When I stepped out my front door, the first thing I noticed was how bright it was.
I found myself blinking rapidly, trying not to squint, but squinting anyway. The sun was doing its thing, being bright and lighting up the world.
I’d spent the morning at my desk… more hours in a row than I meant to. Sitting. Typing. Thinking. Getting things done. So the bright sun was a bit of a shock to my system.
As I started my walk, I could feel the kinks begin to loosen up. My eyes adjusted to the light. And the world filled my senses… the sound of an overly loud car two streets away. The smell of the neighbor’s freshly mown lawn. The heat of the sun mixing with a cool breeze.
It was just a 20-minute walk, but by the time I was done, I felt good. And ready to write some more.
That’s the power of a little deliberate self-care. And since writing can be so consuming — and so sedentary — it’s important that you make time to take care of yourself.
A Short Walk Can Reset Your Day
Walking is one of those things you’re meant to do. Your body is built for it. It’s low impact. It works all of your systems, but gently. It’s easy (for most people). It’s accessible (you can walk around inside your house if that’s what works best for you), and it’s free.
According to the Mayo Clinic, regular walks improve your cardiovascular health, strengthen your muscles and bones, give you an energy boost, and improve your mood and memory.
For someone who sits much of the day, as writers tend to do, a brisk walk once or twice a day — preferably outside, but whatever works for you — can make a world of difference in how your body feels and in how alert you remain as the day wears on.
Staying Hydrated Can Make You Feel Like the Picture of Health
About 10 years ago or so, I started attending AWAI’s annual Web Intensive events. These were small, in-depth live events held in February.
After my first one, I got the flu. Bad. And after the third one, I was laid out for a week or so with some crud or other. And then, again, after the fourth one.
At my fifth event, I decided to do something a little different. I decided to stay really, really hydrated. I made sure I was drinking a full glass of water every hour.
Not only did I not get sick, I was more awake and alert than I had been at any past event.
I felt just as attentive and tuned in during the four o’clock sessions as I did during the ones held at eight in the morning.
If you make it a point to get up every hour or hour-and-a-half to have a glass of water, you’ll set yourself up for better energy, more focus, and fewer head colds!
A Little Creative Writing Can Boost Your Commitment
When you get busy with client work, and the deadlines are looming, and you feel like you have a hundred and one things to do in the day, you run the risk of not doing your own writing.
Chances are, if you came to freelance writing as a career choice, it’s because you enjoy being creative… and writing is one of your favorite ways to do that. If you let your work writing crowd out your creative writing, that’s not a fun place to be. In fact, it’s the kind of situation that leads to burnout.
To make sure that doesn’t happen, set aside your first 20 minutes each day to write just for you. You could journal, write a poem, work on a story, do stream-of-consciousness writing… whatever you want.
By giving yourself time to do your own writing, you’ll make it easier to stay committed to your client writing… and you’ll enjoy it more too.
These three simple self-care steps can help you stay healthy, energized, and feeling grateful for your writer’s life.
In Case You Missed It…
We’ve been adding some great new resources and content to Digital Copywriter in the past couple of weeks.
In our most recent PPC & Advertising column, Zoe Blarowski takes a closer look at how to organize and create an effective sales funnel for your clients. Give it a read to discover three proven sales funnel approaches and start pitching these projects to your clients!
You’ve probably heard it a million times — and at least a handful of those from me — it’s more important to be clear than clever in your writing. But do you ever wonder if, by being clear, you run the risk of being boring? In my newest UX/CX Copywriting post, I share five ways you can make sure your writing is clear and NOT boring. Check it out.
Do you ever feel nervous when sending out a LinkedIn connection request? In her latest Reality Blog, Jennifer Ayling shares her own case of LinkedIn nerves… and she also shares a few important tips to help you make better use of your time on LinkedIn. You can find the full post here.
Mark Your Calendar
September 21: Next week, join me for a look at how to write an effective landing page. Not only will you come away with several ideas for writing stronger landing page copy, you’ll also get to sit in on a live review of landing page examples created by your fellow Digital Copywriter members. Don’t miss this one!
September 27: Did you know there are 99 different marketing channels, most of them digital, and every one of them in need of copy? In this webinar, we’ll explore the top five trends to watch as a writer. You’ll come away with new ideas for growing your business, and new ways to pitch your clients. See what opportunities await! More details will be posted soon.
3 Things You Might Enjoy…
I don’t know if you subscribe to James Clear’s 3-2-1 Newsletter (you should), but if you missed this last issue, all three of his opening ideas really resonate.
Being open-minded is key to your success. It’s not easy. It’s rarely anyone’s default mode. It requires a lot of work, and it doesn’t happen by accident. Here are some ideas for increasing your own open-mindedness
If your client doesn’t have a customer referral program, they could be missing out. Help them change that with these tips from Demand Curve.
That’s all for now. Have a great weekend!
