By Kathryn Burnett
Okay, buckaroos – Spring is here and brings with it all that optimism and promise of new growth. So what better time to regroup, reassess and creatively replenish?
Last month is so very last month so let’s look ahead – and to help you do that here’s your 7 day Spring Detox especially for writers. And it’s not some gruesome regime but rather 7 small steps that encourage focus, self-care and gentle introspection about where you are right now and where you want to go. Take one step a day over a week and observe the lift in your creative energy…
Enjoy…
Day 1: Declutter
No, not your house, your mind. Refocus on your primary goal for the remainder of the year. We’ve all got lots of project ideas – how about we park the ones we’re not currently working on until next year? How about we stop angsting over the niggly, detail stuff? Take some time out to just sit in silence and really focus on what it is that you want. What does YOUR writing dream look like? Once you know – write it down.
Day 2: Spring Clean #1
Again, not your house. Think about whether you’ve been holding onto any limiting self-belief or negative self-talk this year. If so, write them down and throw them away. (Burn them!) They don’t serve you AND they take up valuable brain space that could be put to better use.
Day 3: Springclean #2
Okay NOW you can clean house. Do a quick declutter of your writing space. Throw out all the old stuff you’re no longer interested in or no longer need. The junk that’s in your eye line but for no good reason. (Honestly, I have a dead plant that I just keep looking at and thinking – I should do something about that.)
Day 4: Pamper
Buy yourself something that makes your process more pleasurable. It might be flowers for your workspace, new stationery, a new printer or a meditation app – it doesn’t really matter as long as it makes you feel good.
Day 5: Diet
Go on a screen diet. I’m not saying cut screens out completely, I’m not crazy, but how about cutting back? How about regularly carving out some time where you’re not looking at a screen? Amazing how when you turn everything off you start to really look at other things. Which leads me to…
Day 6: Replenish
Cut out toxic brain junk for a day and consciously feed your mind with creatively rich and stimulating content. Go to an art gallery, do something creative you’ve never tried before, read a new book, walk somewhere you’ve never been before. It doesn’t need to cost a lot – there is a world of free art spaces, workshops and lectures out there. Not to mention libraries and hospice shops heaving with pre-loved books.
Day 7: Breathe
Life stress been getting in the way of your writing process? Creating stress by buying into your own personal self-doubt loop? Start the daily habit of breathing deeply and often – it promotes better blood flow, re-energises you and calms the nervous system. A personal trainer told me recently that 20 “belly” breaths a day is SO the business. AND it has to be the easiest and cheapest anxiety busting habit you can adopt this Spring.
So here’s to productive final months in 2018 – I know you can smash it.