How To Handle Stress As A Writer

Being a writer is stressful. Hitting deadlines, being your own boss, creating marketing plans, business plans, building a platform, and creating a world from scratch. Add on top of that a full time job and everything that comes with being alive as a human being.

I feel stressed out.

The reason we feel stressed is because there is a chemical in our brain being released called Cortisol. Cortisol helps spike our energy, sharpen our focus and surpresses our digestive system so we can face our task at hand.

The only thing is, stress isn't a nice feeling.

Feeling stressed is to do with our survival. When we are in danger, we need spikes in our energy and heightened focus to assess our life-or-death situation in order to survive. What our brains haven't caught onto yet, is that we no longer need these heightened senses for everyday tasks.

There are ways to combat stress.

Here is a list of ways to combat stress:

1) Review your schedule. Have a look at all the things you have to do in a day, a week, a month. If the amount of tasks you have to do looks too much, it probably is. Especially if you are feeling stressed. Cut out certain tasks that aren't neccesary, lighten your load and reduce the amount of pressure you are putting on yourself.

2) Take a break. People take breaks all the time, they are called weekends and holidays. As writers we don't get any of these but it's okay to take a break and really important if we are finding ourselves stressed due to the amount of work we are forcing ourselves to get done. Take a break for a day, a week, a month, take a break until you feel refreshed and energised to keep going.

3) Excercise. Excercising increases your mood and can make you feel as good as if you just took a dosage of morphine. And you are not sure what that's like, I hear it feels hella good. Yoga is a great form of excercise to stretch your limbs and destress. You are taught mindfullness as well as increasing blood flow throughout the body.

4) Review your diet. Diet plays a big role in our moods and energy levels. When we are eating foods high in sugar, including white breads, our mood is all over the place and our energy is low. This puts our body under a lot of stress and can make us feel uncomfortable. If you are used to only having enough energy to sit on the couch you may not realise the value of your diet yet. But once you start eating the right types of food, you will notice how much energy you have throughout the day. The dent in that couch will be long gone.

5) Be kind. It's okay to feel the way you are feeling. We've all been there. Stress is normal. Tell yourself you are doing a wonderful job, because you are. Compliment yourself and compliment those around you. You are doing awesome.