Joanna Penn

Euan Lawson

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

7 Reasons why writing is great for your health

Part 1: The Unhealthy Writer 

Stress, anxiety, burnout

Back, neck and shoulder pain

Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI)

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

Riding the Waves: Writing with depression

Alcohol - the good, the bad, and the ugly

Coffee and caffeine

Supplements, substances, and nootropics

Part 2: The Healthy Writer 

Improve your workspace

Sort out your sleep

Sort out your diet

From fat to fit

Sort out your back

Lessons learned about writing from yoga

How to use dictation for a healthier writing life

The active writer mindset

Strategies for the sofa-bound

The active writer: Three golden rules 

The running writer: Three rookie mistakes

Lessons learned about writing from walking a double ultra-marathon

Find a community

Build wellbeing with mindfulness

Develop healthy habits for the long-term

Conclusion: It's your turn. Choose life!

It's time to be a healthy writer!

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