Is writing taking over your life? Is your health suffering?
                     Is writing taking over your life? Is y
our health suffering?
We’ve all seen the stereotypical writer archetype who’s 
rarely seen, lives on a diet of candy bars and booze, and 
looks like they reek of BO and dirty clothes. While this is 
an extreme (like all stereotypes), it’s actually common 
for authors to fall into some unhealthy routine of too 
much work and not enough, well, everything else. 
And the worst part is they know it’s not healthy, but 
finding balance between work, deadlines, and personal 
wellbeing isn’t easy for many people. Working from 
home, like a majority of writers do, only further blurs 
the lines.
If all time is spent where you work and most time is 
spent working, it can be tough to find downtime or 
time spent not writing, thinking of writing, or guilting 
yourself for not writing. Don’t fall into this trap!
 
Charlii is here with tips, ideas, and thoughts on how you 
can strike a balance between work, rest, and relaxation 
so you can increase productivity, avoid burnout, and 
keep your mind and body healthy. You owe it to 
yourself to look after your wellbeing, so keep reading.
Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. None of 
this is intended to diagnose or treat any illness. 
All this advice is simply intended to help writers live their 
healthiest lives in a profession that glamorizes unhealthy 
behaviors.
Does this sound familiar?
You’re writing like crazy, the words are flowing, you’re 
making headway on this novel… and you realize you’ve 
been in front of the computer for most of the day. You 
missed that shower, you haven’t eaten much, and your 
whole body has phased out into some unfeeling realm 
and your feet suddenly start tingling like you’ve angered 
an army of needle-wielding mice who’re poking you to 
get even for the lack of crumbs you’ve been dropping for 
them. 
The life of a writer is often romanticized as someone 
who doesn’t care for themselves while trapped behind a 
typewriter or screen, surrounded by candy bar 
wrappers, an ever-present cup of booze at hand, wild 
hair, tired eyes, and a smell you can see without getting 
close. 
And while that might be true (binge writing isn’t 
uncommon!), this can still take a toll on your physical 
and mental health. And while I’d never tell someone to 
miss a deadline when you could crunch and get it done, 
if you’re having more binge days than not, if you’re not 
eating, if you’re not showering or moving around, 
exercising, drinking water, or otherwise taking care of 
yourself, it’s not just your physical health that’ll suffer. 
Your mental health will suffer too. And over time, 
abusing your body like that can lead to serious issues 
and death, not to mention the host of mental issues 
that can be triggered by a lack of self-care. 
You’re important. So make sure you are your own 
priority! 
Reference Links
• Website: https://charliiapp.com/
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