LEARNING TO REST
One thing I am pretty well known for is advocating for time off, for rest, for breaks. I've always been clear that you shouldn't have to earn these, that you shouldn't have to have met all your targets before you're allowed to take breaks and rest, and I stand by that. The issue is that when you're indie, and sometimes when you're not, a lot of the decisions have to be made by you. I have to make sure that all my socials happen, I don't have a team behind me, and while I may have things like scheduling posts, a lot of the input for my author platform comes from work behind the scenes by me.
Saying that, it's not that I don't rest, or don't take time when needed. I do it frequently because as someone who's chronically ill and disabled, if I don't rest and take that time, my body will pay me back in new and very not interesting ways. So I try to make sure that I listen to my body and work out what I can do, when I can do it, and if it's possible for me to stay on target, and if not, remind myself to not feel guilty about needing that time to just not work.
It didn't happen overnight. It wasn't fast. It didn't come without a lot of talking to myself, and others, and being clear that I had to take care of myself first before I could put blog posts and the like out about doing so. It took me a long while to lose the guilt that came when I had those days off. I would feel like, because I was chronically ill and disabled, I should be making the most of time when I can work. But here's the thing, pacing works for a reason, pushing yourself to breaking point is not going to hep you on the days when you have literally done too much and your body is waving that little white flag.
So how did I stop feeling guilty? I don't want to be glib, but it came down to experience. I have a very full plate when it comes to working as an indie author. I have projects on the go, I have an authortube channel, I have videos to record and script, I have blog posts to write, I have books to read and authors to interview, all to keep myself on target so that I can allow my website to stay up to date, and allow myself to stay on track. That's a lot for anyone, but when you take into account the energy limiting conditions, it's even more so an issue.
A lot of what I do is about finding that balance which I've talked about before. It's about working out what I can and can't do in a day or work session, and making sure that when I've done that thing, I don't then take on more things to get done. Sometimes it can feel like being selfish, but also, your body needs that break, and as a creative, you need that downtime because otherwise you will burn out and no one wants that for you.
Rest is conducive to longevity in the creative fields. You'll see and hear about writers or authors or the like who will push and push and put out multiple books a year, and then suddenly, after a period, they go dark, and they might come back, but they also might not. Rest, knowing how to switch off and take that time, can save your long term career. Because sometimes, the truth is, you don't come back from burnout able to continue and pick up where you left off. Which can be terrifying.
I've not been someone who had a childhood dream of being an author. I was sure in what I wanted to be when I grew up, and while writing and publishing was there as a side dream, it wasn't the main event. Now though, now that my life has thrown me the curveballs that have defined the path I take, I could not imagine not being able to write any more. It feels like a core part of who I am, and I don't want anyone, friend or not, to end up pushing themselves into a place where writing is no longer something they can do.
So take those breaks, lean into that rest, and remember to breathe, remember that the work will be there when you get back, and it is better for you in the long run.
Good luck!
Any questions? Lemme know in the comments!
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