As of drafting this blog post, let me just say as someone who has written and had a book ready to go to pub. within five months, to have a year ahead with no releases but somehow more work on my plate, I had to figure out quickly how to cope with the demands of being an author. Especially, in what I am calling the year of being an engaged author. I like to think my background makes me adaptable and resilient when facing external stresses. But for any aspiring author out there I wanted to share how I get through career pressure, deadlines, and stresses.
I try my best as a neurospicey individual to have a loose time frame of what work hours are. Currently I work from 9am to about 2pm, and another thing that is helpful is that I let these hours change when needed. I am also not writing for the duration of the five hours. There’s blog posts to be drafted, graphics to be made, social media to interact with, and of course that’s not including the items to do in my personal life. So, one of the best tools in my arsenal is maximizing work time. This means working on my phone in the pick up/drop off line at school, or when the family is asleep, so I can focus on tasks in front of me. While I can’t quite sacrifice sleep like I used to, fitting in little blips of time for tasks helps a great deal.
The other tool I like to utilize is setting myself up for success by setting goals that are specific, and achievable. For example while drafting this blog I have a manuscript to finish drafting and another manuscript to revise; however, today I needed to have some wins under my belt so it’s a batch drafting blog posts kinda day. The power of this tool is that you can be adaptable in your approach to the work.
Speaking of adaptability, that is a trait that is much needed when pursuing a creative field. Something else that helps is effective and open communication with those in your working circle. Depending on your publishing route the people in your working circles may change, but that doesnt mean its any less important. Now, this was something early in my career that I prided myself on not needing. I have a lot of qualities I like about myself but when needed I am a work horse and I do well under pressure, but that mindset I prided myself in was also the reason that I was feeling a slump and potentially on the edge of burn out.
For me, at this moment I needed some extra time. Some help. So, I reached out to Zara to have a discussion about needing an extension. Luckily, I was timely about voicing this need so it wasn’t an issue. I could now breathe easy knowing I had more time to turn in a product that I was not only happy with but also proud of.
Speaking of breathing easy, the last tool that really helps me manage the stress and pressure is having a nightly routine with my wife of a relaxing cozy game. Lately, we’ve been playing Cult of Lamb together, but an old and favorite is Stardew Valley. So, find yourself something that brings you joy that has no connection to your creative work.
Veronica King 