Angela Breidenbach is a friend, fellow writer, and life coach. She also currently serves as Mrs. Montana International 2009. I was thrilled when she agreed to write a series for Seriously Write pertaining to self care. It can be easy for us to get so wrapped up in juggling everything we do, we forget that we also need to take care of ourselves!During March, on Writer’s Journey Wednesdays, please join us for:
Part 1: I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Part 2: Mental Integrity
Part 3: Emotional Stability
Part 4: Spiritual Sense
Part 5: Courage & Confidence
Five Things Writers Forget First
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger
Part 1
I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Ways to write better, faster, and stronger
Part 1
I’m Using My Brain, Right?
Ever had pages and pages of drivel? It’s likely you forgot to take care of your physical well-being.
Yeah, so? It’s the brain that matters.
Exactly. We forget how important it is to be a good steward of our physical selves in order to be on top of our mental capability.
When our bodies run down so does our mental connection to creativity and logic. One of area that catches me regularly is forgetting to eat. Not that I don’t get hungry, but I get into a zone and want to keep going. So I’ll put off breakfast, then lunch, then suddenly I’m starving and will grab the very first easy to eat thing I can stuff into my mouth. Trust me, it’s not usually protein and yet that is a much better source to fuel the brain than sugar.
I noticed my mind wandering when I needed to meet a deadline. I noticed my attitude slipping over something I should have been excited. I begin to wear down and get a headache leading to distraction. I can actually go back and track when my writing begins to fall apart. You’ll never guess … oh, maybe you will. Right about the time my stomach started growling and my head started twinging. So was that really productive?
Let’s take a look at the demands we put on our bodies. Blood flow to the brain, oxygen, and nutrition are crucial to intelligent, creative thinking patterns. We need our hands and wrists to function for writing/typing, we need our derriere and lower back to support sustained sitting, and we need vibrant mental health for our creativity. So why act in less than intelligent ways to drag down the creative intelligence God gifted us with through the miracle of the body?
What are intelligent ways to write better, faster, and stronger? Fuel our bodies properly, stretch our muscles, and gird our loins. Lol, yes, I know that’s an old biblical phrase. But it means to strengthen our core. Huge importance needs to be placed on this simple advice. Does your back burn or ache? Do your shoulders feel clenched so tightly that concrete feels softer? All right, does your sitting spot hurt?
All of these are avoidable by breaking to eat and hydrate. Stretching out often will not only reduce muscle pain and soreness, but will lengthen your life by keeping joints supple. I actually record a 15-minute stretch class on TV every day. I break to do it now when I start to feel tension. Sometimes I’ll do several in a row. By building the strength and fluidity of my core body, I’ve surprised myself by how quickly I can reenter the writing zone with clarity and how much more confident I feel. It also helps me to not associate writing and physical pain. Ah, the mental side we forget so often. We’ll explore that element next week.
In the meantime, I’d like to challenge you to be more aware of the stewardship over your physical self because without proper attention, the breakdown of your body will create barriers to a clear head and effective writing. Do you really want to explain one day to God why you weren’t more effective with the blessing he gave you?
How can we be better stewards of the gift of writing? By caring for the physical house God put the creative brain and spirit inside.
Angela Breidenbach is Mrs. Montana International 2009 working with Hope’s Promise Orphan Ministries, the American Heart Association, the Jadyn Fred Foundation and drawing awareness to Fair Trade practices. Full Spirit Magazine’s president, Angela also teaches online classes in personal growth and powerful living. She’s certified in mentor/peer counseling as a Stephen Minister and Assisting Minister. She serves as the American Christian Fiction Writer's Publicity Officer (2009-2011) and is a multi-award winning inspirational speaker and author, writing freelance and inspirational non-fiction. Not only did she walk the hard line of deciding to donate her mom's brain, but she is also on the brain donation list at the Brain Bank-Harvard McLean Hospital. She is married, has a combined family of six grown children, one grandson.
Purposeful Living Educator & Coach.Come uncover your gems of wisdom at http://www.mygemofwisdom.com/Personal growth = Powerful living!
You can interact or learn more about Angela Breidenbach at these sites:
http://writingbyfaith.blogspot.com/ on Wednesdays each week.
