As a writer, life will test you. Your work will create frustration in you. Other people you work with such as editors and publishers may test you. Family problems will also get you down. This is the way things are. Life is full of ups and downs, and at times it may feel like you’re losing control. When it feels like the world is falling apart around you, remember there are many things you can do to stay calm and carry on:
Manage your emotions
Any type of negative emotion you experience can be managed. You can do this through not allowing yourself to be overwhelmed by it. How do you do this? One simple and ancient approach is to observe it. If you’re feeling anxious about not meeting a writing deadline, rather than identifying with the anxiety, take the view point of an observer and just watch the anxiety. It will pass. If it comes up come again, observe it. It will go away again. That is the normal characteristic of unhelpful feelings.
Have positive thoughts
When you’re feeling less than 100%, your thoughts are also less than 100%, meaning you’re thinking negatively. The thoughts in your mind will consist of pictures of you struggling, and worrying and everything turning out wrong. Positive thoughts of what you can do and achieve will help you to concentrate on your virtues, which will make you feel better and you can focus back onto your writing.
Meditate
Your natural breathing is calm. When you’re feeling stressed, you’re breathing becomes abnormal. You can make yourself calm very quickly by taking your attention away from the feelings of discomfort and focus on your breathing. Take a few conscious deep breaths and then continue breathing normally by paying attention to your breath.
The truth is in daily life, you may not remember to observe your breathing. What you can do is get yourself ready for tough periods throughout the day, by spending 10 minutes a day in solitude and meditating. Just observe your breath going in and out, and when your mind begins to go to other places, gently bring your focus back to your breathing.
Be with others
A problem halved is a problem shared. If you’re feeling troubled for whatever reason, then rather than keep the problem bottled up inside you, meet up with a close friend, family member or colleague and have chat. People usually like to help each other, and it feels good. Can you recollect the last time you helped someone get over an issue? Not only was it a good experience for the other person, it also felt good right? Give others a chance to help you. You have a team of supporters waiting and willing to support you, a group you might never have realized even existed.
Get proper rest
If you’re not getting proper rest, then you definitely won’t be feeling calm. You’ll be agitated and your mood won’t be helpful to you, or to others. If you’ve been working all day, both your mind and body have been active and they need to rest. Therefore, sleep properly. Get a good night’s sleep and if you can do so, take short naps in the afternoon.
Editor’s Note: This article was first published in January 2015.
[author] [author_image timthumb=’on’]https://writingtipsoasis.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/hv1.jpg[/author_image] [author_info]Hiten Vyas is the Founder and Managing Editor of Writing Tips Oasis.[/author_info] [/author]