How Can Writers Take Better Care of Themselves?

by Beth K. Vogt @BethVogt

Anyone else surprised that it’s March, and that Daylight Savings Time happens tomorrow? (You’re welcome for the reminder!) 

We’ve had nine weeks to work on our 2024 resolutions or to focus on our One Word for the year. Today, I want to pause for a moment and encourage you to—what else?—take care of yourself. 

Amid all our busyness, we can overlook ourselves. We have so much to do that we just shove ourselves to the backburner. We get used to being ignored.

How can you take better care of yourself? Consider these four areas of health: mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual. 

Mental: 

• Plan things to look forward to. If you’re facing stressful times—Anyone on deadline?—it helps to have something good to anticipate. It can be something small, like relaxing with with a cup of tea, or something more adventurous, like hiking with friends. Go ahead, plan something fun!

• Practice kindness. Helping someone else encourages them and it lifts your heart too. Being kind creates a sense of connection with others, whether it’s just smiling at someone else or volunteering at a food bank. This also breaks down the sense of isolation we introverted writers sometimes struggle with.

Emotional:

• Establish a healthy support system. As writers, we know our imaginary characters need community. Sometimes we forget that we do too. Who do you turn to when you’re frustrated or when you’re doubting yourself?

• Practice gratitude. We’ve all heard about the value of being thankful and how gratefulness helps refocus our emotions. The last two years have been difficult ones for me. One thing I do is write out 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NASB) every morning to anchor my heart to gratitude: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus. 

Physical: 

• Schedule—and keep!—your annual medical appointments. I know, this doesn’t sound fun. But again, you are important and taking care of your health means seeing your dentist, optometrist, and doctor and, yes, enduring those sometimes-uncomfortable exams.

• Exercise regularly. It’s so easy to exercise, what with online classes, at-home equipment, and gyms. The problem? Getting up out of your chair and doing it! Accountability helps—my husband and I lift weights at home. Knowing he’s waiting for me at 6 a.m. gets me out of bed in the morning.

Spiritual: 

• Journal your prayers. I’ve begun writing in a prayer journal again, and I love how this discipline focuses my heart. After writing out my prayer, any burden I was carrying is lifted in a tangible way.

• Write out Scripture verses. In Deuteronomy 17:18, God says the king is to write out the Law that was given to the priests. There’s something powerful about writing Bible verses or passages. Doing so slows us down, helps us draw closer to God, and see the Word in fresh way. 

What do you need to do to take better care of yourself? Did one of these suggestions appeal to you? Do you have a suggestion to share?

TWEETABLE

How Can Writers Take Better Care of Themselves? insight from @BethVogt on @EdieMelson (Click to tweet)

Beth K. Vogt believes God’s best often waits behind the doors marked “Never.” She’s authored 15 novels and novellas, both contemporary romance and women’s fiction. Beth is a Christy Award winner, an ACFW Carol Award winner, and a  RITA® finalist. Her newest contemporary romance novel, Dedicated to the One I Love, released June 20, 2023. Her novel Things I Never Told You, book one in her Thatcher Sisters Series by Tyndale House Publishers, won the 2019 AWSA Golden Scroll Award for Contemporary Novel of the Year. An established magazine writer and former editor of the leadership magazine for MOPS International, Beth blogs for Learn How to Write a Novel and The Write Conversation and also enjoys speaking to writers group and mentoring other writers. She lives in Colorado with her husband Rob, who has adjusted to discussing the lives of imaginary people. Connect with Beth at bethvogt.com.