Think back to your childhood. What happened when you cried? Did your mother soothe you, try to fix what hurt? What happened when you were happy? Did you see that emotion mirrored in your parents’ smiling faces? Now, what happened when you got angry? Raised your voice? Slammed the door?Continue Reading
Definitely the sitting [is the biggest physical challenge]. Sometimes at the end of a writing session, it takes me a few minutes to get my rusty hips to unbend and ease me into a standing position. I think I’d have to put tired eyes/headaches as runner up. I have aContinue Reading
Sitting is the new smoking, as they say. Of all the things that wear away at our health, sitting for hours is one of the big ones. I covered this in a previous post. (You can read more about the dangers of sitting here.) Briefly, recent studies have found thatContinue Reading
My life has always included physical activity. Main sports included golfing, swimming, running 10Ks, and playing softball. I learned in my youth the value of stretching to prepare muscles for these activities, and to avoid injury. Sure writing is sedentary, but it doesn’t cause physical problems for me because ofContinue Reading
While spending some time with my family recently, I had the pleasure of watching again the great movie, “Miss Potter,” about the life and writing career of children’s book author Beatrice Potter. I thought I remembered it quite well, but it’s been years since I first saw it, and IContinue Reading
I started writing four years ago after the primary school I was working in closed down. It was a small private school in a converted detached house and my main classroom was on the first floor, while the stock room, toilets, dining room and other classrooms I taught in wereContinue Reading
We talked about what your computer could be doing to your face in a previous post. Now, it’s time to reveal the truth about what it can do to your skin. Use gadgets like computers, tablets, and smartphones in the sun and you could be increasing your risk of skinContinue Reading
I’m so excited to have Karen sharing her thoughts here on Writing and Wellness. She is a prolific writer, editor, AND publisher, so she knows about the difficulties writers face from all angles. Enjoy! I’m not the kind of person who can squeeze in 10 or 20 minutes here andContinue Reading
At a recent conference, I was surprised to learn that creative burnout is common among writers. I was at the Aspen Summer Words Conference and had chance to meet award-winning author Hannah Tinti. I heard her speak on the final panel of the week and then asked her sign myContinue Reading
Biggest physical challenge of being a writer? Not plowing my way through a bag of chocolate when I’m writing. Wow, that’s hard. I don’t feel like I have any trouble getting exercise (my horse keeps me active), but when it comes to emotional eating… Writing is an incredibly emotional thing,Continue Reading
I’m sitting here outside the veterinarian’s office, waiting to take in my cat and dog in for their shots and regular annual checkups. My dog (a black German shepherd) just puked. Unusual for her, but she’s older now, and I can’t blame her for experiencing a little tummy upset beforeContinue Reading
When I first started writing I was in my forties, and I couldn’t imagine needing any antidote for that activity. The discovery of this long-hidden talent brought a deep satisfaction different than anything I’d known. Writing was the antidote to a falling-apart marriage and the trials of two teenage daughters.Continue Reading