When we start opening up in the written word, something magical happens. We are able to uncover memories we had forgotten about, experiences we haven’t thought about for a long time, and feelings we didn’t even know we have. This may even cause some distress, which is why it is vital to consider writer self-care when we focus on our writing journey.
Writing as a way of healing
Louise DeSalvo wrote in her book ‘Writing As A Way of Healing: How Telling Our Stories Transforms Our Lives’ about how writing can heal emotional and physical wounds we have buried deep in our souls. But, she makes it clear that “just writing won’t help you; in fact, there’s abundant evidence that the wrong kind of writing can be damaging.”
“Writing about traumatic or troubling life experiences initially unleashes difficult,
conflicting emotions. In the long run, though, we feel better emotionally and are
healthier.”
“It is necessary for us to learn how to care for ourselves as we embark upon complex
but significant writing so that we can benefit from the healing potential of telling our
stories.”
“Challenge is to learn how to allow our feelings to emerge as we work, to let ourselves
experience them …but not let them disable us…use writing to heal…rather than to re-traumatise.”
Choose your time
When you organise your time carefully, you will find not only do you have the physical time to write, but emotional time for writer self-care. You may even want to limit some social time to give yourself the mental and spiritual space to create.
Maintain balance
Of course, we know to strive towards a balanced life, but this is often the first thing to slip. And especially when we are engrossed in a project. Along with balance comes consistency. This may involve adjusting your daily routine and setting boundaries which could be daunting. But, balance is so important when we start to tackle some challenging concepts in our writing.
A physical location and specific times will also mean you create an emotional environment to feel safe and secure as you write.
Writer self-care techniques
Identify your own ways to relax. You may not really have thought about what these activities are. But, once you list them, you can build them into your routine, especially for opportunities to unwind after you have spent time with your emotions while writing.
Your writing lifeline
Finally, who can you speak to when you feel overwhelmed? Let them know what you are writing so they know you will reach out when you need to. This person will become your lifeline and an important part of your writing journey.
Writer self-care forms the foundation of your writing. If it is solid, your writing experiences will be rewarding and healing. If you neglect it, your book won’t get written and you will be blocked from sharing your message and story with the world.
Please reach out if you need support: dawn@dawnadenton.com
