I want to talk about a writer’s health. When we sit in front of the computer for at least half our waking hours, it’s easy to forget about our health. About what your body really needs, about taking the time to make proper, healthy meals instead of quick fixes that probably aren’t the healthiest of choices. It’s easier to sit on the couch with my laptop most days than to get up and get moving.

Like so many other people/writer’s I have a high stress job on top of my writing. And writing isn’t exactly low stress either. I have youngish kids, too. Balancing two jobs and a family is tough. I’ve managed this for some years now, but it’s sadly been at the expense of my health. I’ve not watched my diet. I’ve not tried to keep the stress under control. Instead, I just let it get out of hand, and I’m suffering for it health wise.

The biggest change that has happened to me in the last while is my diet. I’ve had to change the way I eat. I have to read every ingredient on everything I buy to make sure I’m consuming absolutely no sugar, no yeast, no wine (my Tom Wait’s writing sessions with a bottle wine and me on the weekends, are a thing of the past). I’ve also had to start exercising. I walk. Walking isn’t really like exercising—at least not in my head—so I pick up my kids at the afterschool, and they only way for this non-driver to get there is to walk!

And if you are wondering what kind of crazy diet I’m on, it’s the Candida Diet link here for more information. It’s been a tough start, but once I got going on it (and I’m a very disciplined person when I need to be) I started to feel better. Now… if I could just reduce the stress in my life, I’d be in a much better place

Do yourself a favor today. Take a deep breath, and get up and get moving. Go for a walk for twenty minutes. Say no to that chocolate (I can’t tell you how hard it’s been to say no to chocolate). And do something just for you, that is all about you!