Saturday 2nd December 2017

Today was a self-care day.
This last week has been absolutely brutal.  It feels like everything I’ve touched has gone to horseshit, whether it be swordfighting, writing, relationships or the day job.  Overall, things are going well enough for me to realise this is just a bad week rather than get sucked into a downward spiral.  It’s just a bad week, it’s not a disaster.
Still, I’m acutely aware that writers spend a lot of time inside their own heads – even when not writing – and that’s not healthy.  I find it incredibly easy to overthink things.  I write fiction so it’s not to much of a jump for me to spin out negative futures from current situations.
I’ve seen a lot of friends with mental health issues and I’ll be honest it terrifies me.  I had a slight brush with depression following some complications with medication and a bad work situation many years back, and it was enough for me to make serious efforts to look after my mental health.
And whilst I don’t believe that just being positive, or taking it easy on yourself at times can stop mental illness (it is an illness after all and can strike anyone at any time), anything I can do to help minimise the risk, however small, is something I will absolutely adopt.
As a result, today was a self-care day.  Whilst it was one of my first free Saturdays in what seems like ages, I didn’t do much.  In fact, the biggest thing I did all day was go to the shops for my weekly groceries.
Instead, I spent some time playing World of Warcraft.  I’ve always found MMOs pretty good at taking me away from the now and any problems I have.  It’s a good escape and given that one zone is about to be destroyed in the latest patch, I decided to go and do all the old quests in that zone so I could get the achievement.   Given that the content is level 58 and I’m level 110, it wasn’t particularly hard either.
I felt relaxed enough to actually do some editing.  And whilst I hadn’t planned to work on book 2, the fact I felt chilled enough to dive into another chapter was not something to be wasted.
However, this was a pretty grim chapter.  In it I’m trying to establish the danger the hero is in by having a particularly gruesome murder.  It’s deliberately shocking, and whilst I’m sure some will say it’s going too far, at this stage I think it gives the reader exactly what I want.
Of course, editing passages about some pretty ugly murders possibly isn’t the best thing to do on a day when you’re trying to go easy on yourself, so I rewarded myself with a movie, some ice cream and some beer.
I watched Spider-Man Homecoming, which I loved.  I love the comedy of Spider-man and think they captured it brilliantly here.  And given that I’d done some work I felt relaxed and at ease about just chilling out and enjoying it.
So I didn’t get a whole lot done today, but you know what… after the week I’ve had I think it was what was needed.  I ended the day feeling a lot better than I started which was the aim, so for that alone, this self-care day was a success.
Past Issues:   314 | 313 | 312 | 311 | 310 | 309 | 308 | 307 | 306 | 305 | 304 | 303 | 302 | 301
300| 299 | 298 | 297 | 296 | 295 | 294 | 293 | 292 | 291 | 290 | 289 | 288 |  287 | 286 | 285 | 284 | 283 | 282 | 281
280 | 279 | 278 | 277 | 276 | 275 | 274 | 273 | 272 | 271 | 270 | 269 |  268 | 267 | 266 | 265 | 264 | 263 | 262 | 261
260 | 259 | 258 | 257 | 256 | 255 | 254 |  253 | 252 | 251 | 250 | 249 | 248 | 247 | 246 | 245 | 244 | 243 | 242 | 241
240 | 239 | 238 | 237 | 236 | 235 | 234 | 233 | 232 | 231 | 230 | 229 | 228 | 227 | 226 | 225 | 224 | 223 | 222 | 221
220 | 219 |218 | 217 | 216 | 215 | 214 |  213 | 212 | 211 | 210 | 209 | 208 | 207 | 206 | 205 | 204 | 203 | 202 | 201
200 | 199 | 198 | 197 | 196 | 195 | 194 | 193 | 192 | 191 | 190 | 189 | 188 | 187 | 186 | 185 | 184 | 183 | 182 | 181 |
180 | 179 | 178 | 177 | 176 | 175 | 174 | 173 | 172 | 171 | 170 | 169 |  168 | 167 | 166 | 165 | 164 | 163 | 162 | 161 |
160 | 159 | 158 | 157 | 156 | 155 | 154 | 153 | 152 | 151 | 150 | 149 | 148 | 147 | 146 | 145 | 144 | 143 | 142 | 141 |
140 | 139 | 138 | 137| 136 | 135 | 134 | 133 | 132 | 131 | 130 | 129 | 128 | 127 | 126 | 125 | 124 | 123 | 122 | 121 |
120 | 119 | 118 | 117 | 116| 115 | 114 | 113 | 112 | 111 | 110 | 109 | 108| 107| 106| 105| 104| 103 | 102 | 101|
100 | 99| 98 | 97 | 96 | 95 | 94 | 93 | 92 | 91 | 90 | 89 | 88 | 87 | 86 | 85 | 84 | 83 | 82| 81|
80 | 79| 78| 77| 76 | 75 | 74 | 73 | 72 | 71 | 70 | 69 | 68 | 67 | 66 | 65 |  64 | 63 | 62 | 61 |
60 | 59 | 58 | 57 | 56 | 55 | 54 | 53| 52| 51 |50 | 49 | 48 | 47 | 46 |45 | 44 | 43 | 42 | 41 |
40 | 39| 38| 37 | 36 | 35 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 31 |30 | 29 | 28 | 27 | 26 | 25 | 24| 23 | 22 | 21 |
20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 15| 14| 13 | 12 | 11 |10 | 9 | 8 | 7| 6 | 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 1