by Reba J. Hoffman
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| Watch your stress level |
I was
fortunate to meet some of you at last week’s ACFW conference in Dallas. What a
grand time we had. Whether you attended that conference or not, this seems to
be a time of year when writers’ stress level increases.
You have
edits, or what’s worse, nothing to edit when others are buzzing with red pen
syndrome. Children are back in school activities and volunteered you to be the
team driver. Your spouse thought it would be a great idea to invite their boss to
dinner. So what if you didn’t get the memo.
There are
some things you can do right now to help you survive and thrive during this
very busy season. Here are just a few. I could list more but I don’t want to
overwhelm you.
- Breathe in… breath out. Seriously. Yes, I mean now. Go ahead. I’ll wait. Consciously doing nothing except breathing in and out will give you a vacation from the chaos. It will also increase the blood flow to your brain.
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| Write it out |
- Make a list. It is empowering to have the things you need to accomplish right in front of you. As you complete them and check them off your list, it energizes you and helps you tackle the next project on your list.
- Write it out. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or tugged in so many directions you feel you need a name change to Mr. Gumby, sit down and write how you’re feeling. Not only could you uncover a hidden roadblock, but you’ll get those emotions out. No mulligrub stew for you.
- Turn in your cape. You’re not superman, no matter what you or the world expect of you. You’re mere moral and can only do so much and it doesn’t include leaping tall buildings with a single bound. So, turn in your cape and give yourself permission to just do your best… whatever that is today.
It won’t
all get done. It wasn’t meant to. Life isn’t like that. You weren’t designed to
be all things for all people and you aren’t expected to do everything. So cut
yourself some slack. Breathe in… Breathe out. Relax. It’s all good.
"Turn in your cape." Love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Reba, for the reminder that we can turn in our superhero cape!
ReplyDeleteI'm bummed, I like my superhero cape! Just kidding, what a relief to have permission to lay it aside. Blessings, E
ReplyDeleteI just made a list last night to determine, with the wise counsel of my husband, what my priorities are and how much time to spend on each during the week. I'm breathing better already! Now if I can just follow it....
ReplyDeleteI moved recently from Houston to far west Texas What a change, in every way. I've been beating myself up because I can't seem to focus and hold to the work schedule I had before I moved. Thanks so much for the permission to relax and take off the cape! I need to allow myself to settle in and to spend extra time with God.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for a great post. Everything you said helped. Thanks again and God bless you.
ReplyDeleteGlenda Parker
Turn in your cape. I love that one. I sat down and wrote the other night when I was stressed--it worked!
ReplyDeleteNo! Not my Cape! The world won't survive!! My family won't survive...
ReplyDeleteI've decided when I'm really stressed and don't feel like writing, I'll sit down, set my timer and write for 15 minutes. I figure I can do that. I find that not only do I get calmer, I write much longer. Thanks, Reba. It was so good to see you last week, sheriff.
My overwhelm is due to trying to keep up with social media, too much volunteer work, AND my writing. Need to cut back on activities and focus on the writing--especially now that I signed up for NaNoWriMo.
ReplyDelete