What occupies your author toolbox? What resources do you have accessible towards optimizing your writing, lifestyle, and mindset?
Here you will find an assortment of resources and changes we recommend you consider adding to your author toolbox.
Rest and relaxation – numerous studies have demonstrated that rest and relaxation, especially involving sleep, plays a significant role in our ability to be creative, productive, and regulate our mood. Rest allow our brains to wander and reset, assisting in the forming, testing and trying of ideas and solving of problems – especially helpful with writer’s block! Rest and relaxation is also a tool for managing stress and minimising burnout. Whether it be immediate or our consistent bottom line, stress management has a strong correlation to the creative brain, shifting its attention towards what it perceives to be urgent.
It is therefore recommended you consider incorporating regular and consistent time for rest and relaxation. Take breaks away from your writing (scheduling them throughout your day can help), meditate, listen to music, sleep, and move your body (yoga, stretching, going for a walk, stepping outside, checking your mail), which are all methods and resources that are proven to be effective towards increased rest and relaxation.
Brain breaks and exercises – as mentioned above, stepping away from your work is a method towards rest and relaxation. However, this can also be used to activate your brain in a new way, optimizing the brain’s overall health and efficiency – creating, organizing and strengthening neural pathways, minimising health issues such as dementia, providing a means towards improved mood, concentration, motivation and energy, and assists in overcoming blockages and hiccups in writing (see Managing Writer’s Block).
Take a look at Reset and Refocus: 10 Simple Brain Breaks for Adults, 13 Brain Exercises to Help Keep You Mentally Sharp, and 7 Brain Exercises to Strengthen Your Mind for some ideas to optimize your breaks in addition to the rest and relaxation suggestions above. Due to its strong link to mood and brain health, we also recommend assessing your nutrition as an additional method towards optimizing how you might spend your breaks.
Socialization and support – it is important to assess the support you have accessible and currently utilize. As writers, we can find it more comfortable to spend time at home and away from people to assist focus and flow of ideas. However, a level of socialization, connection, and support are vital to ensuring stability in your mental health along with increasing social and personal awareness. This also plays a role in your writing, confidence, and likability as an author as it can broaden and develop your understanding of reality, social issues and trends, behaviour, language and contexts. Here are some resources to assist with general mental health support along with tips to increase socialization, especially if you have a tendency towards introversion.
Additionally, a well known quote by Jim Rohn ‘you are the average of the five people you spend the most time with’ prompts the recommendation to assess your input. Who are you spending time with? What are you watching? What are you reading? An article by ‘Develop Good Habits’, a resource to assist with personal development, expands on the assessment of your environment as a tool towards an improved mindset.
Dictionary and thesaurus – assist with improving the quality and individuality in your writing as, when used effectively, demonstrates a developed understanding of language and vocabulary. Here you can view 20 recommended English Thesaurus Books, whereby the ‘Oxford Paperback Dictionary & Thesaurus is the ultimate one-stop reference, containing both a dictionary and a thesaurus in one handy reference volume. The dictionary and thesaurus texts have an integrated design which has been tried and tested with users to speed up browsing and look-up’. You also do not necessarily need paperback as you can also access electronic versions of dictionaries and thesauruses, such as Thesaurus.com which is the ‘world’s largest and most trusted online thesaurus [of synonyms and antonyms] for 25+ years’.
Notebook and pen – beneficial for recording creative ideas, periodic practice of writing, and provides an additional record and timeline for reflection of your progress. Take a look at Best Notebooks & Pens According to Writers to get you started.
Exchanging of contact details – if you are looking to pursue increased traction or a career as an author, utilizing methods of sharing your details efficiently, such as with business cards or a QR code, and creating your own website and social media accounts (see The Ultimate Guide to Social Media for Writers 2023 which also has QR code generation and other tools for writers), can increase your chances in networking and other opportunities.
Remember to take your time in implementing any change to your lifestyle as placing too many expectations on yourself can create the opposite of the intended effect. What works for one may not work for you.
