Self Care as a Writer

Gaining Clarity

As an author, I find it easy to become swept up in the world I write. The entire city of Toronto could be walking by my house with trumpets. There’s a chance that I might look up from my computer.

As writers, we become deeply attached to the internal worlds of our characters. It is equally important, if not more, to turn our attention towards our own internal world. Focused on increasing mental clarity, this is the first in a four-part series of self-care themed blog posts.

Gaining clarity. What does that mean? I’ve found that my best writing stems from moments of just this… clarity. Moments when I am clear about what I want to say and why it needs to be said. So, how does this factor into self-care as a writer? I’m not just talking about writing with clarity (a topic for another blog post). I’m talking about creating clarity in your day-to-day life, which in turn helps your writing. Clarity makes everything easier. It means identifying what matters to you and creating space in your life for these things. As a writer, this can boil down to a greater capacity to write. Clarity comes from removing the clutter in our life–mental and otherwise. So, get ready to Marie Kondo your mental space and get some clarity.

1. Make a list of what matters to you. Writing? More time with your family? Writing these things down. Writing is not only a wonderful way to express yourself. Writing exercises such as journalling can help you figure out your priorities. Are you spending too much time writing, and in turn neglecting other areas of your life? Are you not writing enough, as other areas of your life take centerstage? Ask yourself what really matters to you and make those things your priority.
   
2. Come up with clear, concise goals pertaining to what matters to you. It is easy to set wishy-washy goals. It’s hard to make them specific and actually stick to them. Identify your goal, when you will do it, and when you want it done by. An example of a very specific writing goal: “This week, I will write 800 words each day from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. from Monday to Friday, culminating in 4000 words.”
   
3. Figure out what distracts you. This is almost as important as determining your goals. Do you stop writing every five minutes to go on Twitter? Facebook? Check your Instagram? If so, consider turning off your Wi-Fi when you write.
   
4. One thing at a time. It’s hard to focus on more than one thing with precision. Focus on one task at a time, giving it your full attention. Outside of writing, you might find yourself noticing details that you never saw. In turn, this may help you to become more descriptive with your writing.
   
5. Repeat. We are creatures of habit. The more we practice being who we want to be, the easier it is to do these things automatically.

Gaining clarity is not a one-time process. Sometimes, we need to define our goals multiple times (even within the same week). Remember to give yourself time, lots of patience, and endless trust.

Happy writing!