Health Risks for Writers
By: Shannon Ashley
Tags: Life Lessons, Lifestyle, Productivity, Health, Writing

No real writing for me yesterday. It was one of those rare days where I wound up being too busy to write anything through to fruition. Though, to be fair, I probably wrote for 10 to 15 minutes.

Typically, I plan out my breaks from writing to avoid a downward spiral of... no writing. When I think about what makes me different from other writers, I think it's mostly how much I protect my daily writing habit. Mostly, I'm hyper-aware to avoid my own apathy.

Life gets in the way for everybody.

I don't want to settle into some rut where I quit writing for a few days and then wind up never writing again. Or rarely writing. That's why I write virtually every day. But yesterday, life got in the way.

First, I had to get my daughter ready for the day. Give her a bath and all of that. Then, Shaunta Grimes and I had our blogging class.

After that, I headed over to the post office and hair salon.

Now, I tend to have pink, rose gold or peach hair. But I usually do it myself. Yesterday, I went to a local salon and had my hair cut and colored for the first time in nearly two years.

Not surprisingly, my hair was a mess when I walked in. The hairdresser had to bleach my roots and pull the rest of the color out of my hair. Then she went through and foiled my hair in five different colors: peach, pinks, and just a little bit of blue.

My appointment was at 1:30 and I got home around... 8PM.

As much as I love fun hair colors... that was a really long time to spend in the salon. More sitting to finish a story was definitely not on the menu last night, and not just because I was mentally tired of sitting.

My body seemed pretty sick of sitting too. Case in point, I have developed a case of "runner's knee." Not from running, but from sitting and writing so much.

Truth be told, I used to be much better about elevating my feet when I write. I got out of the habit, and now I'm dealing with pain when I have to bend my left knee to sit.

Sitting so much sucks.

This isn't the first time that writing (and prolonged sitting) has gotten me into trouble. Some months ago, I had to increase my walking because I had some blood clot scares.

But lately, I'm once again looking at my (mostly) sedentary life and contemplating what I might do to make it a healthier one.

Most people know that sitting too much is bad for your health. But it can be a little overwhelming to try to figure out how to circumvent the issue. I'm planning to move this fall, and on top of working more walking into my daily life, I'm going to see if I can budget for a standing desk and treadmill to place in the new apartment.

I'm also researching knee exercises, elevating my legs whenever I sit, and I'm currently waiting on a delivery of knee compression sleeves.

Other helpful steps? Getting up every 20 minutes for water or bathroom breaks. It's tempting to sit until a certain work in progress is done, but not exactly good for anybody.

Writing can get a tad obsessive.

I don't know about you, but I definitely struggle to break away from my work. It's a common problem for writers and other folks who work from home. How do we take time out for self-care when the call to get more and more work done keeps calling?

These days, I try to look at self-care as a serious investment in myself and my business. Yesterday, I got my hair done. Next Friday, I'm taking a full week off from work (aside from one online class that lasts a couple of hours on Thursdays).

If you're anything like me and completely fixated on achieving your goals as a writer and blogger, you probably know just how hard it is to take time away. Even if it's fun to do.

We must accept the fact that we are not machines, and understand that we all require a life away from our digital devices.

Also? That we deserve nice things, like quality shoes and soft towels.

Working from home can contribute to hasty food choices.

There's this beautiful myth when it comes to working from home. People like to say that you have more time on your hands to do the things you love or to take better care of yourself.

Um, are you laughing? Because I sure am.

For those of us who are really hustling, it can be a pain in the ass just to remember to eat at all while we work. Even though I love to cook, I hate juggling the act of cooking (and clean up) along with my writing. Especially since my kid has sensory issues and often doesn't eat the same food as I do.

So, what to do? The reality is that I am prone to disordered eating and my regular way of eating sounds a lot like most of the women in a Lean Cuisine commercial. You know what I mean--scarfing down my daughter's leftovers or reaching for a bag of pretzels that turns into "dinner."

I think it's important for writers and anyone else who works from home to give themselves nourishing and satisfying meals. I tend to feel guilty for simply spending money on great food. However, I'm trying to break that guilt and think of it as an investment in me and my work.

Healthful eating can be a lot easier (and fast) these days. I can increase my consumption of plants with a number of online services and companies. Cooking for one can get a little burdensome, so I appreciate the ability to get pre-portioned smoothie or soup cups from businesses like Daily Harvest. Some businesses like Urban Remedy or Splendid Spoon will send you ready to eat plant-based meals.

The best news? No food waste.

As with all things, balance is key.

Don't get me wrong. I love working and writing online. I have no desire to quit though I do plan to keep working on my health as a person with a sedentary job.

One thing I'm learning is that there's no such thing as "perfect." I haven't ruined my whole day if I eat mostly nutritious foods and then indulge in a Moon Pie, you know?

Likewise, I'm not a bad person if I get a little anti-social for a couple of days and need to remind myself to reach out.

And I'm allowed to try new things and determine what works best for me.

Frankly, I think that's the coolest thing about working from home. It gives you the freedom to tailor your life into one that you truly love.

Sure, writing and sitting on your butt comes with health risks. We've got to make time for self-care and not neglect our mental health or emotional needs for connection too.

It isn't always easy, and we don't often have all the money in the world to get it done.

Even so, there's something so wonderful about looking at your life as a sort of blank canvas and then giving yourself permission to puzzle out all of these things.

In my case, I'm (lately) writing less than I used to. And sometimes, I even take off unplanned days. But it's all for the greater good of making this writer's life work for the long-term.

Self-care is definitely worth this bit of change.