Things that help me relax
I have anxiety so I don’t often feel relaxed. I am working on improving my anxiety but there are a few things that I have found helpful when I am feeling tense:
1. Walks
Sometimes I feel like I can’t think straight, I cannot decide what needs to be done and when I should do it so I find that going for a walk, even just fifteen minutes actually does help to create mental clarity. By the time I come back from the walk, I have a plan or at least know what I am doing next.
2. Music
I have recently started listening to music again. I use Spotify and just put on a playlist or a particular song that I feel like listening to whilst I do other things. I find that after a while I can be singing along and feeling a bit better.
3. Drawing
I have always wanted to be a good artist but I did not really think that it was possible for me. I thought that I just didn't have the artistic talent. In the past, I have used different artistic forms, including sketching and sewing. I had thought about trying digital art in the past but I just thought that I wouldn't be any good at it. However, recently I began wanting to try digital art so I was fortunate enough to have some gift cards that I used to get a Wacom Intuos tablet. It comes with a pen that you use on the drawing tablet, as well as an art programme. You can also download free art software to use with it. It was actually a lot easier to use than I thought it would be and I have discovered that after I have done a drawing I feel so much calmer! I thought that I would get frustrated with any mistakes that I made and with the drawing not being what I envisioned but you can easily undo any errors and you can keep trying until the drawing looks how you want it to look. Although I don’t think that I am going to be a great artist any time soon, I am using this entirely as a hobby: something that I enjoy doing and that I want to keep practicing. I am currently only drawing fan art because I find it a lot easier to use a reference picture and because I love the characters that I am drawing.
4. Blogging
I love writing blog posts. Similarly to writing creatively, it allows me to pour my thoughts out. I can write about topics that I am interested in and I hope that I am reaching people and that my content helps them/ that they enjoy it. I love the community: everyone is so nice and they are passionate about the same topics or have shared similar experiences or give me advice when I need it. I feel amazing after posting a new blog post, as well as talking to people online. Blogging has become something that I am incredibly passionate about and that I wish to continue and work on regularly.
5. Reading
How could I not include reading on this list? It is so enjoyable and relaxing once my mind becomes completely immersed in the story and when I feel compelled to keep reading.
6. Video games
Some games make me feel really relaxed. For example, watching the environment in Skyrim. I think that it depends on the type of game that you play, some are for a challenge, others for enjoyment but that are not necessarily calming and then there are those that just make you feel calm as you stare at the beauty of the visuals, participate in the cute gameplay or fall in love with the characters.
1. Walks
Sometimes I feel like I can’t think straight, I cannot decide what needs to be done and when I should do it so I find that going for a walk, even just fifteen minutes actually does help to create mental clarity. By the time I come back from the walk, I have a plan or at least know what I am doing next.
2. Music
I have recently started listening to music again. I use Spotify and just put on a playlist or a particular song that I feel like listening to whilst I do other things. I find that after a while I can be singing along and feeling a bit better.
3. Drawing
I have always wanted to be a good artist but I did not really think that it was possible for me. I thought that I just didn't have the artistic talent. In the past, I have used different artistic forms, including sketching and sewing. I had thought about trying digital art in the past but I just thought that I wouldn't be any good at it. However, recently I began wanting to try digital art so I was fortunate enough to have some gift cards that I used to get a Wacom Intuos tablet. It comes with a pen that you use on the drawing tablet, as well as an art programme. You can also download free art software to use with it. It was actually a lot easier to use than I thought it would be and I have discovered that after I have done a drawing I feel so much calmer! I thought that I would get frustrated with any mistakes that I made and with the drawing not being what I envisioned but you can easily undo any errors and you can keep trying until the drawing looks how you want it to look. Although I don’t think that I am going to be a great artist any time soon, I am using this entirely as a hobby: something that I enjoy doing and that I want to keep practicing. I am currently only drawing fan art because I find it a lot easier to use a reference picture and because I love the characters that I am drawing.
4. Blogging
I love writing blog posts. Similarly to writing creatively, it allows me to pour my thoughts out. I can write about topics that I am interested in and I hope that I am reaching people and that my content helps them/ that they enjoy it. I love the community: everyone is so nice and they are passionate about the same topics or have shared similar experiences or give me advice when I need it. I feel amazing after posting a new blog post, as well as talking to people online. Blogging has become something that I am incredibly passionate about and that I wish to continue and work on regularly.
5. Reading
How could I not include reading on this list? It is so enjoyable and relaxing once my mind becomes completely immersed in the story and when I feel compelled to keep reading.
6. Video games
Some games make me feel really relaxed. For example, watching the environment in Skyrim. I think that it depends on the type of game that you play, some are for a challenge, others for enjoyment but that are not necessarily calming and then there are those that just make you feel calm as you stare at the beauty of the visuals, participate in the cute gameplay or fall in love with the characters.
Thank you for reading! What helps you to relax?
Writing Strategy
My last writing post was about getting back to writing my novel after taking a break. I said that I wanted to write when I wanted to write. I still do, if I start to feel stressed about the prospect of writing, I will change what I am doing. However, I would like to finish at least a first draft this year if possible so I am going to look at different strategies that I could use, here (inspired by my current read, Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder):
One method of making writing progress is to create a word count deadline, either daily, weekly, monthly or bimonthly. I have tried daily/weekly and monthly only once when I participated in NaNoWriMo. Daily/ weekly caused too much stress. If I did not reach my word count (which was often), I would feel terrible and I would stress about trying to catch up or having to write a certain amount of words the next day. Monthly did not really work either: I wrote probably more than I would have normally but I was far off the 50,000 word count goal and lost steam after a while. Bimonthly is an option: I know of at least one author who uses this method. It would be less stressful than having a daily goal and it would be quite lenient, especially if I didn’t set it too high. However, the impending goal could be stressful. Then comes another problem, deciding on what the word count should be.
Strategy 2: Time
Another method to track writing progress is to set a time goal, for example, spending an hour a day writing. I have tried this before but I felt as though I could not relax doing anything else until I did my writing and when I did, I spent a lot of the time not actually writing.
Strategy 3: Scenes
I could make goals based on scenes, for example, I could say that I wanted to finish a certain scene in two days. However, each scene could differ in length and as I do not plan everything in detail, I would not know how long each scene would take me. I could just say that I will focus on a certain scene until I finish it. However, sometimes if I’m not very excited about a scene or if I have spent a lot of time on that scene then I can procrastinate writing about it. I don’t like skipping ahead to other scenes because I like my progress to be quite linear. However, perhaps it is something that I should consider.
So, here are three strategies. Which one would you choose? Or do you follow another? Let me know in the comments below. I am still figuring my one out.
Strategy 1: Counting Words
Strategy 2: Time
Another method to track writing progress is to set a time goal, for example, spending an hour a day writing. I have tried this before but I felt as though I could not relax doing anything else until I did my writing and when I did, I spent a lot of the time not actually writing.
Strategy 3: Scenes
I could make goals based on scenes, for example, I could say that I wanted to finish a certain scene in two days. However, each scene could differ in length and as I do not plan everything in detail, I would not know how long each scene would take me. I could just say that I will focus on a certain scene until I finish it. However, sometimes if I’m not very excited about a scene or if I have spent a lot of time on that scene then I can procrastinate writing about it. I don’t like skipping ahead to other scenes because I like my progress to be quite linear. However, perhaps it is something that I should consider.
So, here are three strategies. Which one would you choose? Or do you follow another? Let me know in the comments below. I am still figuring my one out.
Getting Back to Writing
I have wanted to be a published author for almost as long as I can remember. I have been writing potential books for years, first during school and then a smaller amount during university. When I finished university, I said to myself that I would dedicate most of my time and energy to finishing a novel and trying to get it published. Mental health issues and work interfered. Again, I tried but I found myself feeling stressed and anxious about having to write the next day and reaching a certain word count. I tried different ways of measuring progress: word count, time spent on writing and just writing anything but nothing stuck. Then I realised: writing is meant to be fun, yes, it is hard work but I don’t want to be spending my time feeling stressed and anxious about something that I am supposed to love. So, I took a break. I ended up starting this blog which I absolutely love and I believe that it is one of the best decisions that I have ever made.
Guest Series: Writing About Mental Health and Cancer Survivorship by Sam Rose
Today's guest post is by writer Sam Rose, an amazing woman who has survived cancer and blogs about her experience. Here is her post:
Writing About Mental Health and Cancer Survivorship
While I was making notes on how I might approach writing this blog post, I jotted down “talk about writing in the context of dealing with cancer survivorship”. But the truth is, these days I find myself writing about little else. Cancer has had a huge effect on my body, my mental health, and subsequently my creative work.
I had colon cancer in 2010 when I was 22. The offending organ was whipped out but since then I have had yearly screenings and check-ups, as well as a handful of scares and other unrelated health issues to worry about – all fear-inducing, but luckily leading to nothing sinister so far. When these things happen (or even when they don’t), it can really take its toll on my emotional state. Over the last seven years I’ve dealt with varying degrees of nightmares, flashbacks, anxiety, and poor self-confidence.
I Have Been Nominated for The Sunshine Award 2018!
I cannot believe that I am writing this post. The wonderful Kate Carter at thetustingirl.com nominated me for the Sunshine Award 2018! Thank you so much to her for nominating me and for all of my readers for visiting and commenting on my blog. I have discovered that I love blogging and I really hope that people are finding my posts helpful. There are 4 rules to follow for this nomination:
1. Thank blogger(s) who nominated you for the blog post and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions that the blogger asked you.
3. Nominate 11 new blogs to receive the award and write them 11 questions.
4. List the rules and display the Sunshine Blogger Award logo in your post and/or blog.
So, here are my answers to Kate’s questions:
1. Why did you start your blog?
I started my blog because I originally had a bookstagram and then a booktube. I discovered book blogging and fell in love. I have always been passionate about writing and I had tried blogging in the past. Writing and reading are two central parts of my life and as I began writing my blog I found a passion for writing about mental health and I was encouraged to post my own creative writing too. Blogging makes me so happy and I am so grateful for all the amazing, friendly and supportive people that I have found because of it.
Guest Series: Mental Health & Creativity. Thoughts on my Anxiety by Book Blogger Jen
Hello everyone, it is time for another guest post in the guest series: mental health & creativity. Today, we have another brave individual who has decided to share her story. I relate so much to a lot of the points that she makes and she is definitely not alone. I will leave her links below so feel free to check her out. She is a wonderful book blogger. So, here is Jen's story.
Thoughts on my anxiety.
How much can you blame anxiety for? Can I blame it for the lack of writing I’ve done over the years? Or more accurately, that all I have to show for my ambition is many unfinished stories and novels. Someone could say that I was lazy. I could blame an over enthusiastic inner critic or a lack of self belief. But when anxiety and worry creeps into your mind you can’t concentrate on anything else. You can’t switch off and get into your story world and even when it eases, your mind is so tired that trying to do anything actually makes you feel anxious again. In the past it has been bad, I think it’s better now although some days when it comes back it feels like this is a lie and that I haven’t managed to deal with my anxiety at all. (When it comes back, I’ve just realised what I wrote, it never goes away, it’s there daily but I’m so used to it and there are times when it’s very bad.)
Thoughts on my anxiety.
How much can you blame anxiety for? Can I blame it for the lack of writing I’ve done over the years? Or more accurately, that all I have to show for my ambition is many unfinished stories and novels. Someone could say that I was lazy. I could blame an over enthusiastic inner critic or a lack of self belief. But when anxiety and worry creeps into your mind you can’t concentrate on anything else. You can’t switch off and get into your story world and even when it eases, your mind is so tired that trying to do anything actually makes you feel anxious again. In the past it has been bad, I think it’s better now although some days when it comes back it feels like this is a lie and that I haven’t managed to deal with my anxiety at all. (When it comes back, I’ve just realised what I wrote, it never goes away, it’s there daily but I’m so used to it and there are times when it’s very bad.)
Mental Health: Being in the Now
I was recently feeling down and slightly anxious when a couple of people in my life reminded me that I need to focus on the now. I have goals that range from medium-term (like being able to go to the gym) to long-term (like getting my dream home) and sometimes the fact that these are so far away and seem almost unattainable can trigger my mental health to dip. So, I made a list of all the things that I can focus on in the now and hopefully whilst I am focusing on these things, I will reach my goals. Here is my list:
Blogging
My current read
Current game/s that I am playing
Walking
My book club
Spending time with loved ones
Creative writing which includes poetry, short stories and novel writing
My current read
Current game/s that I am playing
Walking
My book club
Spending time with loved ones
Creative writing which includes poetry, short stories and novel writing
It can be so difficult to focus on the now but I am going to keep looking at my list and reminding myself that this is what I need to be doing. Hopefully, everything else will fall into place. What is on your now list?
All of the Books on my TBR
This is probably one of the most difficult blog posts for a book blogger to display but I am not perfect. I am on a journey to read all of the amazing books out there: to explore new worlds, characters and plots and to hopefully improve my writing skills along the way. I have categorised all of my unread books by genre. So, here is a list of all of the unread books that I currently own:
Blue Exorcist volume 3 by Kazue Kato
Manga
Blue Exorcist volume 3 by Kazue Kato
Fullmetal Alchemist volumes 5 and 6 by Hiromu Arakawa
Fairy Tail volumes 1 & 2 by Hiro Mashima
One Piece volumes 1-3 by Eiichiro Oda
Tegami Bachi volumes 1-5 by Hiroyuki Asada
Seraph of the End volume 1 written by Takaya Kagami and illustrated by Yamato Yamamato
All You Need Is Kill written by Hiroshi Sakurazaka with illustrations by Yoshitoshi ABe
Tokyo Mew Mew volumes 1-6 written by Reiko Yoshida and illustrated by Mia Ikumi
Death Note Another Note: The Los Angeles BB Murder Cases by Nisio Isin (a novel based on the manga)
My Stomach Hurts: Living with IBS
Alongside my mental health conditions, I also have IBS. IBS is a digestive condition which can be related to anxiety and depression. It can also be caused by eating certain foods that your body does not agree with, these are called triggers. IBS produces a variety of symptoms, including stomach pain. There are times when IBS symptoms can become worse, these are called flares. My IBS can flare when I’m stressed or anxious. I wanted to talk about this because lately my stomach has been hurting a lot. If you have any symptoms, please visit your doctor.
Sometimes, it feels like having a constant stomach bug. Other times, like continuous cramps. I don’t always have symptoms but I do usually get them after meals, especially dinner and when I’m trying to sleep. When I flare, I can feel ill all of the time, or most of it.
Feeling ill makes it difficult to do things sometimes. It makes me anxious about eating out in case I get symptoms. I have to take painkillers and IBS medication with me when I go out to see friends. Sometimes, it’s fine and does not really bother me. Other times, it’s just horrible. However, I know that there are worse things and I love my life, I feel very grateful for everything I have and I know that not feeling very well will pass. I know that if I keep doing things that make me anxious and try to work on improving my mental health, things will get better, even if I feel 1% better for a little while, it will still be worth it.
My current mental health plan is to try to get into exercising more regularly and I will be posting updates on here about my progress. I am also trying to relax more and that includes blogging, potentially as a job. I am so glad that I started this blog and I am so thankful for all of the interaction that I have received from other people so far.
Do you have IBS? How do you deal with it?