The Healthy Writer Series With Hannah Rowen Fry

As a writer, keeping yourself healthy is one way to ensure you maintain your momentum for creativity. Health comes in many forms, so I’m excited to kick off my healthy writer series with author Hannah Rowen Fry, author of THE WAY OF GRATITUDE. Take it away Hannah!

I’m going to suggest something less than revolutionary here: there’s a connection between movement and thought. Aside from the fact that there’s tons of research supporting it, think about your own experience with movement. Have you ever been on a walk with a friend or partner and found the conversation suddenly growing deeper than you expected? Maybe you’ve listened to a podcast while exercising that inspires you but is hard to listen to while stationary? Or maybe you’ve felt the “runner’s high” many athletes experience, who say it is as much a mental and emotional exercise as it is physical?

There are many benefits to movement, including decreased anxiety and better heart health. As writers we can tap into the special experience that occurs in our brains when we move to improve our writing. Instead of waiting for the next conference, course, or class to be inspired, we can change our writing just by moving! 

Since our work is primarily sedentary, adding movement to our routine must be intentional. At least for me, it’s pretty difficult to type or scribe while moving! Yet with the connection between movement and thought, prioritizing movement may be the simplest change you can make that will have the biggest impact in your writerly life. As you pursue being a healthy writer, here are a few tips to help you:

Ideas for when to add movement to your routine:

• Move before you write. Begin your writing time with 10-20 minutes of movement.
• Take a break to move. This is my preferred way to add movement into my routine. After I’ve focused for about 2 hours, I like to go for a walk to clear and refresh my mind.
• End your writing session with movement. Make time afterward to take notes on what may have come to mind while you were moving. Resist the temptation to start working again, instead just make a list of notes and save your thoughts for your next writing session.
• Whichever you choose, adding it to your schedule is of vital importance. Make a plan, add it to your calendar, and set a reminder to make it happen.

Ideas for how to add movement to your routine:

• Walk, walk, walk! This is my preferred movement. I find it energizes me mentally and physically, which also prevents me from drinking excessive amounts of caffeine during the day.
• Yoga is another go-to, especially a slower flow focused on breathwork and simple sun salutations. This can help clear your mind and unlock new ideas, and increased flexibility is an added bonus! 
• No matter what, don’t overthink it. Start with 10-20 minutes, not hours of exercise. If you set out to run a marathon, for example, your movement each day will take a lot of time, you’ll get sweaty and need to shower, and by the time you’re back to writing it’ll have been hours! Yoga and walking aren’t typically sweaty activities. They are simple, requiring no equipment or set up time, so you can easily switch back and forth between movement and writing.

I encourage you to add movement into your writing routine this week. Try not to overcomplicate it, just try moving in a new way! See how it affects your creativity and productivity, and enjoy the added benefits to your body and mind.

Purchase a copy of THE WAY OF GRATITUDE on Amazon and Barnes and Noble. Or support local bookstores by purchasing a copy on Bookshop.org. Don’t forget to add it to your GoodReads reading list!

Hannah Rowen Fry is a writer and speaker passionate about helping people live into their God-purpose. She shares practical tips, helpful resources, and clear purposeful steps to abide in Jesus daily without legalism, judgment, or guilt. Her thoughtful reflections on Scripture invite those who feel overwhelmed to slow down, choose simplicity, and experience greater joy in the present moment. Hannah lives in Florida with her husband Matt and spends most of her free time on the beach, at DisneyWorld, and listening to Taylor Swift. Read more about Hannah and her work at www.hannahrowenfry.com. 

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