The Healthy Writer: Reduce your pain, improve your health, and build a writing career for the long term

by Joanna Penn

Do you suffer from physical pain relating to your writing life?

Are you struggling with back pain, weight gain related to sedentary working, anxiety, depression, sleep problems, neck pain, eye strain, stress, loneliness, digestive issues, or Repetitive Strain Injury?

These are the most common issues reported by writers and if you struggle with any of them, you are not alone.

Writing is not a physically healthy job, but if you want a long-term writing career, then you need to look after your body.

I've been through my own pain journey over the last six years. I used to get crippling migraines that sent me to a dark room, and back pain so bad that I couldn't sleep, as well as stress levels so high that I wasn't able to breathe normally.

Now, my back pain, migraines and RSI have almost gone completely, and I manage my writing life in a far healthier way than ever before. I share my personal journey and insights with you in this book.

My co-author is Dr Euan Lawson, who shares his insights into how we can reduce pain, improve health and build a writing career for the long term.

The book covers:

Introduction and survey results from 1200 writers
Why writing is great for your health

>>> Part 1: The Unhealthy Writer

Stress, anxiety, burnout
Back, neck and shoulder pain
Writer's cramp and Repetitive Strain Injury
A personal journey to a pain-free back
Writing with chronic pain
Sedentary life and inactivity
Sleep problems/ insomnia
Eye strain, headaches, and migraine
A personal story of headaches and migraine
Loneliness and isolation
Weight gain or weight loss
Joanna's Letter to Sugar
Digestive issues and IBS
A personal journey through IBS with FODMAP
Mood and mental health
Writing with depression
Alcohol, coffee, drugs and other substances

>>> Part 2: The Healthy Writer

Build resilience
Improve your workspace
Find a community
Start moving
Sort out your diet
Sort out your sleep
Develop healthy habits
How to use dictation for healthier writing life
Lessons learned about writing from walking a double ultra-marathon
Breathing, mindfulness, and meditation
Yoga and writing
Longevity: writing for the long-term

It's time to be a healthy writer!

Genres: Writing, Nonfiction, Health, Reference, Self Help, Personal Development

Kindle Edition

About the author

Joanna Penn is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of thrillers writing under the name J.F. Penn. She also writes inspirational non-fiction for authors and is an award-winning creative entrepreneur and international professional speaker. Her site, TheCreativePenn.com is regularly voted one of the top 10 sites for writers and self-publishers.

See also Goodreads author's profile as J.F. Penn.