The Healthy Writer

Do you suffer from physical pain relating to your writing life?Are you struggling with back pain, weight gain related to sedentary working, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, neck pain, eye strain, stress, loneliness, digestive issues, or Repetitive Strain Injury?These are the most common issues reported by writers and if you struggle with any of them, you are not alone. Writing is not a physically healthy job, but if you want a long-term writing career, then you need to look after your body.I've been through my own pain journey over the last six years. I used to get crippling migraines that sent me to a dark room, and back pain so bad that I couldn't sleep, as well as stress levels so high that I wasn't able to breathe normally.Now, my back pain, migraines and RSI have almost gone completely, and I manage my writing life in a far healthier way than ever before. I share my personal journey and insights with you in this book.My co-author is Dr Euan Lawson, who shares his insights into how we can reduce pain, improve health and build a writing career for the long term.The book covers:Introduction and survey results from 1200 writers7 Reasons why writing is great for your healthPART 1: The Unhealthy Writer Stress, anxiety, burnoutBack, neck and shoulder painRepetitive Strain Injury (RSI)A personal journey to a pain-free backWriting with chronic painSedentary life and inactivitySleep problems/ insomniaEye strain, headaches, and migraineA personal story of headaches and migraineLoneliness and isolationWeight gain or weight lossJoanna's Letter to SugarDigestive issues and IBSA personal journey through IBS with FODMAPMood and mental healthRiding the Waves: Writing with depressionAlcohol - the good, the bad, and the uglyCoffee and caffeineSupplements, substances, and nootropicsPART 2: The Healthy Writer Improve your workspaceSort out your sleepSort out your dietFrom fat to fitSort out your backLessons learned about writing from yogaHow to use dictation for a healthier writing lifeThe active writer mindsetStrategies for the sofa-boundThe active writer: Three golden rules The running writer: Three rookie mistakesLessons learned about writing from walking a double ultra-marathonFind a communityBuild wellbeing with mindfulnessDevelop healthy habits for the long-termConclusion: It's your turn. Choose life.It's time to be a healthy writer!