Want some writing wellness hacks for the New Year?
You know how it is juggling creative demands, writing deadlines, and long hours at the computer. It takes a toll on our physical, mental, and emotional health.
Improving your routine doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Below are five practical strategies you can use to boost your writing productivity and well-being starting today.
Writing Wellness Hacks #1–Dictate While You Pace
Combining movement with your creative work is always a good idea if you can. It helps you think more clearly while allowing you stay active.
Even at a slow pace, walking increases blood flow to the brain and has been shown in studies to enhance cognitive function and creativity. Dictating your ideas while walking allows you to capture spontaneous thoughts and avoid the stagnation (and muscle stiffness and pain) that comes with sitting too long.
Practical Tip: Record your ideas using a voice-to-text app like Otter or Google Docs. If you’re self-conscious about dictating in public, walk at home or in another quiet space. You may be surprised at how much clearer your thoughts become while you’re in motion.
#2–Take Mini Exercise Breaks
Prolonged sitting has been linked to health problems like back pain, weight gain, and reduced metabolic function. Moving more throughout the day is the solution.
You can try small bursts of exercise to boost circulation and reduce fatigue or do some micro stretching to ease tension in those areas where we writers are likely to suffer—like the neck, shoulders, lower back, and wrists.
Practical Tip: Every 30-60 minutes, alternate between exercises like chair squats, wall push-ups, or 30-second planks and stretches targeting your problem areas. A quick combination of physical activity and stretching can re-energize you and improve your posture over time. Try using apps like StretchMinder to stay consistent. And find some easy stretches for desk-bound folks here.
Writing Wellness Hacks #3–Set Hydration Alarms
Even mild dehydration can make you feel tired and slow your thinking, derailing your focus and increasing your risk of distraction. It can even mess up your short-term memory, so forget being able to remember the color of your main character’s eyes!
Writers often lose track of time during long creative sessions, so you may forget to drink enough water. Setting regular hydration reminders can help you maintain clarity and prevent fatigue.
Practical Tip: Set an hourly hydration alarm with apps like Plant Nanny to gamify your water intake. Of course, you can also keep your own daily chart to make sure you’re regularly consuming enough.
#4–Schedule Writer Siestas
Studies have shown that short naps of 15-20 minutes improve alertness, mood, and cognitive performance. Personally, I love a quick afternoon nap, as it helps me recover from my morning of freelance work and prepare for my early evening work on my writing projects. Just a little rest can mean the difference between dragging myself into my story and returning to the page with fresh eyes and renewed energy.
A well-timed nap can also inspire creative solutions to any writing challenges you may be facing, as the relaxed state of your brain fosters more associative thinking.
Practical Tip: Keep a notebook by your nap space to jot down any ideas or imagery that surface when you wake. Set a timer for no more than 20 minutes—use an app like Pzizz if you like—to avoid grogginess and maximize the creative benefits.
Writing Wellness Hacks #5–Create a Sensory Reset Kit
Sensory grounding techniques help reduce stress and bring focus to the moment, which can be helpful if you’re in a creative slump. Engaging the senses activates different parts of your brain, shifting your perspective and potentially unlocking new ideas.
This is why sometimes, if you take a walk or hop in the shower, an idea will suddenly occur to you. Fortunately, walking or bathing aren’t the only two options.
Practical Tip: Assemble a small kit with items like a lavender sachet for calming the nerves, a textured stress ball to release tension, or a piece of dark chocolate to savor. When you feel stuck, take a two-minute sensory break by sniffing, touching, or tasting these items. You can also listen to music, spend a few minutes coloring, or run your fingers through a bag of coffee beans. The reset often brings fresh energy and clarity to your writing.