Healthy Writers Club-- Don't forget to sleep

Sep 28, 2012

**Don't forget to enter the You Are a Real Writer Giveaway for a $10 gift card and some critiques!**

As writers, we hear a lot about the "butt in chair" tactic, which is great for our manuscripts, but not so great for the actual butt in the chair. Hence the Healthy Writers Club. If you're game to join the fun, you can run, walk, bike, make a healthy dinner, play tag with your kids, etc. Then, post about it on Friday (or whenever you want). Sign up here!

This is what I want right now. (Link)
I'm tired today. Between staying up late to write, getting up early to run, and getting up a few times in between to feed a hungry baby, my sleep is suffering. So I've decided I've got to change my schedule a bit, because if I'm a walking zombie, I can't really get much done, can I?

That's all I've got for you today, I'm afraid. Just some stats, and then it's naptime!


Stats: Ran 5.5 miles
In-flight entertainment favorite: Gaston from the Beauty and the Beast soundtrack (I'm on a musicals kick.)
Coolest moment: Cutting my mile time from 17 minutes to 14 minutes over the last few weeks. Woot!
Hardest moment: Upping my distance to 2 miles at a pop. I'm sore!

So, my friends, what's your schedule? Are you a stay-up-late-er or a get-up-early-er? Do you feel like you need as many naps as I seem to want?

26 comments:

Angie said...

Naps are good! I am finding it so important to get to bed on time, even if it means not writing as much as I hoped. Everything's better that way.

Jenilyn Collings said...

Is that Gaston from the Beauty and the Beast musical? I listened to that too this week on a field trip with elementary school girls. I LOVE his proposal song. :)

Jessie Oliveros said...

I agree. Sleep is important, and something us new moms don't get a lot of. :) And I am a BIG fan of naps. I used to "sleep in" until my kids woke up at the very reasonable hour of 7:30. Now that my son has started kinder, I have to get him (and myself) (and my girls) up an hour earlier. Now their wakeful clocks are reset and they can't sleep in...darn that public school system.

Emily R. King said...

Great idea! I'm entered in a similar club that my husband's work oversees. They all spent a lot of time at their computer desks as well, so it's great to band together and fight the bulge!

LisaAnn said...

My iPod is overflowing with Disney soundtracks, too! Some day, I'll hit all those high notes... ;)

Congrats on your progress, and get some sleep!

J.L. Campbell said...

Hey, Shallee,
Good that you got some exercise in. Get some rest!

I seem to like to stay up late at night and I have to get up early, which plays havoc with my sleep. Trying to get to bed earlier in the coming week.

Janet Johnson said...

I definitely stay up late, but unfortunately, my kids are early risers. I was just thinking how good my bed looked when I saw your post title. Maybe I will take that nap!

And congrats on the running. Good for you!

Rosalyn said...

Shallee--I'm right there with you with the newborn thing (although with a preemie he's going to be in the newborn stage longer than most). I've just accepted that on days that my brain is fried from lack of sleep, it's okay not to write (or not much). There's no point in stressing out when the result wouldn't be worth salvaging anyway!

So, sleep. I'm a fan, when I can get it!

A.L. Sonnichsen said...

We must be on the same brain wave, Shallee. I was just telling one of my critique partners that I need more sleep! Life can be an emotional rollercoaster and I have been feeling like a zombie lately, but I think that's because of late nights, early mornings, my baby waking up a lot, and very busy days. I told my husband this morning we may all need an emotional health day here pretty soon! :) I wish it were that easy to take one!

Rachel Searles said...

I wish I was one of those people who could function perfectly on four hours of sleep (like my husband!) but if I don't get enough, I can barely see straight and writing is out of the question. And unfortunately, the first thing to fall by the wayside is usually exercise. This week I managed to fit in an 8-mile rollerblading session on Monday, and that pretty much wiped me out for the rest of the week anyway ;)

Jenny S. Morris said...

Sleep is definitely lacking when you're writing or revising or critiquing. Oh wait that's all the time. LOL. I need to get more sleep! I'm signed up for a different healthy thing so I'm doing it with you just not signed up on yours. I must get up and run tomorrow.

And congrats on those miles and shaving time. I don't even want to know what my time is right now.

Yolanda Renée said...

You're a runner, awesome stats. Wish I could do that, besides being extremely awkward, yes, I run funny! Although, when my husband and I first started dating I would jog and he would run real slow to keep up with me. He's the runner. Now, I walk, but at one time actually got to hike the mountains in Alaska, The Brooks Range, wish I had a time machine. As far as sleep, never could get on a real schedule and with my hubby working different shifts, I schedule mine around his, makes it hell sometimes, but naps are good!
Congrat's on the running stats, I'm impressed, and inspired.

Gwen Gardner said...

Well done, Shallee! That's a huge improvement on your mile. I love Beauty and the Beast Soundtrack. You've done great, considering how tired you are. You'll work it out:)

Robin said...

I get those same struggles (I have an infant too) late nights, early mornings. It does turn me into a bit of a zombie. Congrats on improving your mile time and adding milage. I've been working to balance butt in chair AND active, so I really like this idea!

Unknown said...

Oh naps are wonderful! But they're not always easy to get with a newborn. I definitely slacked off exercising this past week. My parents were in town and I did keep up with a bit of yoga and went for one run, but I honestly just wanted to spend as much time with them as possible! And instead of running my husband and I spent a few hours getting our fall vegetable garden planted. Excuses on my end, but lacing my shoes back up tomorrow! Congratulations on cutting your run time down, that's wonderful!

Tara Tyler said...

i dream of napping, day dream i guess. but there is too much i have to do. some nights i collapse early, mid folding or mid editing...

Stina said...

This past week has been crazy, but usually I try to go for a run five days a week. I brainstorm then, so I always hate it when I can't go.

I'm an early morning person (5 am), but I tend to read until 11 pm (unless I fall asleep while reading or get a second wind).

I can't nap. If I do, I can't sleep at night.

Jessica said...

Oh man, I hear ya on the nap-craving! It seems like it's impossible for me to ever get enough sleep!

Also, way to go on your running! I ran my first half-marathon last month, and it was so much fun!

Just stumbled onto your blog, and I'm loving it so far! You've got yourself a new follower!

What's in a Name?

Ghenet Myrthil said...

I love sleep and I need at least 7 hours so I always make sure I get them. I don't take many naps these days though, but it sounds wonderful!

Christine Rains said...

Naps are good. I could use more. Yet my writing time is when my son naps. That's excellent about your running time!

Cherie Reich said...

You're doing great on the running!

I like naps, but I don't normally take them except sometimes on my day's off from the day job. I think I like naps more for the fact that I get to close my eyes and daydream for a while than actually getting some sleep.

Katie Dodge said...

I'm a stay-up-later-er. Which is not good when you have kids. This Healthy Writers Club idea is fab! I need to come back when I have a few more moments to spare. :)PS- Way to go on your running!

nutschell said...

Wish I could take a nap right now. I really am not much of a stay-up-lat-er. I'd much rather get up early. :S

Nutschell
www.thewritingnut.com

Romance Book Haven said...

Though I realise sleeping is important, I tend to read late into the night. And get up early again!

Nas

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

I'd been doing too much lately and decided to slow down and have a power nap. It was 2.30pm and I didn't wake until 5.30pm... oops. The nap was meant to have only been for 30 minutes. Seems I needed the sleep ;)

Daisy Carter said...

Ah, I am definitely a get up earlier. If I'm up past 11, watch out the next day - I'm a meanie! :)

Congrats on cutting your mile time! That's inspiring!

 
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