Victoria Chatham - Author : July 2024

For our Round Robin blog July topic, Skye Taylor asked about stress in our lives and how it affects our writing, or do you write in spite of it?

Let’s face it – who doesn’t have stress these days? In a nutshell, whether it’s the economy,politics, our health, news from the latest war zone, or dealing with the daily commute, everyone can experience stress. Science has proved that stress is bad for our hearts and blood pressure, plus a multitude of other physical issues, from migraines to panic attacks, fatigue to nausea, and can ultimately affect our immune systems.

Yes, medication can and does help alleviate symptoms of stress, as does yoga and meditation, along with learning to breathe correctly. But it takes regular daily practice, and that’s time not everyone wants to spare in their busy lives.

While stress can cause one to become indecisive along with a lack of concentration, the upside of stress for me is that it sharpens my focus. I am a procrastinator. I can look at the calendar and think, I have plenty of time to do that. Of course, regardless of what I have planned out on the calendar, life tends to happen in all its wonderful and not-so-wonderful ways. Then, it’s down to the wire with what I must get done in an even more specific time frame. Then the blinkers go on, and I zone out from everything around me and concentrate on the work.

It’s probably not the best way to work. The sensible way would be to write something, or several things, daily. In summer, that would be early in the morning. It could be any time of day in winter, but most likely afternoons. But then the sun shines, or a friend suggests meeting for hot chocolate, and there I go again.

However, once I have a work in progress, I get carried along on the crest of the story wave. Excitement rather than stress fuels my mind as I finish one chapter after another. If I need to take a break for some extra research or a lunch date, I take it, but don’t stress about it. I firmly believe that the art of writing isn’t always in the definitive butt in chair, fingers on keyboard maxim, but in what swirls around in our agile minds while we walk, doodle on a drinks mat, or do mundane chores. Laundry, anyone? Stressing about stress doesn’t help, but knowing what stresses you and taking appropriate action to alleviate it does, whether it is yoga, a spa night, or a walk in the park.