Put Quality In, Get Quality Out: 10 Ways To Inspire Your Creative Health

I’ve been on something of a creative health kick this year. What I have been focused on is examining the way I treat myself, physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, and the impact this treatment has on my success.

Like everything else, I find that self-help works best when I take it in incremental steps in a positive direction that work with my lifestyle until they become habit.

So here it is summer and I find that I have developed several healthy habits that have made a big impact on my overall health and creativity. I have become more present. I feel more alive and joyful. I appreciate myself more. I feel unconcerned with what others may think of me. And I feel like I am able to prioritize my most important work with satisfaction and without stress.

Here are a few of the habits I have incorporated:

1. Take the best quality supplements I can find

I have been taking one high quality health supplement this year that has made a big difference in my overall health and attitude. This supplement is a only made of food and by taking it, I can rest assured that I am meeting my daily food requirements, which apparently I was not meeting before. This product has improved by overall health and attitude by a mile and I highly recommend it. Then, about 45 days ago, after getting some recommendations from a Whole Foods employee, I added a handful of other supplements to my daily intake and, after a few adjustments, the results have been terrific.

2. Exercise vigorously and regularly

I have been leading Writers On The Move for two years now and I can’t thank the members of this group enough for helping me with exercise accountability. Thanks to Writers On The Move, I work out vigorously for 45 minutes three times a week. Regular exercise is hugely important for sedentary writers. I feel stronger, more flexible, and calmer thanks to regular aerobic and strengthen exercise. And I get to share the road to fitness with hundreds of other writers who are committed to the same thing.

3. Eat Better and healthier

This is always one of my greatest challenges because I like good food a little too much. However, I am definitely eating better than I have in years. Even just the addition of oatmeal for breakfast and brown rice bowls for lunch can be a big healthy eating improvement. And these foods are inexpensive and can save you money on your grocery bill in the long run.

4. Spend more quality time with my immediate family

Writing three books in seven years for Writer’s Digest and then promoting them was a lot of work and travel. So when I was offered the opportunity to submit another book proposal just after The Writer’s Workout was published, I declined.

I love my books and they make great teaching tools for myself and others, but the stress and strain that comes with traditional publishing these days can easily become unmanageable. There are many reasons for this and that’s another blog post, but the good news is that there have never been so many options in writing and publishing as there are now. And because I am exploring them, I get to spend more quality time with my immediate family, which has been beneficial to all of us. There has never been a better time to be a writer, and the range of options available to writers is one of the reasons why.

5. Cut down on stress and sleep better and longer

I used to be the queen of  waking up at four or five am, thanks to my big deadlines and because I am not a fast writer. I love nothing more than writing in a hushed house in the wee hours, but that can’t become a lifestyle without taking a toll on sleep and health. Now that I am doing my own projects, I sleep great and work regular, full-time office hours.

6. Keep up with regular health appointments

One of my least favorite things to do is making time for regular health appointments. So I am happy to report that I am completely up to date. I am just sorry this status doesn’t last longer.

7. Watch Ted.com videos

One of the best things I have done this spring is adding Ted.com videos to my workout time. I can watch two or three videos in the time it takes me to work out and as a result I am thinking more creatively, globally, and sustainably. If you are not thinking these ways, consider watching your choice of Ted.com videos. They span every topic imaginable and are incredibly entertaining and educational.

8. Work on projects I want to work on

I have a long list of exciting projects that I am working on. All of them benefit the world by making the world a more creative, expansive, colorful, playful place to live and work and express yourself. I am thrilled with the projects I am working on and I look forward to many, many more. Stay tuned for ongoing announcements as projects roll out, and not just in e-book form.

9. Make more non-work time for myself

Because I am healthier and more relaxed, I have been able to make more time for myself. Making time for myself is a huge part of refreshing my creative reserves so I can work to my highest capacity. More than this, making time for myself is crucial to my own happiness and feeling of spiritual connection. When I spend time with myself, I align with who I am and why I am here. Nobody else can do this for me, and I’m glad because I love taking time to just be. This balances out the stresses and strains of this busy, busy world that we live in.

10. Dwelling in possibility

Because I am healthy and present, I have greater opportunities to seize the moment. I can both work on projects that are planned and consider all of my possibilities. If you have not felt this way in a while, it may be because stress cancels out this instinct. But part of living the creative life, for me, has always including being able to embrace and explore possibilities and run with good ideas when they come in for a landing. I am open to all my best ideas and I am running with them, and this feels great.

How about you? How is your creative health? Are you taking good care of you? What does taking good care of you mean to you? What healthy habits can you add today? And how might a few new healthy habits benefit you and your family in the long run?