Writers: Be Kind to Yourself

Morning all and a very happy Sunday to you.

Quite a lighthearted and simple blog post today. Let me explain why!

I’ve had a really busy couple of weeks with work, uni assignments, having a poorly fiance and a lot of pain with my fibromyalgia and chronic migraines. I’ve always been the kind of person to put myself under loads of pressure, expecting so much of myself all the time. Of course, there’s no harm in pushing yourself, but there has to be a limit…

My new years’ resolution was “be kind to yourself.” This means allowing myself to rest when I need to, without feeling guilty or unproductive. I know that most writers put themselves under enormous pressure and beat themselves up when they haven’t written as much or as often as they’d like. Which is why I’m sending this message to you today.

It’s okay to rest
If life is overwhelming you, then it’s okay to rest. Yes, your story is important. Yes, keeping on track and motivated is important. But so are you, your health and your well being. Allow yourself time to recover, to relax. Writing will come back to you, probably easier actually, than if you don’t take some time out.

It’s okay to miss deadlines
There, I said it. This may not be true in ALL walks of life, of course. But when you are writing to personal deadlines, with no-one else to please but yourself, then you can give yourself permission to extend or move a deadline. Of course, I don’t recommend doing this lightly. I’ve spoken about the importance of deadlines for writers and stand by their ability to keep us motivated. But I’ve also spoken about being micro-ambitious, and how small, achievable goals and deadlines can actually be more conducive with success.

Celebrate the small stuff
Being kind to yourself is not just about when you don’t get things done, but it’s about when you do as well. Celebrate the little achievements, even if it’s finally giving a name to that character you’ve been creating, finishing a new chapter…hey even writing a sentence on a bad day is cause to celebrate! Treat yourself with the celebration and respect that you deserve.

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I once wrote a post about fitting writing into your busy life. There are some tips in there that I hope you will find useful, and will allow you to write a little even if, like me, you are super busy in other areas of your life.

Let me now how your writing is going, I always love to hear from you in the comments below.

Until then,
Keep writing,
and be kind,
M
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