Last Updated on by Michael Brockbank
Excessive stress is overall damaging to your health. But, it can also make success difficult in your chosen profession. Today, we’ll go over why it’s vital to relax as a writer and ways you can achieve some peace of mind.
While I cannot attest to how everyone feels at any given time, these are some of the most common elements you might want to consider.
[adrotate banner=”8″]
Why is Relaxing as a Writer Crucial to Success?
A lot of the things stress contributes to is quite common knowledge. However, not everyone puts it into perspective when it comes to working or freelancing. And in reality, there is far more at stake than you might realize.
If you don’t get a handle on stress, things could easily become far worse.
Reduces Your Ability to Think Straight
As a freelance writer, the most important organ you have is your brain. And anything that can disrupt your ability to think straight will detract from creating a good piece of content for a client.
In my case, I found that it takes nearly three times as long to write an article for a client if I am stressed out as opposed to when I’m not.
This isn’t to say that any amount of stress will prevent you from completing jobs. However, most of us will have a far more difficult time keeping focused and concentrating on the work.
Keep in mind, I am referring to content you’re writing for clients. There is far more at stake when trying to keep a client as opposed to writing for yourself.
I often find blogging or creative writing therapeutic. However, making sure everything is perfect for a client is another story altogether.
Affects Your Mood
Stress often affects your mood and how you handle emotions. And this can also impact the content you create as your word choices often reveal emotional status.
There’s a bit of psychology when it comes to writing. In reality, there are experts in the world that can tell your mental state just by what you create.
Again, word choices when it comes to a negative state of mind will impact the quality of what you write. Instead of a positive tone, it could come off as more negative…which many clients do not want.
Reduces the Capacity for Rational Thought
There are a lot of studies that show the impact of stress on rational thought. The way it impacts your ability is different depending on circumstance. But it’s usually never a good outcome.
For instance, you could accept a lower pay rate because you’re stressed about money. Your interactions with clients could become negative to the point of arguing over the slightest detail.
The bottom line is that rational thought is far more difficult to maintain while experiencing stress. And relaxing as a writer can impact how well your brain processes information to make better decisions.
Stress Reduces Your Immunity!
I was trying to avoid the COVID-19 scare, but stress does reduce your immune system overall. This is devastating from the perspective of a freelance writer.
As many of us are paid per word, taking a day or two off from writing means no paycheck. So if you’re sick for any length of time, it could easily put you into a financial crisis.
Most of us do not get paid sick leave as some companies offer employees. No, when you’re sick, it’s on your dime.
[adrotate banner=”8″]
8 Ways to Relax as a Writer from Home
There’s no doubt that stress causes all kinds of issues both physically and mentally. From increasing the likelihood of getting sick to making poor decisions, everyone handles stress differently.
So, how do we go about relaxing and getting more done throughout the day? Well, that really depends on the person. But here are some of the things I do to try to keep composure.
1. Meditate…Often
One thing I found myself doing a lot lately is meditating. For between 6 to 10 minutes per day, just before bed, I will sit in my darkened bedroom and meditate to relax the mind.
In fact, a lot of studies show how meditation helps mental and physical stress in a number of ways. And since anyone can do it at any time, it’s number one on my list of things you should try.
2. Exercise More
Getting enough exercise is something most of the United States can get behind. And it’s not merely to add to weight loss.
Exercise is beneficial for stress management, which is why many therapists and psychologists will prescribe working out. Part of this is because it releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good hormone.
Personally, I feel much better for the entire day if I work up a sweat first thing in the morning.
3. Take Long Deep Breaths
On top of meditation, I also take moments of deep breathing. This is because it works exceptionally well to help me relax as a writer or just in general. Lately, I’ve been doing a lot of deep breathing!
There’s a reason why people tell you to breathe when your anxious or extremely stressed out. Breathing exercises for stress management will impact your outlook.
4. Eating Better, or Trying To
The food you eat can also affect your levels of tension. For instance, foods higher in caffeine often exacerbates stress. It’s no coincidence that healthier foods, like veggies, benefit how you feel both mentally and physically.
Unfortunately, not everyone keeps the idea of eating better in mind during stressful times. For instance, I am a stress eater, which undoubtedly made the last few weeks worse.
But when I can make a conscious effort to include healthier foods, I do feel much better.
5. Use a Journal or Blog
As I said earlier, writing can work to relieve stress. But, it’s dependent on what you write. If you write out your feelings and explore why you’re stressed while journaling, it can be very therapeutic.
For example, I’ll find it more difficult to maintain a client’s workload while under immense stress. However, I often relax as a writer when taking a pen or pencil to my fitness journal.
I’ll also relax when I write something that I have complete control over. This is why I tried to at least work on ideas for future blog posts and wrote a few pieces of content recently when I had time.
6. Find Some Peaceful Music to Relax as a Writer
Many people are mentally affected by the type of music they listen to. Whether it’s an upbeat tune to get you energized or something more melancholy while your depressed, music affects you on a personal level.
In reality, the American Music Therapy Association found how music is therapeutic for a variety of situations, including stress management.
And thanks to YouTube, you can find all kinds of peaceful music to relax to, some of which are several-hours-long playlists someone already put together.
Personally, I love listening to thunderstorms while writing. Luckily, YouTube is full of awesome ambient sounds to help me relax.
7. Socialize More with Those Who Make You Happy
One way to keep your sanity is to be around those who don’t add to the stress. Family, friends, or even people you enjoy at your favorite social hotspot, they can all contribute to helping you relax as a writer.
Luckily, I am surrounded by an incredible support structure. Most of the people in my life work hard to make sure I don’t fail by keeping me grounded.
When you’re stressed, you’d be amazed by how much better you feel just by sitting and having a conversation with a family member.
8. Learn to Say, “No!”
Perhaps one of the hardest things I have a problem with is saying, “no.” I’ve recently been on this kick, and I can tell you, it’s made a HUGE difference in my daily stress levels.
Instead of stressing about trying to get my son to his job on workdays, I made my 20-year-old get a bus pass. This saves me around 1.5 hours per day that I could be working.
And it teaches him self-reliance.
My point is that some things are better out of your control. If you load yourself up too much, it could have a severely negative impact.
Relaxing as a Writer Contributes to Success
Being able to keep yourself relaxed as a writer will impact the jobs you accept, the way clients interact with you and the motivation to hammer out the best content you can.
Find methods that will help you ease stress. Even if you think it’s silly, no one can say it’s wrong if the process works for you.
- How I Am Balancing College While Maintaining All of My Projects - March 26, 2025
- Why You Should Consider the Weekly Writing Contests at Reedsy - March 24, 2025
- Can You Use vidIQ for Blog Ideas? It’s Not Just for YouTube - March 21, 2025