Ready for some health tips?
If you want to live longer so you can pen more masterpieces, you have to take care of your health.
I hear you groaning. An hour a day of exercise. Drinking kale smoothies. Snacking on rice cakes.
No. You don’t have to make those sorts of sacrifices. Instead, try incorporating at least three of the following easy healthy activities into your day. Once you get three down, try for four and then five. Keep going and soon you’ll be living a lot healthier lifestyle without even realizing it.
Health Tips #1. Get up every 30 minutes.
Writers have a habit of getting absorbed into their stories or articles, and before you know it an hour has passed with no movement.
This is damaging to your health in a lot of ways. First, all that sitting can lead to an increased risk of heart disease over time. Second, it causes the blood to pool in your seat and legs, increasing your risk of circulation problems. It leads to muscle and joint pain, and of course, makes it more likely that you’ll gain weight.
Set an alarm on your smartphone, iWatch, or regular watch, and when it goes off, get up and walk around the room for a few seconds. Don’t worry—you can continue to write in your head until you sit back down.
#2. Drink a cup of tea.
Tea is full of disease-fighting antioxidants. Studies have found that regular tea drinkers are less likely to die of heart disease or of any causes, for that matter, than those who don’t regularly drink tea. There’s also a link between tea consumption and better mental cognition, so if your brain isn’t cooperating on your latest scene, boost it with a cup of tea.
Health Tips #3. Take a walk.
Writing is one of the easiest forms of exercising you can do—and one that writers, in particular, enjoy. Walking gets your body moving, but also pushes the blood to your brain, increasing creativity. Many writers credit their daily walks with their ability to overcome plot problems and mental blocks. Read more in our post, “What Famous Writers Know About Walking.”
#4. Eat a handful of nuts.
Nuts are packed with nutrients and have been linked in studies to several health benefits. These include lowering blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels, maintaining healthy blood pressure levels, reducing inflammation, and fostering gut health. Just be sure you don’t eat more than a handful a day. They have a lot of calories.
Health Tips #5. Cut out one sugary treat.
Weight gain is a tough challenge for writers. Because we spend a lot of time sitting (or standing) at the computer, we don’t often get the exercise we need to burn calories. Eating sugary treats makes the problem worse, as high-sugar foods pack on the calories. They also break down quickly in the body, spiking blood sugar levels, which can lead to faster weight gain.
Choose just one sugary treat that you usually have each day and cut it out. Replace it with something healthier. So instead of soda pop with lunch, choose iced tea instead. Instead of chomping on candy while working, cook up some popcorn instead. The options are endless, and you don’t have to deprive yourself. Simply choose something you enjoy that’s not packed with sugar.
#6. Turn on your favorite tunes.
Music has incredible healing and motivational powers. Are you taking advantage of them? You can turn on some energetic music and dance for a few minutes to burn some calories.
Or turn on some relaxing music to help you wind down before bed. Or get some mood music to establish the feel of a particular scene. Or power your workout with driving music—it will help you get better results!
Health Tips #7. Read a print book.
It’s extremely common for writers to suffer from dry eye syndrome. We’re always looking at screens, whether they be on the computer, tablet, or phone, say nothing of those televisions. All that screen time is horrible for your eyes, causing eyestrain, headaches, and over time, dry eyes.
So when it comes time to read, choose a print book instead of one on a screen. (Read our post, “Why Print Books Are Much Healthier for Reading Before Bed.”) At the very least, make sure your tablet or phone has the light adjusted to be easier on your eyes.
#8. Get a blue-light filter for your computer screen.
If you use your computer more than an hour or so every day, invest in a blue-light filter. It will tone down that damaging blue light, saving your eyes from the damaging effects. It will also make viewing your screen more comfortable. (Read our post, “10 Gadgets to Help You Better See What You’re Working On.”)
Health Tips #9. Step out into the sunshine.
Studies show that many of us aren’t getting enough vitamin D. That could be because we spend a lot of time indoors and because we often apply sunscreen before going outdoors. Vitamin D is crucial for strong bones and a strong immune system, and the best source of it is the sun.
You don’t have to put your skin at risk. Simply step out with unprotected skin (except on your face) for 15-30 minutes. How long your skin needs to create vitamin D depends on the amount of melanin (pigment) in your skin. The less melanin, the shorter time you need.
Getting out into the sunshine in the morning hours can also boost your energy and keep your circadian rhythms (internal body clock) operating as they should.
#10. Add one more serving of vegetables to your day.
Most of us don’t eat enough vegetables, and they’re nutrition powerhouses that are known to help prevent disease. Try adding just one serving a day to your meal plan.
Maybe you can have a small salad or some cut-up carrots with lunch. Blend some spinach or cucumbers into your breakfast smoothie or cook a veggie omelet. Add veggies to your tuna salad or blend them into your meatloaf. The options are endless—it just takes a mindset change.
Health Tips #11. Get a lumbar back support.
If you suffer from lower back pain (as so many writers do), you owe it to yourself to get a good lumbar back support. I got one that I rely on heavily not only while working in my office, but while driving too. (Check it out—I show it to you in this video.)
Most chairs do not do a great job at supporting your lower back, and today’s car seats are generally awful. You want to keep writing for years, so don’t neglect this important tip.
#12. Go 12 hours each day without eating.
Many writers are guilty of the night munchies. (I’m one of them.) Unfortunately, eating late at night is bad for you for a couple of reasons.
First, anything you eat within a couple of hours of going to bed is likely to be stored as fat, because you don’t have time to burn it off. Second, eating late forces your body to digest when it’s supposed to be resting, which can disrupt your sleep.
Ask yourself, “When do I usually have breakfast?” Then make sure you stop eating at least 12 hours before that. So if you eat breakfast at 8:00 in the morning, stop eating after 8:00 at night. If you have cravings, drink water or tea, and do something to distract yourself. (Look at funny videos, read a book, or do a crossword.) Usually, just five minutes of distraction will be enough to allow the craving to pass.
Health Tips #13. Drink another glass of water.
Did you know that even mild dehydration can disrupt your concentration? It can also make you feel tired and irritable and cause headaches.
We need to constantly take in new fluids to replace those that we lose through breathing, sweating, and digesting. Drinking more water gives you energy, helps you focus, keeps your mood even, and helps you better digest your food. It can also make your skin look healthier!
So keep some water with you at all times and get used to sipping throughout the day. The best way to tell if you’re getting enough? Check the color of your urine. A pale yellow is what you’re going for.
#14. Keep the technology out of your bedroom.
I hear from a lot of writers experiencing sleeping problems. Though there may be many factors involved, one of the most common ones is technology. When we use our computers and phones within a couple of hours of going to bed, we’re asking for sleep trouble. And if you’re taking these devices into your bedroom with you, you’re giving insomnia a red-carpet entrance into your life.
Part of it is the blue light these devices emit, which interferes with the sleep hormone melatonin, but it’s also the fact that reviewing anything on these gadgets can get your brain revved up, rather than helping it to relax.
Banish all technology (including televisions) from your bedroom and adopt a healthy before-bed routine that includes a relaxing activity with the lights low. Good options include reading (a print book), listening to calming music, journaling, taking a warm bath, crafting or coloring, stretching, or meditating. Do the same routine every night (at the same time every night is best) and you’re likely to be rewarded with a better night’s sleep.
Health Tips #15. Learn something new about writing.
This post is not only about your physical health, but your mental health too. You are a writer. You love to write. That means to nurture yourself and your sense of purpose and identity, you must invest in this thing that you love.
Grab a new book on writing (how about my latest, Your Writing Matters?), take a course, sign up for a conference, or make a point to study something about writing at least once a week. Each time you do this, you signal to your brain that this is important to you. After a while, your brain will naturally seek out new educational opportunities, gradually helping you to become a better writer.
#16. Make exercise fun.
After over 20 years as a health writer, I can tell you with certainty that if you could do only one thing to maintain better health as you age, it would be to exercise.
Yet many writers don’t really “like” exercising, which means that despite their best intentions, they often don’t do it.
Try partnering with another writer to take a walk or bike ride a couple of times a week. Go to your favorite park to make it nicer. Rent a movie you want to watch and then use the treadmill or exercise bike while you’re watching it. Sign up for a dancing or spin class, or stream some yoga workouts.
Many writers exercise more successfully when they pair it with research. What sort of exercise does your character do? Have you tried it? Maybe she’s a kickboxer or a skateboarder. As long as these activities are safe for you, they may be fun to try.
If you’re a video game nut, get some of those exercise games to keep yourself going. Or hit the pool on a hot day. If you’re averse to a daily workout, try smaller, 10-minute incremental types of exercise. Keep a jump rope near your desk and use it every hour. Lift some hand waits while waiting for an article to print out. Do a few pushups or jumping jacks.
The important thing is to move and move more, however you can. Move—don’t sit—through your life!
Health Tips #17. Take some time off.
Oh, the vacation time we Americans leave on the table. According to a recent study, a record 768 million vacation days went unused in the United States in 2018.
Vacation is critical not only to your health and well-being, but to your creativity as well. Sticking to the same old routine year after year makes you stale—which means your writing will be stale too. Getting away allows you a chance to reflect on how your writing career is going, and while you’re away from other distractions, you’ll find it easier to brainstorm new approaches you can use when you return.
So plan your time off, even if it’s only a few days in a neighboring town. The point is to go somewhere new and let the sites and sounds rejuvenate your creative spirit. (Read more: “Serious Writers Permit Themselves to Go on Writers’ Retreats.”)
The earlier you can plan it, the better, as research shows that many of the benefits of vacation come from the anticipation of it. Indeed, planning a trip is good for your mental health!
#18. Learn a new book marketing technique.
We all feel it—marketing is tough! No one program or technique works for every author, nor every book. We have to be constantly experimenting and trying new things to see what will work for us and our readers.
If you’re not regularly working on learning something new about marketing, you’re going to get discouraged. (And a discouraged writer is not a healthy, thriving writer.)
That’s because, without regular marketing, your books are unlikely to sell. You may mistakenly think that’s because they aren’t “good enough,” but often it’s simply because you haven’t yet found the secret marketing sauce for you—or for that particular book.
Commit to learning more about book marketing at least once a week. Listen to a book marketing podcast, read some blogs about it, try a new book marketing book, or take a course. The important thing is to make marketing a regular part of your writing routine. That’s the only way to wrestle it down and make it work for you!
Health Tips #19. Join a book club (if you haven’t already).
Book clubs are great for writers for a lot of reasons. First, they help you expand your reading horizons, which is great for your writing education. Second, they foster relationships among other readers, and relationships are good for your long-term health. Some studies show that people who belong to a book club (or another similar club) lived longer than those who don’t. (Read more: “5 Reasons Why You Need to Belong to a Book Club.”)
Book clubs also help relieve stress. The meetings are usually fun and relaxing, plus they help stimulate your brain, particularly if the members are astute in their observations of the story. Finally, they’ll help you learn more about how stories affect readers, which is great for your growth as a writer. (Find out more about that here.)
#20. Make your writing accomplishments visible.
The writing life is full of ups and downs, and the downs can be doozies. To keep yourself from getting too discouraged—which tends to lead to all sorts of unhealthy habits—make a list of your writing accomplishments and put it up somewhere that you can see if when you need it.
This isn’t about vanity, but about being your own cheerleader. Sometimes all it takes is one bad review to make you think that your writing career is all for naught. Having evidence of your triumphs at a time like that can help you put the negative stuff in context.
I got a chance to meet romance writer Jodi Thomas when I spoke to a writer’s group in Texas, and she had done something cool to remind herself of her accomplishments. She had taken every book cover and framed it, including information on when the book was released and with what publisher, as well as any awards that it won. Her wall was full of them!
I hope to do something similar eventually. Other ideas may include making a list of the good comments (or reviews) you’ve received on your writing, creating a collage of pictures related to your writing life, or enlarging one special photo into a poster that you can hang in your writing nook.
What health tips do you have for other writers?