The Writer's Mind-Body Connection
by Kara Lennox

A few years ago, if I'd done a workshop on "mind-body connection," many of you might have dismissed it as "woo-woo stuff." You know what I mean. Paranormal, metaphysical, woo-woo. After all, many of the books written on the subject are found in THAT section of the bookstore. You know the one I mean, the one that lumps witchcraft and Tarot cards with meditation and visualization.

But in recent years, even mainstream medical physicians agree that the mind-body connection is far more extensive than anyone had guessed. Consider the following statements:

Type-A behavior, typified by aggressiveness and hostility, has been linked to increased risk of heart attack.

Emotional stress can raise your blood pressure and contribute to the formation of stomach ulcers.

Biofeedback and meditation can lower blood pressure, lower oxygen consumption, slow heart beat and respiration, and lower blood lactate--which is connected to anxiety.

Fear or excitement lead to the release of adrenaline in the body, causing the fight or flight mechanism to come into play--and causing a certain amount of pleasure.

Panting during childbirth relieves pain.

A hypnotized subject can produce welts on the skin simulating burns, when they haven't been burned.

Rats and mice have been conditioned to enhance or suppress their immune systems.

The placebo effect can relieve pain and alleviate other symptoms of disease.

Chocolate elevates mood, especially for women.

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Most of you will probably agree that some or all of the above statements are true. All have been shown to be true either through clinical studies or under laboratory conditions, so the documentation is clear: mind and body are connected; your thoughts can directly affect your body and vice-versa.

While the mechanisms that make this true aren't always crystal clear--medical science still hasn't explained why acupuncture works, even while they acknowledge that it does work--researchers are learning more about this area of science all the time. One very active area of research is studying neurotransmitters, the brain's messengers to the body. Neurotransmitters, which include hormones, regulate everything from sexual desire to sleep patterns, appetite and mood. Depression, addictions, PMS, insomnia and even chocolate cravings have a physical basis in our chemistry. There is even a chemical reason why we "freeze" when something grabs our attention.

But rather than getting any deeper into the scientific aspects--and I couldn't, anyway--what I want to talk about is the implications these scientific findings have for us as writers.

The mind/body connection probably has more relevance for creative artists, including writers, than for the average person.

What you do to your body affects how you think, how you create, and how you feel about what you've created. And how you direct your mind, what you allow yourself to focus on, has a profound effect on your body.

Most of you have probably heard, or read, or figured out for yourself that writing, in general, is good for you. Studies have shown that creative expression, including writing--especially writing about your feelings--is an excellent way to fight depression and reduce stress and anxiety. That's why so many therapists recommend journaling for their patients. Rather than keep negative emotions bottled up, we can release them--harmlessly--through writing.

Who in this room could resist smiling when we watched Kathleen Turner as Joan Wilder in Romancing the Stone, weeping as she typed a heart-rending conclusion to one of her romance novels? We all do it. We experience emotions right along with our characters, and thus we can create an emotional catharsis when we write a happy ending.

Catharisis is good. We work through our problems with our writing. For example, we might be drawn to write about romantic conflicts that reflect our own experiences or those of loved ones, thereby clarifying our feelings about those experiences.

One form of therapy I read about encourages patients who have suffered a traumatic loss to write down the experience, except change the events so they go the way they wish they had. In our stories, we might use an incident from our own past. The heroine represents ourselves, but better. And the heroine might act in ways we wish we had, attaining a result that we wish we could have attained.

When I was going through a particularly trying time with my father, I wrote a book about a woman going through the same things. Seeing it in black and white helped me to understand my own anger and put it in perspective. Granted, this book never sold. But the act of putting my feelings into another character was immensely satisfying. Once I got it out of my system I could move on to other things.

Writing is good not only for purging negative emotions, but for creating positive ones as well. Nothing compares to the exhilaration that comes with typing "the end." Or that happy surge of adrenaline when a new idea is cooking, and we're working out the plot and things are falling into place, or that lovely moment when a character suddenly comes to life and all you're doing is taking dictation. Most of us feel pleasantly tired but deeply satisfied after a productive writing day. The act of making progress toward the goal of finishing a book is immensely empowering. And feelings of empowerment--the opposite of helplessness--are associated with decreased stress, all of which leads to a healthier body.

But there's a DOWNSIDE to this otherwise idyllic life we lead.

Creative people in general tend to suffer from more mental illness, including depression and substance abuse, than the population at large. (Edgar Allen Poe, Van Gogh, Ernest Hemingway, Virginia Woolf off the top of my head.) One study showed that creative people tend to have more blood relatives who are institutionalized.

No one is really sure whether writing and painting lead to insanity, or whether mentally unstable people are drawn to creative endeavors. One theory suggests that people with mental illness are drawn to creative outlets as a form of self-therapy.

At any rate, lots of writers either suffer from depression, which suppresses your immune system and causes illness, or are obsessive-compulsives, which causes stress, anxiety, and all their related health problems. An astounding number of writers I know personally are either on Prozac, Zoloft, Paxil, Xanax, Atavan, Valium, you name it. These drugs can be life-savers, literally. But be aware that they can have a negative effect on your creativity. Anti-depressants tend to flatten your mood. So while you get rid of the suicidal tendencies, you also get rid of the highs. When I was on Zoloft, I couldn't write worth beans. I lost my edge, my passion, and a lot of my motivation for writing. There was no "writer's high."

That's not a very attractive choice, between depression and an inability to write. Because if you're a writer, if you're one of those people compelled to write, then NOT WRITING can make you depressed.

So whatever your frame of mind you're in, keep writing to maintain your mental health. I know sometimes life gets in the way. Illness, death, mandatory overtime, moving across the country, family obligations all can cut into your writing time. And especially if you're not published or if you don't depend on your writing income for your livelihood, it's very easy to put it on the list of "frivolous, non-essential activities" and thrust it aside in favor of laundry.

But I really urge you not to do that. No matter what is going on in your life, you have the right to pursue a creative activity that fulfills you. I'm not saying you shut yourself away for days at a time and ignore your family in crisis. I'm saying you can find an hour SOMEWHERE in your day to write, and you shouldn't feel guilty about it. (I could do a whole workshop on guilt's detrimental effects.)

If you're waiting for your life to "settle down" before you write, forget it, it's not going to happen. You can actually write your way through a crisis. I know some writers that use their writing time as therapy, as an escape when life gets just too grisly. You need that time. Give yourself permission to take it. Overall you'll experience less stress and anxiety and a healthier body.

Now let's talk about another negative impact writing can have on your body and some ways to avoid that.

THIS IS MY OWN PERSONAL THEORY BASED ON PERSONAL EXPERIENCE.

You've probably heard of positive imagery, guided imagery, creative visualization. That's where you listen to a tape that describes relaxing scenes and guides you one step at a time to total body relaxation. It's one way to treat stress. You visualize a sunny beach, a mountain meadow, or floating on fluffy white clouds. Such images can lower your blood pressure and boost your immune system, actually leading to healing of the body. You can reduce bleeding during surgery, lessen post-operative pain, spend fewer days in the hospital. All documented.

Now, think about the images you deal with, the world you create. For ninety percent of your writing life, what are you writing about? Conflict. Angst. Problems. How many times have you heard it? Conflict on every page.Those of us who write suspense spend our days dodging bullets, having our cars forced off the road and having our apartments ransacked. Even when we're writing love scenes, we get the adrenaline pumping.  And if you're really doing a good job, you're really getting into your story.  You climb into the skin of your characters and suffer right along with them.  The world you create is every bit as real to your body as if it were actually happening.  I've written several books that included a birth scene.  I felt like I wanted morphine after eight hours of writing about that!

This is the opposite of positive imagery.

Think about this. Have you ever been feeling cranky, or fearful, or exhausted, and you can't quite figure out why? And then you realize it's because you're inside your book?  You're worried about your characters.  You're mad at your hero, not your husband.  You're stressed out from dealing with a fictional baby. Negative imagery can cause stress, and stress is the number-one cause of illness

SOLUTION:  We can't stop writing those scenes.  We have to make them as gut-wrenching as possible.  So take frequent mental breaks, practice deep breathing, and visualize peaceful scenes.  At the end of your writing session, perform some kind of ritual that you associate with transitioning from your writing world to the real world.  Even if it's just turning off your computer, straightening your desk, and reviewing your activities planned for the rest of the day.  Taking a shower after writing can "wash" those unneeded angsty emotions away.  If you can't, or don't want to take a real shower, imagine a shower of silver light raining down on you, washing away any emotions you don't need.

INSOMNIA.  Sometimes when a new story is percolating, I CANNOT get to sleep because I'm busy plotting it out, visualizing, coming up with dialogue, playing scenes in my head.

SOLUTION:  Get up and write it out.  If you really don't want to do that, the afore-mentioned deep breathing, stretching, and visualizing peaceful scenes can sometimes help.  Or listen to one of the guided imagery tapes on the market.

Think about how you feel when your writing is going well.  You're excited.  You're full of energy.  You can't get the words down fast enough.  We call it a CREATIVE HIGH.

So what's going on?  There are actually endorphins, the body's natural feel-good chemical, floating around. The excitement generated by a new idea can release endorphins.  (So can chocolate and exercise.)

Now, think about how you feel when your writing is going badly.  You feel sleepy.  Lethargic.  Your mind is sludge.  You probably couldn't find an endorphin if somebody put an ear tag on it.

SOLUTION: If you're having one of those sludgy days, don't just keep sitting there zoned out in front of the computer screen. Don't give in to the refrigerator or Oprah. Get off your butt and go for a walk or get on the stair stepper. Move fast enough that you're a little out of breath.  Health professionals recommend 30 minutes at least four times a week.  But if you stick it out for 45 minutes, your endorphins will kick in.

These are the same endorphins that come from a creative high.  So it becomes a chicken-and-egg story.  A burst of creativity releases endorphins.  But if you put the endorphins into your system by another means, like exercise, it can lead to a burst of creativity.

Now go sit in front of the computer again.  You'll be amazed how inspired you've suddenly become, and the effect can last for up to four hours. If you build regular exercise into your schedule and do it every day, or almost every day, you can permanently speed up your metabolism, which means your mind will be more alert all the time.

 Another benefit of exercising is that sometimes you'll get your best ideas while running, swimming, or bike-riding.  If you push your plot problems aside and let your subconscious work on them while you smell the flowers and listen to the birds, your subconscious will often find the solution for you.

If you don't want to run, swim or bicycle, you can simply walk the neighborhood.

Or, you might try YOGA.  This is especially good if your mind is so filled with the problems of everyday life that your story can't wedge its way in there and your muses have moved to the suburbs.  Yoga has a way of quieting your mind as you focus on stretching, balancing and breathing.  Once your mind is quiet, your story has space to move right in.

Yoga doesn't have to mean you twist your body into a pretzel.  The wonderful thing about Yoga is you only have to stretch as far as is comfortable for you.  All positions have modified versions for people just starting out.  One position, called Corpse pose, is just what it sounds like.  Completely relaxing.

My husband, who is a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, wanted me in particular to mention martial arts training, which combines strength training, aerobic fitness, flexibility, breathing and meditation all in one package.  Trust me, he is one of the most relaxed people I know and he NEVER has writer's block.

If you'd rather sit around and do nothing, MEDITATION might be for you.  It's a terrific way to quiet your mind and prepare it for writing.  There are lots of different methods, I won't go into them, but the health benefits are well documented.  Meditation can lower blood pressure, lower your heart rate, boost your immune system, and generally reduce stress. Some Tibetan yogis can influence their body temperatures as much as 15 degrees in their hands and feet.

It's also a great way to get inspiration.  Sometimes wonderful ideas will come to you while you're meditating.

In addition to a regular exercise program and physical relaxation techniques, it's important to take frequent breaks from writing to prevent that sludgy, exhausted feeling from taking hold in the first place.  Every few minutes, take your eyes off the screen and focus a few times on some distant object to prevent eye strain.  Stretch your arms above your head.  Roll your head.  Pay attention to your posture.  And breath three deep breaths.  At least once per hour, stand up and walk around.  Go get a glass of water.

Do make sure you have an ergonomically correct set-up for your chair, keyboard and screen.  Don't ignore the aches and pains.  Your body is trying to tell you to change something.

NUTRITION:  Look at what you're putting into your body.  Eat breakfast, don't overdo the caffeine, and most important, drink plenty of water.  I seem to do better if I eat some protein for breakfast.  A carbohydrate-rich lunch will make you sleepy in the afternoon.  Tuna for lunch is a good thing, you get your omega-3 fatty acids, which fight depression.

THERE IS NO PERFECT EATING PLAN FOR EVERYBODY.  Experiment.

Creating optimum health as a writer is a real balancing act. Always be on guard so you don't get out of balance.  Feed your body, mind and spirit.  Take care of your body, and it will feed your mind.  Nourish your spirit, and it will reward you with a creative mind and a healthy body.  Honor your urge to create, and your spirit will soar.

Don't forget to reward yourself for a job well done, and eat chocolate (in moderation).

To see more articles on writing, check out BooksForABuck.com.