3 Habits that Make you a Better Writer

3 Habits

We are writers. We are creative people. We thrive on an active mind. We’re constantly observing and thinking. We can hear people talk in our minds and have visions of other worlds, aliens and wild scenes.

For writers, life can be intense and exhausting.

Here are three habits that can make your writer’s life a little more sane, and a lot more healthy – so you can write more!

1) Get up at the same time every day.

Huh? What has that got to do with writing?

If you get up at the same time every day, your body adapts to that schedule, and you end up going to bed around the same time of the day. Your hormonal system runs on a 24 hour rhythm and can settle into a good one this way.

Of course, you get to choose when you want to get up. (And yes, that can be 6am as it is for me, or noon, if that fits you better.)

You’ll sleep better, and will be well rested and more creative.

And we all want to be more creative and feel good. It also helps to not having to think about when bedtime comes around. And let’s be honest: Sleeping well is wonderful.

2) Write every day

This one really makes sense.

Yet too many writers wait for inspiration, or “for the muse to kiss them”. That’s not productive at all. And it’s not going to let you have a career as writer.

In fact, you should figure out a firm time in your day when you write, always. Write in 30 min bursts, with breaks in between. Do at least one of them every day.

You’ll see your word count soar.

You’ll stay inside your story.

Creativity will increase in leaps and bounds.

3) Take good care of yourself.

That means taking time to make good food.

Taking time to exercise, walk the dog or just sit in the park under the trees for a bit.

Taking time to reconnect with YOU.

We need this because we put so much of ourselves into our writing. And what if there is very little of ourselves left? Taking good care of yourself is an expression of loving yourself – and that love fills our stories, too.

Tapping Tip:

Even though I don’t feel like getting up regularly, writing every day, or taking good care of myself, after all, I’m a writer, and writers are weird and different by definition, I’m okay the way I am, and I can see the sense in taking better care of myself.

Even though I’m worried about not fulfilling the expectations around being a writer if I do such sensible things, I’m okay the way I am, and I’m open to the possibility that I could write more and better stuff through adopting those habits.

Even though I don’t want to be one of those boring regular people with regular sleep schedules and regular meals, I’m okay the way I am, and I’m open to the possibility that I can be just as wild and weird as I want to be the rest of the time – and be better at it, too!

Thoughts?

So what do you think? Are those good habits? Boring ones?
Let me know in a comment!

Image source: F. Moebius

PS: Don’t know what that Tapping stuff is all about? It’s called EFT and is a great technique to overcome obstacles and blocks. Check out a video intro here (that’s my coaching website).