Featured Writer on Wellness

Colleen Story invited me to be this week’s Featured Writer for her blog on Writing and Wellness.  When I get together with other writers we bemoan how ailments, like carpal tunnel etc. slow us down!  If we’re writing for many hours on end this can cause all sorts of issues…Colleen lists: sore back, dry eyes, carpal tunnel syndrome, weight gain etc. Here are some tips.

Get Up Every 30 Minutes

I’ve had trouble with neck pain.  For awhile I couldn’t work for more than 30 minutes at a time.  I also developed wrist pain. Apart from the computer I sometimes lose my voice after a presentation—and could never do two in a row.  (Hey, I have dry eyes too but didn’t realize it was a “writer’s symptom!”)

My neck trouble forced me to learn to use software that allows me to talk to my PC—but it is just not the same! Now I set a timer for 30 minutes and that makes me get up and stretch, or at least reminds me to watch my posture, and that helps with both the hand and the neck issues.

A hot tip?  Change your chair 2-3 times a day—or at least vary the angle and height slightly.

For the throat problem I drink slippery elm tea, and take it with me to a talk.  I rest my voice the day before and have started taking voice lessons with exercises that seem to be helping me use my voice box differently.

Social Life? What Social Life?

I get overwhelmed by all a writer has to do besides writing.  I feel like social media etc. has taken me away from actual writing (story-telling).  My real social life has gone downhill—it was better before I “retired” to this second career!

Several things help in dealing with life’s ups and downs: exercise is the main way I deal with stress, and secondly,”meditation” is calming (in quotes because in my case I just carve out some quiet time, close my eyes and think of nothing – or concentrate on breathing).

Taking a break with my walking companion.

I find that walking in nature is when I get my best ideas and work through problems; the other time seems to be in the middle of the night! I keep a notepad next to my bed now.

For for the rest of  this post (including writing advice) and information on Writers and Wellness click here.  Do you have any tips for working on your computer etc?