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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