#WRITE HEALTHY, STAY HEALTHY

Kay C. Burns is a Registered Nurse who writes suspense mystery. River Stalk is the first book in her Nurse Quinn Cole San Antonio mystery series. Her crime novel, Mommy’s Missing, is based on a true crime that occurred in 1946. Learn more about Kay and her books at her website. 

Write Healthy—Stay Healthy

It’s true. Writing is a sedentary and indoor profession with its own unique health risks.

As writers, how can we stay healthy and continue to rack up our word counts?

According to the National Safety Council, injuries are a leading cause of disability for people of all ages (including writers) and the leading cause of death for Americans ages 1 to 44.

June is National Safety Month sponsored by the National Safety Council. With that in mind, recall the old Benjamin Franklin saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”

Hope Clark of Funds for Writers talked about this in her feature: “Your brain is your writing,” she says, “and it’s only as keen as you keep it. That means healthy rituals.”

Colleen M. Story of Writing and Wellness.com answered the question; Are you suffering from Spock’s Brain Syndrome? She explains how SBS strikes when we ignore our physical selves to the point of discomfort, pain, injury or illness.

Here are some of the types of injuries or problems writers are susceptible to:

Backache

Problem:  backache

Complications:  back injuries and back strain

Prevention:  Arrange your desk and equipment to fit your body. Good posture is essential. Use good ergonomics. Straighten your back.  Sit up straight. Adjust the chair to your height.  Put all your writing essentials and reference books, etc. where you can easily reach them.

Sitting Too Long

Problem:  sitting at a computer too long

Complications: backache, increased waistline, generalized weakness

Prevention:  Straighten your back. Purchase a good ergonomic chair. Stand up. Take short breaks; a walk inside, outside if possible. Break up your day. Stretch your muscles. Get your blood flowing. Some writers have invested in a standing desk. Even a 5-minute break can help you increase your concentration and reduce stress.

Eye Strain

Problem:  eye strain: Eye muscles become strained focusing on a computer screen for too long.

Complications:  headaches, fatigue

Prevention:  Look up and on something else in the room. Look left to right. Set your alarm. Take a break. Leave the room for a moment or two. Mayo Clinic recommends you follow the 20-20-20 rule: Every 20 minutes, take your eyes off your computer and look at something 20 feet away for at least 20 seconds. Also, consider enlarging the text on your computer to avoid squinting. Reduce the brightness on your computer monitor.

Habitual Snacking

Problem:  habitual snacking or smoking

Complications: increased waistline, respiratory problems

Prevention:  Plan meals. Pack your own healthy “desk” lunch. Yes. I will say it. “Don’t smoke.”

Wrist Strain

Problem:  repetitive strain injury caused by typing for hours and hours

Complications: chronic pain, carpal tunnel syndrome—a common source of hand numbness, tingling and pain. This is more common in women and is caused by pressure or compression on the median nerve in your wrist.

Prevention:  Use a padded keyboard or mouse pad.  Do wrist rolls clockwise and counterclockwise. Keep your wrists straight or only slightly bent. Take breaks and rest your hands. Wear a wrist splint while sleeping to keep your wrists in a neutral position. A word of caution: Talk to your doctor about any pain or swelling in your wrists as this condition can worsen over time.

Working Alone (most of the time)

Problem: Writing is a solitary profession.

Complications:  depression—Writers as a group are among the top 10 professions where people are likely to suffer from depression.

Prevention:  Find a balance between your work and real life. Know your limits. Don’t set unrealistic word count goals. Set working hours and give yourself some down time.

As Joseph Jaynes Rositano said in The Writing Life: Writing and Mental Health, “Finally, those who undergo traumatic experiences that often lead to mental health and substance abuse problems may—consciously or not—turn to writing for its therapeutic value. Research shows that by writing about their emotional experiences, people can improve their mental health and even reduce the symptoms of asthma and arthritis. Novelist and Vietnam veteran John Mulligan credits his writing with his recovery from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). As he put it, “writing made me feel like I had a soul.’”

Awareness of these unique “on the job” injuries can help writers prevent them. As a Registered Nurse I have to add how important it is for writers to follow these simple stay healthy guidelines:

*Get enough sleep

*Drink lots of water

*Eat a healthy diet and stay active

*Watch your weight

*Take steps to manage stress

Spread the word about these ways to reduce your risk of injuries.

What is your favorite way to de-stress, keep healthy and injury free while “on the job” writing? 

River Stalk

“Papa promised me the eyes.”

After a freak accident maims a prominent San Antonio doll collector during a popular river parade, the victim whispers, “Papa promised me” over and over to nurse Quinn Cole, who’s assisting with the woman’s rescue.

The words come to baffle and haunt Cole who’s gearing up for the annual Fiesta competition with her brash roller derby sister--this year for the affections of a hot Private Investigator.

As usual, Cole is bent on winning, but in the days that follow, threatening notes, murder, missing dolls and the victim’s eccentric family force Cole to stop making promises she shouldn’t keep and in turn to overcome her deep-seated fear of dolls.

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