Important mental health tips for professional writers

Being a writer is one of the most rewarding professions. Contrary to what people think about the ease of writing, it is quite challenging as a lot goes into producing a quality output.

Sometimes, it might take a few hours to write an article or an essay. Other times, it might take them a day or more to complete the same volume of work.

One of the primary reasons responsible for the variation in delivery length is the state of their mental health.

It is important to mention that professional writers struggle with mental health issues, and some of them are not even aware of this. Hence, writers need to pay more attention to the state of their mental health to remain at the top of their game.

Here are some crucial mental health tips that professional writers can implement:

Rest often

Beyond the deadlines and milestones, professional writers need to make rest a priority. Taking a break or rest from work is one of the natural ways to reset your body and brain.

It becomes easier to be productive after taking a rest, and you will be amazed at your work speed. Professional writers who don’t rest will often complain of being burned out.

Establish social connection

Some professional writers have the habit of burying themselves in their work and refusing to see other people until they are done. Several research studies have affirmed that surrounding yourself with people has a rewarding effect on your mental health.

Learn to say no

You need to know that not every writing project or task is for you. When you realize that it would be difficult to handle a certain task alongside the pending ones, you can either reject it or outsource it to a fellow professional.

Learning how to say no will prevent you from stressing yourself out to the extreme.

Avoid alcohol and drugs

Professional writers need to keep the intake of alcohol and drugs to the barest minimum. These substances affect the overall functioning of the organs and systems in the body.  

Signs that a professional writer is stressed

Professional writers do not have it easy as many people think. They can undergo some unpleasant situations that would make it impossible for them to have a smooth writing flow.

Some of the common terms that affect professional writers are writer’s block and writing anxiety, and they are mostly caused by stress.  

If you are a professional writer and you discover that it is becoming increasingly difficult for you to write each day, you may be struggling with stress management. Here are some of the signs that a professional writer is stressed.

Low productivity

Professional writers are known to set deadlines and milestones for themselves, and they try everything within their capacity to meet up.

However, when it becomes challenging to meet these deadlines due to tiredness, fatigue, etc, it might be due to stress. To step-up productivity, it is important to implement hacks to relieve yourself of the different stressors.

Low-quality output

Another sign that a professional writer is stressed is when the quality of their output is low. Their written piece might be riddled with different types of errors that do not justify the standard of a good professional writer.

If the stress levels of the writer reduce, they will notice that the quality of their output will improve.

Loss of motivation

Having low motivation is one of the biggest signs of stress in professional writers. This symptom means that the writer has lost every will to write, and they just want to do something else.

In addition to this, their commitment and confidence level will reduce because of their high-stress levels.

Professional writers need to realize that stress management is one of the profound ways to keep them relevant in their industry. Any writer who regularly struggles with stress, and does not know how to manage it might cause harm to their physical and mental health.

Some of the ways to let go of stress include going on a vacation, getting enough rest, undergoing physical exercise, etc.