Entry # 129 - "Self Care for the Writer"

Photo Credit - Alex Ketley - in Florida - January 2013

Writers spend hours glued to their computers, hunched over keyboards, squinting at small screens as they work on their stories, novels, essays, poetry or screen-plays. All this close work is hard on the body.  So as we begin 2013, I will write a series of "Reflections" essays that examine some of the options available to writers to keep bodies and minds healthy.  I will interview health and fitness experts on this site to explore ways writers can take better care of themselves. I will interview one of more: massage therapists, personal trainers, a hypnotist, acupuncturist, yoga teacher, a dietitian and others, as suggested. If you'd like to suggest someone or an area to explore, contact me with your suggestions by February 15, 2013.  Send email to:   janbowmanwriter@gmail.com

My current favorite activities that I use to help me stay fit and feel focused when I write, include:  a couple of mornings weekly of rowing and weight training at my local athletic club, a yoga class weekly, a massage a couple of times per month, guided meditation each quarter and a hypnosis sessions, as needed.  I enjoy gardening, sailing and photography when the weather permits and walking a half hour at least 5 times weekly. Stretching helps when I remember to do it. Also travel and lovely scenery help me see the world with fresh vision.  

So what activities do you do, as writers & readers, to help yourself stay well?  Feel free to click on the comments section at the bottom of this entry and share ideas for keeping fit and focused.

Photo Credit - Alex Ketley - Florida - Jan. 2013

   Breaking News
Glimmer Train named Jan Bowman's story, "Flight" as an Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers - January 22, 2013.

Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, anothers. She won the 2011 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:

blog:     http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com

website:   www.janbowmanwriter.com

Thanks to my son, Alex Ketley for two beautiful photos that he took in Florida last week.