Read, Write and Relax

Congratulations! If you're reading this, then you survived 2017 and the holidays. I don't know about you, but by the end of the year I'm ready to wrap it up and move on. Completing another year is quite the accomplishment, and moving into a new year brings a special kind of hope for the future.

As a writer with a day job, I'm busy juggling and balancing things in my world. The day job satisfies my financial needs, while the writing life satisfies my soul. Both are necessary to my happy existence. Inevitably I get to the point in the new year when things get hectic. Sometimes I'm so busy reacting to the next "thing" that comes my way that I forget to breathe. Then anxiety sets in. For someone who once suffered from Panic Disorder (it's a real thing), it's not the way to go.

The world is such a busy place these days that we're all in a mad dash to get things done. The good news is that people have recognized the human need to decompress. And in typical modern fashion, we're only fingertips away from instant gratification. So I went in search of some quick go-to options for de-stressing and decompressing. 

I find the sound of running water soothing (as long as it isn't a broken pipe, overrunning toilet or flood!) And I adore rain! There's actually a name for people who love rain: Pluviophiles.

But it doesn't have to be rain. I love the sound of ocean waves too. Preferably from a hammock, sort of like this one... 

~~~~~~~~~~HERE ARE SOME APPS YOU CAN TRY~~~~~~~~~~

If you love the sound of water, try one of these:

Rainy Mood or Ocean Sounds

You can meditate anytime you have a few free minutes at either of these apps:

Headspace or Calm.com

Or, if you don't go in for meditation, but need to unwind, try these breathing exercises:

Breathe2Relax

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There are so many apps these days to help with stress and anxiety. There's even a Psychiatrist app! 

I'm not a great one for exercise, but a short walk helps me to unwind and gets my creative juices flowing. I get my best ideas during walks. 

BUT, of course my favorite way to relax is snuggling down and getting into a good book (sometimes with whisky and chocolate!)

What is your go-to technique for relaxing?

Reading Challenges

It's the time of year when eager readers jump into reading challenges. I've been doing the Goodreads challenge for a few years now. Every year, my goal is to read and review 100 books. (I'm a fast reader!) Before I had my son, it was easy to achieve. Now that I have a kid, I include books I read with him. Children's authors deserve reviews too!

There are all sorts of different challenges. There are genre specific ones, ones that help you read more diversely, ones to read banned books, and ones to re-discover the classics. You can do a little from each one or just try to clear your TBR pile.

Yet there is one challenge I think everyone who loves to read should take on: getting other people to become readers. I see folks all the time just surfing the net on their phones or playing games, and they have not read a novel in their adult lives. 27% of the adult population didn't read a single book last year.

Reading books is much easier these days too. You can get apps for your phone and tablet, or you can listen to audiobooks. Many folks have a commute. What a perfect time to listen to a good story!

 

If talking excitedly about your favorite books to people doesn't work, tell them that reading helps increase brain function, sharpens focus, expands imagination, and reduces stress. People do sleep better if they read a little every day. Well, if they get hooked on the book and want to keep reading, they do lose sleep!

If we can all convince one non-reader to read a book this year, we all win.

You can tell them they don't even have to pay for a good read!