By Leilani Squires

Anyone Else Find It Harder to Write During Winter Months?

Where I live, we get all four seasons. We’re just starting to get some colder temps and I’m pulling out my winter writing attire of favorite hoodies and fuzzy socks. Winter months can be wonderful for writing and creating. That is, unless you get burnt out before the New Year. Recently, I was watching a kids nature show with my littles about animals and how they prepare for winter and hibernation. And it got me thinking—how can I prepare for winter writing?

Sometimes, it feels harder to put sentences together when the days are shorter and gloomy. Winter doesn’t always mean deadlines get easier and creativity abounds. So, I asked a doctor, a physical therapist, and a licensed counselor their advice to writers in taking better take care of ourselves during this season.

Dr. Angela LaSalle’s top tips for physical endurance and mental clarity is to eat a variety of colorful vegetables, foods that contain Omega 3s and healthy fats, and stay hydrated. A good rule is to drink about half your weight in water ounces. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, drink 75 ounces of water a day. Dr. LaSalle also recommends staying away from sugar as it can actually slow cognitive function and cause attention problems. Excuse me while I pout for a bit and put away my chocolate.

Dr. LaSalle and physical therapist Cassie Meyers say to get moving and exercise. “Schedule movement breaks about every hour,” Meyers says. “Walk around or do some stretches.” For me, I have a goal to walk at least 10,000 steps a day. I set a reminder to walk 250 steps each hour just to make sure I get up and move. I get a lot more steps in when I need to brainstorm. There’s a figure-eight path between our kitchen and dining area I pace, mumbling potential dialogue, debating plot points, and arguing with characters. It’s a good thing I work from home.

So, find a workout that works for you. Some writer friends enjoy yoga, jogging, biking, a half hour on the rowing machine, or an exercise class at the gym. I enjoy mixing it up between Strong by Zumba workouts, resistance training, and punching bag workouts.

Meyers recommends taking time to stretch your muscles, especially when you’re on deadline and tense. These can include a chest stretch, upper back stretch, torso (rotation) stretch, forearm stretch, seated hip stretch, wrist stretches, and thumb stretches. Because we type so much, Meyers provided a couple wrist strengthening exercises:

Desk Press, to help build strength in the muscles that run from your wrists to your inner elbows:

• While seated, place your palms face up under a desk or table.
• Press upwards against the bottom of the desk or table.
• Hold for five to ten seconds.

Tennis Ball Squeeze, to strengthen your wrists (Note: This should not be painful):

• Squeeze a tennis ball or stress ball firmly for five to ten seconds.
• Repeat ten times then switch hands.

Certified integrative medical health specialist Tyler Zielasko, LMHC, says to pay attention to your stress and remember to breathe deeply. “When you encounter a stressor, pay attention to how you are interpreting those big things around you. What is the story you’re telling yourself about the stressor, or the big project, or about meeting your deadline? The story you’re telling yourself should be boring—not like the story you’re writing. Keep to the facts.” For example, if you are telling yourself the story that if you don’t meet your deadline, you are a failure as a writer, that’s too dramatic. Instead, tell yourself the story that you are doing a great job putting words together to serve the Lord and your audience.

“And breathe deeply,” Zielasko says. Sometimes we as writers can become so engrossed in our work, we tend to not realize we’re shallow breathing. When you take your coffee, stretch, and/or pacing break, or when you’re feeling especially stressed, do a four-seven-eight breathing exercise. Slowly inhale through your nose for the count of four, hold the breath for a count of seven, and exhale slowly through your mouth (lips shaped like you’re blowing out a candle) for the count of eight. This can help reduce stress and anxiety, help ease you to sleep, and can positively affect your heart rate variability.

Other ways Zielasko recommends to help reduce stress are journaling, setting healthy boundaries (especially during the holidays), meditation, and watching the sunrise and sunset. “Watching the sunrise and sunset helps with your circadian rhythm so you sleep better.” Dr. LaSalle added that our body’s most restorative rest happens between the hours of 11:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. (which is when we night owls are just headed to bed… yikes!).

Yes, there are a lot of tips here. And I don’t recommend you immediately start incorporating them all at once. I tried, and it increased my stress. Don’t recommend! Instead, which one or two will you pick today to get you started and writer winter ready?

Leilani Squires is the Head Creative Writer for the A/V department at Answers in Genesis. She has been a writer and editor since 2002. She has a bachelor’s degree in Professional Writing from Taylor University and a master’s degree in Communications from Regent University. Leilani speaks at writers conferences, universities, and is an adjunct professor. View Leilani’s services for writers at leilanisquires.com.