Your Fall/Winter Writer Survival Kit
This post could very easily have been written as a McSweeney's satirical piece about how we writers are going to survive another northern-hemisphere winter during a pandemic. (Picture an accompanying illustration with an ill-kempt writer swaddled in a blanket popping a handful of CBD gummies into her mouth.)
But the line between satire and reality has gotten pretty damn blurry the last few years. So I'm writing this as a straight piece (mostly).
It truly is time to start strategizing how to get through the dark seasons to come with our creativity and mental health intact. And hopefully, if you and yours stay well, with a completed book and a much stronger author platform.
We can't white knuckle our way through this pandemic anymore. It's lasting far too long for that. We've got to make adjustments that we can maintain for the foreseeable future.
Many writers, myself included, want to sustain creativity, even during the challenging times we are in. (And if that's not you right now and you're taking a break to tend to other matters, no judgment!) We realize we can't wait for the world to right itself before we write our books and build our audiences. Our work is needed now.
But to do the work, we need real self-care. Real self-care is not a crutch. Real self-care means doing things that make you stronger, even if they're hard. And we need self-knowledge about what it will take for us to make progress.
So here are some tried and true (by yours truly and my clients) tools and supports to get through the dark days with your word counts intact.
For sleep:
A weighted blanket. For real. I got one of these in the summer of 2020 and my only regret is that I didn't get a slightly heavier one. And if you have kids that don't sleep well, get one for them as well. The first night my six-year-old slept with one, she was out for 13 hours.
CBD gummies or tincture. These will not get you baked; CBD by itself is not psychoactive, but they will help you chill-ax just that little bit better than you can do on your own. Quality is important with hemp products. Hemp absorbs toxins from the soil, so spring for organic if you can.
For mood:
A SAD lamp. If you live in a place with ample sunshine all winter long, you can ignore this one. But I live in Portland, Oregon where it will be gray AF for the next six months (at least). I keep a SAD lamp in my office and give myself 5-10 minutes a day of light to help offset my susceptibility to seasonal affective disorder.
A simple exercise program. I took up strength training about 3 months ago. I only have to work out 4 times a week for about 15 minutes each session. I now have serious Michelle Obama arms and a big mood boost from my workouts. I don't even go to the gym (because, yuck), I just use resistance bands and dumbbells and work out in my basement. Our friend Anne Hawley has had amazing health and sleep benefits from simply doing what her Fitbit says: getting up and walking 250 steps every hour...and aiming for a modest 6000 steps a day.
An AppleTV subscription so you can watch Ted Lasso. For real. That show is the balm we all need.
A media detox. Consume less news. It will help. Truly.
For health:
Supplements. This is going to vary based on the individual, but chances are you could add some Vitamin D or a multivitamin and increase your general health. Vitamin D is a must where I live (again, NO SUN in the winter) and I also take B vitamins, magnesium and a few other supplements my naturopath recommended. See your health care provider and ask if there are simple, cost effective things you could take daily.
Nutrition. Could you make your food choices just 10 percent healthier 80 percent of the time? Food is medicine. I'm speaking as a person with type 1 diabetes and Hashimoto's disease. I know what I'm talking about.
Cut back on caffeine. I know, you hate this one and are ready to unsubscribe. I will pry your gigantic coffee mug from your cold, dead hands. But if you are heavily reliant on caffeine and you're feeling anxious and/or can't sleep, it's time to think about cutting back or weaning off. I had to give up coffee about three years ago for health reasons and I didn't think I could do it. But I did, and since then I've been a lot less edgy, have steadier energy and get better sleep. There are a growing number of coffee alternatives out there that are delicious and make at least part of your brain feel like you're drinking coffee.
For direct support of your author career:
A group of writers that buoy your spirit and productivity. If you've never experienced it for yourself, I can't convey to you the difference it makes to be in a (virtual) room with other writers on the regular. Writing is a pretty weird vocation and most of the people in your life probably don't get it. You need to be surrounded by people just as committed to their craft and finding an audience as you are. That, of course, is where Pages & Platforms can be most helpful to you. Our Happily Ever Author Club supports you from all angles: mindset, writing and marketing. Check it out here.
Here's to your health, creativity and productivity.