As an author it can often be tempting to write into the late hours, tapping on the computer keyboard and staring non-stop into the computer screen without a rest. Perhaps you drink lots of coffee and eat sugary foods to keep you going, so you don’t have to move away from your computer. Then, when you are thoroughly exhausted, you hit the pillow for 6 to 7 hours to start the cycle over again.
It can be very easy to get sucked into the writing of your book and forget you have a body to look after and keep healthy. BUT, as an author, if you don’t keep your mind and body in a healthy shape, you and the quality of your writing will suffer. Over time, you will get chronic body aches and pains as well as internal organ health problems. Think diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, etc.
The good news is you can lead a healthy life as an author and still write best-selling books.
Here are a 9 effective health tips for authors to stay on top of the game:
Health Tip #1. Eat Nourishing Food
One way to improve your physical and mental well-being when you work as a writer is to be sensible about what you eat and drink. A diet of fast foods - microwave meals, snacks, cakes, etc. and unhealthy drinks - will cause poor functioning of your body, leading to high blood sugar, diabetes, obesity, high blood pressure, heart problems, headaches and depression.
To improve and maintain the health of your body and mind, you should make a habit of choosing the right foods and drinks that have a high nutritional value: see this article on living a healthy lifestyle. Drinking plenty of water daily and herbal tea will help detoxify impurities from your body.
Plan your meals and snacks ahead of time so you only have to shop once a week and saves you time for writing.
So, eating the right foods will provide your body and mind with the right kind of energy. Ditch the junk and sugary snacks on your writing desk and drink less tea and coffee.
Health Tip #2. Use Natural Supplements for Cognitive Function
It goes without saying that not all foods are created equally and organic foods can be expensive. So, one sure way to help your body get the nutrients it needs is by taking good quality vitamins and minerals. Using natural supplements with a good diet will boost your health as a writer even further.
For writers, cognitive function is important and so vitamins that maintain mental stability and increase cognitive function are important - vitamins like B-complex and B1 Thiamine. Supplements will give your body natural energy, unlike sugar which will spike your insulin level then crash it - making you feel more tired.
So get yourself a good quality supplement for brain function and any other vitamins your body needs.
Health Tip #3. Keep a Good Posture Whilst Writing
Sitting for long periods whilst working on your manuscript will inevitably lead to slouching and a poor posture. Having a bad sitting or standing posture can negatively effect on your health. It can cause back pain and inflammation, neck and shoulder pain, as well as permanent damage in the long term - think hunchback.
Yes, it can be a bit of a fight to keep your attention on sitting up straight while writing, so to help maintain a good posture try these tips:
- Sit up straight with your shoulders back and your feet flat on the floor.
- Make sure that your shoulders are always relaxed.
- If standing, centre your weight on the balls of your feet.
- Make sure your body is naturally aligned with your computer.
- If you have your computer screen slightly above eye level this will cause you to keep your head up. This will help you sit up straight with your shoulders back.
- Keep your forearms level when typing on your computer.
- Try using a memory foam seat pad or cushion to support your back and posture.
Having the correct posture will not only help your health but also your ability to write - you won’t have your attention stuck on the aches and pains.
Health Tip #4. Avoid Eyestrain
Eyesight is obviously important to a writer and so eyes are vital organs to keep healthy. Staring at a computer all day isn’t exactly healthy for anyone let alone an author. We all do it though. It’s a technology age and our eyeballs are fixed on these devices - sometimes for many hours.
Eyestrain is the uncomfortable feeling we experience when spending long periods staring into electronic screens. Symptoms can include: a burning sensation of the eyes, watery eyes, and blurred vision.
To improve your eye health as an author, try these tips to avoid eyestrain:
- Increase the font size of your text editor so that it’s comfortable on your eyes.
- Keep your computer screen at a good distance to avoid radiation.
- Use anti-reflective and blue-light-filtering for your computer screen.
- Blink often and give your eyes a break by looking at things in the distance.
Applying these health tips can help reduce eyestrain while writing as well as make writing more enjoyable.
Health Tip #5. Reduce The Time You Spend Sitting
It goes without saying that the majority of time an author will spend, is sitting down at a desk. But sitting for long periods is unhealthy as little energy is used and muscle atrophy can set-in. A body is meant to be used. As a writer - sitting for hours - you probably feel it in your legs when you stand up.
People who sit for long periods are more likely to develop serious health problems. For your health to improve as an author, you must reduce the amount of time you spend sitting down.
- Get your body up and give it a little exercise every 30 minutes or so.
- Get yourself a stand up desk to work from so you are not always sitting but can still write.
When you spend your time swapping between sitting and moving around, you will prevent muscle atrophy as well as other health problems. Getting up from a “permanently” seated position and moving around will help you to stay healthy as a writer.
Health Tip #6. Exercise Regularly
No, tapping on a keyboard is not exercise. Your whole body needs to be put under physical stress to keep it fit and healthy. Regular exercise can help us live longer. It naturally boosts our energy levels, reduces excess weight, and improves our mood. Exercise helps with body function, to reduce health related problems.
Simple exercises you can do as a writer are:
- Taking a walk
- Jogging on the spot
- Stretching
- Running up the stairs
- Dancing
- Using a treadmill
Health Tip #7. Get Enough Quality Sleep
If you are a writer that burns the candle at both ends, you will eventually damage your body’s health. We sleep for a reason. It allows our bodies to repair. To become a healthy writer you need to get enough quality sleep.
Not getting adequate sleep will cause you to feel grouchy and detrimentally affect your focus and concentration. In turn, this will reduce your writing productivity. It can also put you at a high risk of developing health issues.
Symptoms of sleep deprivation can include an increased risk of:
- Diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- High blood pressure
- Lowered immune system
- Obesity
- Heart attack
- Mood disorders
- Stroke
- Injury / accident
- Decreased attention / memory
- Effects to your mental state
- Vision problems
If you struggle with sleep there are three electrolytes that are involved with the relaxation of the muscles: 1. Calcium 2. Magnesium 3. Potassium. Try CALM Cal Mag for sleep.
Health Tip #8. Get Involved in Other Activities
Writing is a solitary job and doesn’t require much interaction with others or other activities. It can cause you to become a hermit and lose those close to you. In order to stay mentally healthy as an author, don’t neglect other areas of your life. A change of environment or activity can feel like a breath of fresh air.
As a writer trying to stay healthy, try an alternative activity to extrovert your attention and get you off the computer for a while. Try these:
Spend time with your family and friends - even pets can improve your health.
- Try volunteer work for a cause you are passionate about.
- Find a hobby you enjoy doing that involves physical activity.
- Get involved in your community’s projects.
- Go on holiday or take a day off once you achieve a writing target.
Your life has to be lived in balance with all other areas of life. If you only focus on one or two areas of your life then the rest will fall down. If you only focus on writing to make a living but neglect your family, you may later find you no longer have a family - they have left the overworked grumpy author who sits alone all day and evening.
So the secret to keeping a stable lifestyle as an author is: KEEP A BALANCED LIFE.
Health Tip #9. Create a Lifestyle Plan with Targets & Goals
One of the best ways to keep you on track is by creating a plan with bite-sized actionable targets. Not having a plan can overwhelm you by taking on too much at once. Not having a clear plan with doable targets can knock you off course onto less important activities - one’s that won’t get you to where you want to be.
So how does having a plan help you stay healthy as a writer? It reduces your stress levels because with a plan that you can easily follow you can achieve your goals.
Create a daily / weekly schedule that will give you a healthy balanced life. Make a list of every important thing you need to do each day / week, and allocate the correct amount of time to do them. Obviously as an author you will want to prioritise your writing, but also include things like exercise, preparing healthy foods, taking brakes, eating breakfast, lunch, and dinner away from your computer, doing chores, and spending time with family or community activities.
Here are some more things to consider:
- How many hours each day / week do you want to work?
- How much quality sleep do you need to be at your best performance?
- What times of the day are you most productive? Use your most productive times to write and the times you are least focussed on chores.
- When will you stop work for the day?
- What hours of the day will you spend with your spouse, family, or friends?
Planning in advance - a daily / weekly work schedule - can help you make the best of your time as a writer - to focus on important areas of your life without ruining your health.