the moment. I’ll be back to posting goal posts on Monday but i am sure you can see that it has been awhile for me. However…I won’t give up on it
I like hearing what other writers have to say so we will see what comes of this
he man good advice.
will try to get those in my life.
~
Anon,
~life’s not about how many breaths we take,
its about moments that take our breath away
~
Thanks
I’ll try to follow it as well, heh.