If you’re a writer, chances are you spend hours crouched before your computer’s screen. It’s a potentially sedentary lifestyle, writing, but there are simple steps we writers can take to boost our health, creativity and sense of well-being. If we want to continue writing well into our golden years, these Easy Changes Can Vastly Improve Health, Happiness and Well-Being.
Dr. Frank King describes three that will have you feeling better quickly.
• Drink half your body weight in ounces of spring or well water every day. If you weigh 150 pounds, that’s 75 ounces of water (about 9 cups).
“Many of us walk around dehydrated without realizing it and that can have a significant effect on our health and how we feel,” Dr. King says. Dehydrated bodies trap toxins and encourage water retention – a natural defense against the chronic “drought.”
A simple test for dehydration: Pinch the skin on the back of your hand and hold for three seconds. When you release, if the ridge from the pinch remains for more than a second, you’re probably dehydrated. (I found a great article on hydration and creativity from Psychology Today, Why Your Brain Needs Water. -RL)
• Take a few minutes every day to connect with nature. Nature brings perpetual revitalization and ongoing renewal, especially when experienced through multiple senses: the smell of freshly turned earth or evergreens in the woods; the touch of cool stream water on your face or feet; the sight of birds on the wing and budding blooms. (And can offer ideas for your manuscript! -RL)
“These are not just pleasant little gifts to experience – we need them for restoration, renewal, revival and rehabilitation,” Dr. King says. “The more disconnected we become from the Earth, the more we inhibit our body’s natural ability to heal.”
• Take a brisk, 10- to 20-minute walk every day. Walking is the simplest, most natural form of exercise. You might walk a nature trail, walk to the store instead of driving or take your pet for a stroll.
“Three brisk 10-minute walks a day are as effective at lowering blood pressure as one 30-minute walk,” Dr. King says, citing an Arizona State University study.
“Outdoor walking is preferable to walking on a treadmill or other machine, since the uneven surfaces and changing directions of natural walking will engage more muscles and tendons.”
Swing each arm in synchronization with the opposite foot to strengthen your cross-crawl functionality and mind-body balance. (Julia Cameron has written at length about the benefits of walking for writers. It is on walks we get our story breakthroughs. -RL)
Dr. Frank King is a chiropractor, doctor of naturopathy, and founder and president of King Bio, an FDA-registered pharmaceutical company. Dr. King is also the author of, The Healing Revolution: Eight Essentials to Awaken Abundant Life Naturally!
What are your ideas for staying refreshed over long writing sessions? Comment below!
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