Tag Archives: recharging

Weddings, Clients, and Meetings … Oh My! (Guest Post)

Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay

Weddings, Clients, and Meetings … Oh My!

by Steph Beth Nickel

Okay, so, I only attended one wedding this month, but the title reads better because I pluralized it. As writers, we’re allowed a little poetic license from time to time.

My son and brand new daughter-in-law had a small ceremony because … COVID. So many friends and family members couldn’t make the trip. I will forever be thankful that my husband and I made it to Saskatchewan from Ontario for the weekend.

Even though we were only away for four days, travel included, it meant we had to shuffle a lot of other responsibilities.

Deadline extensions + a tsunami of tasks + a sense of overwhelm often leads to too much YouTube and not enough time at my computer.

So, how can we handle our schedule when we’d rather vegetate on the couch or pull the covers over our head and sleep for “just five more minutes”?

Here are some suggestions that have either worked for me in the past or I’m planning to implement in the next little while:

Create a list of everything you want to get done. The more detailed the list, the better.

Prioritize the list. Self-care may be a buzzword these days, but getting adequate rest, eating well, keeping physically active, and doing something that feeds your spirit on a regular basis are vital for not only your wellbeing but also for your ability to effectively complete the tasks on your To-Do List. Be sure to include self-care on your list of priorities.

Decide what you can get done each day within reason. I make a mean To-Do List, and because I’m content moving unfinished tasks to the next day, it’s hard for me to create realistic expectations for each day. I’m getting better, but it’s a process for sure.

Back out of at least some responsibilities that don’t rank high on your priority list. This is tough for many of us. People count on us. We don’t like to say no when they ask us to do something, especially something “small.” (Don’t forget the adage about the straw and the camel’s back.) Like me, you may be eclectically interested and eclectically involved. It’s hard to know what to set aside—even temporarily—but it’s a necessary skill.

Assign specific tasks to specific days. Trying to do a little bit of everything on the same day often leads to a sense that you haven’t accomplished anything significant. Completing a single task before moving onto the next one has its benefits, but when that isn’t possible, it’s important to determine how much of one task you will accomplish before moving on. Optionally, you can set a time limit and see how much of the project you can get done in an hour or two for instance. Be content with your progress, and move on, physical and mentally, to the next task.

Beware of mental fog and hair-trigger emotions. We’ve all been there. Unable to concentrate on the task at hand. Snapping at a friend or family member over a non-issue. Feeling that anger, frustration, or anxiety forming in the pit of our stomach. Should we push through? Take a break? Walk away and start fresh tomorrow? Because I work from home and create my own schedule, most times, I have the opportunity to add the task to my next day’s schedule. Even if this isn’t an option, taking a stretch break, reading a novel for 5-10 minutes, or just closing my eyes and taking a few deep breaths can make a surprisingly big difference.

Have some fun. “All work and no play …” and all that. Is there something you look forward to every day? I enjoy watching an episode of a show on Netflix or Disney Plus with my hubby each evening. Instead of watching “just one more YouTube episode,” I feel more refreshed when I take a little time to read. And, of course, being an extra extrovert, I love meeting a friend for coffee and a l-o-n-g chat.

How to you deal with overwhelm in your life?

Steph Beth Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.

The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer: Emphasis on the Crazy (Guest Post)

Seashore with text: "Recharging and refreshing are not selfish."
Image source: Pixabay

The Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer: Emphasis on the Crazy

by Steph Beth Nickel

What does summer mean to you?

Enjoying the longer days and warmer weather?

Occupying your children?

Heading away on vacation?

Kicking back and enjoying a slower pace?

Reading more books?

Two years ago, my hubby and I went to Alberta for two weeks. Dave had wanted to take me to Jasper since we were married over 35 years ago. It was wonderful!

Last year, we did a whirlwind road trip to all the Maritime provinces. I’d never been farther east than Quebec, and Dave had never been to Newfoundland. It was an adventure for both of us.

And this year … Well, we are spending a couple of days in Frankenmuth, Michigan. My hubby loves Christmas and he loves Bronners, the Christmas Store.

We may camp for a couple of weekends, but this summer will be far more low-key.

Winters don’t typically weigh me down emotionally. This past winter, however, was different. I found myself sleeping much more. I had zero energy to write and edit in the evenings.

And then spring arrived. My spirits lifted and I became more productive—somewhat, at least.

I made the mistake of blinking, and now, it’s summer.

I have a lengthy list of goals to accomplish in the next couple of months, including participating in Camp NaNoWriMo and finally finishing the edit for the first book in my Nurture and Inspire series.

I also want to get the first draft of the follow-up to Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoir, Living Beyond My Circumstances, complete—or close to it—by the end of August.

I would like to get back to work on the first novel in my Hard Choices series if at all possible.

There are also other projects I want to tackle, but I’ll spare you the details.

So, will my summer be lazy? For the most part, I don’t think so.

How about hazy?

That’s how my brain feels at the end of my church office workday. If I exercise more, eat better, and get adequate rest, I should be able to fight the haziness. Weatherwise, it’s beyond my control, however.

And now, to the craziness …

I pretty much covered that when I shared my list of goals. Those goals plus editing my client’s 100+K fantasy novel would, to many people, be the very definition of craziness.

How do you determine when your schedule is too crazy?

Do you feel overwhelmed just making the schedule? Yes? Then it’s likely time to pare down the list.

Do you have a realistic view of what you can accomplish in a day? A week? A month?

Even knowing you have unrealistic expectations, do you still include too many things on your To Do list?

Is there any time to recharge your batteries on your schedule? Recharging and refreshing are not selfish. We have nothing to give if we don’t do so.

Is there time to simply enjoy being with family and friends? Whether your household is swarming with children or you’re an empty nester … whether you come from a big family or it’s just you … summer is the perfect time to enjoy time with your favourite peeps.

Whether your summer is shaping up as lazy, hazy, or crazy, I pray you have a great one.

Blessings, one and all!

Tweetables

Overwhelmed just making your schedule? Time to pare down. (click to tweet)

Recharging and refreshing are not selfish. (click to tweet)

Summer: the perfect time to enjoy time with your favourite peeps. (click to tweet)

Steph Beth Nickel
Steph Beth Nickel (Photo by Stephen G. Woo Photography)
Photo credit: Jaime Mellor Photography

As an editor, Steph Beth Nickel has the honour of coming alongside writers to help them polish their work. As the coauthor of Paralympian Deb Willows’s memoirs, Steph has been blessed to work with this amazing woman. And as a future self-published author, with the Lord’s help, Steph has taken brave steps toward publication.

If you would like more information about her services, you can contact her at stephbethnickelediting@gmail.com.

You’re invited to visit her website: http://stephbethnickeleditor.com/.

You can join her Editing Tips Facebook group here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/418423519384351.