By DiAnn Mills @DiAnnMills

Writers are often stalked by a predator called stress. It’s a nasty physical, mental, and spiritual disorder that can cause headaches, back and body pain, nausea, depression, problems in relationships, doubt in God’s calling, and a host of other ailments. Not a pleasant malady.

The causes of stress are as many as how it manifests in our bodies. We get ourselves into an overwhelmed mode with edits, harsh critiques, rejections, writer’s block, looming deadlines, and self-imposed perfection. Who wants to deal with misery if there’s a solution?

Do you want to improve your attitude and grasp the passion that once held you captivated by words? Look at the following 21 ways to reduce writer stress.

1. Remember why writing first excited you. Post it near your computer.
2. Accept you’re not perfect.
3. Determine rejections are redirections. Turndowns are of the manuscript, not the writer.
4. Get outside and enjoy nature.
5. Take a walk.
6. Eat a healthy diet. We are what we eat.
7. Journal the emotions that coincide with your stress.
8. Understand stress is a normal reaction, and it does help us accomplish great things.
9. Take a nap. Sleep deprivation solves nothing.
10. Learn how to say no. This means in your professional and personal life.
11. Schedule relaxation times. Read or enjoy a hobby.
12. Delegate tasks. Writer, no one expects us to be workhorses.
13. Consider a social media break.
14. Breathe in and out to calm yourself.
15. Determine when you write best: morning, afternoon, or evening. Then stick to it.
16. List your priority of projects.
17. Pray. God gave you the gift of writing, and He will help you through the downtimes.
18. Practice laughing, a huge belly laugh.
19. Plan a getaway or retreat.
20. Try writing in a different location of your home or away from home.
21. Listen to soothing music.

We are fortunate to have the finest career on the planet. We create worlds out of words, love from a single smile, happiness from a touch, and friendships from unlikely people. We solve problems and encourage others. A strong writer refuses to allow stress to destroy the art of communicating through the written world

What tip can you offer to avoid stress?

DiAnn Mills is a bestselling author who believes her readers should expect an adventure. She weaves memorable characters with unpredictable plots to create action-packed, suspense-filled novels. DiAnn believes every breath of life is someone’s story, so why not capture those moments and create a thrilling adventure?

Her titles have appeared on the CBA and ECPA bestseller lists; won two Christy Awards, the Golden Scroll, Inspirational Readers’ Choice, and Carol award contests.

DiAnn is a founding board member of the American Christian Fiction Writers, an active member of the Blue Ridge Mountains Christian Writers, Advanced Writers and Speakers Association, Mystery Writers of America, the Jerry Jenkins Writers Guild, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. DiAnn continues her passion of helping other writers be successful. She speaks to various groups and teaches writing workshops around the country.

DiAnn has been termed a coffee snob and roasts her own coffee beans. She’s an avid reader, loves to cook, and believes her grandchildren are the smartest kids in the universe. She and her husband live in sunny Houston, Texas.

DiAnn is very active online and would love to connect with readers on: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Pinterest, Goodreads, BookBub, YouTube, LinkedIn. or her website: diannmills.com