Striking A Balance Between Your Writing Life And Personal Life

I subscribe to two marketing websites. A recent posting on one website asked people how they manage to find a balance between their work and personal life. It’s a good question. After 35+ years as a freelance writer I’ve found that balance and you can too.
Regular breaks help you clarify your thinking, prevent muscle strain, eye strain and burnout. These tips may help you find the balance you are seeking.
1. Put breaks on your “To Do” list. I’m a list-maker and always will be. As soon as I complete a task I cross it off my list. Breaks are part of every list I make. The Mayo Clinic website, in an article titled “Eyestrain,” recommends a 20/20/20 approach to work. You stop looking at the computer screen every 20 minutes and look at something that is 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
2. Plan your work day. Early morning is my best writing time and I take advantage of it. I get up early and write for an hour before breakfast. My work day is divided into two parts, new writing in the morning and keeping up with the book business in the afternoon. Afternoons are also devoted to proofreading.
3. Allow enough lead time. Well before the deadline I start work on an article or book. This prevents stress and makes writing a joyful experience. Of course I’ve had times when I scrambled to meet a deadline, but this doesn’t happen often.
4. Divide big tasks into small steps. Before I start writing I have a specific goal in mind, such as working out kinks in a troublesome paragraph, finishing a page, or concluding a chapter. Small steps help me stay on track and on task. When I reach the mid-point of a book I always cheer because I know I’m making progress.
5. Do something different. The last three months I’ve been working on two books and became obsessed with them. I didn’t plan to write the second book, a short resource for children, yet when the idea came to me I felt I should act on it. Thank goodness I recognized my writing obsession and called time out. What am I doing? I’m going on a cook’s tour of St Paul, Minnesota and participating in more social events.
6. Connect with family. More than any other, this tip helps me find balance in my life. Family connections vary. Recently I attended a baby’s birthday party (she just turned one), went to lunch with my daughter, and enjoyed a restaurant dinner with my husband.
7. Take care of yourself. I try to get eight hours of sleep a night and eat balanced meals. Regular breaks are also self-care. Doreen Martel writes about breaks in her Helium website article, “The Importance of Taking Regular Breaks as a Writer.” She thinks breaks are essential for freelancers like me and recommends a 15 minute break between breakfast and lunch, an hour break mid-day, and another break after dinner.
Why should you take regular breaks? Breaks make you more productive and that’s something every writer wants.