National Stress Day
November 5th is National Stress Day. Aside from Bonfire Night, which I hope is unrelated, people will be using this day to discuss their experiences of stress in their lives.
There are many strings to my bow – journalist, PR expert, and writer. The latter is a big passion of mine and it’s one I have built into my business (I write every day). But over the past few years, I have been writing actively about my experiences and life. When I published ‘The Hard Yards’, my debut business memoir in 2023, the book flew out of me. I’d been itching to get it done and I spent hours writing about the times and stories that helped formed by first fifteen years in business.
My next book is coming out this month. I’ll be shouting about it everywhere! But the process of writing it has felt very different from the first time. Logistically, as my business has gotten bigger, I’ve been engulfed in my work and my family, meaning for the first time in a while, it felt like writing my book was impossible. I couldn’t find the space, time or energy to get to it.
People may not know or really understand but many indie authors write alongside full-time or part-time work with their dedication to the craft or telling their story keeping them going. The stress of writing a book alongside working can’t be understated. After a full day with deadlines, meetings, conversations and delegation, sometimes the last thing you want to do is look at a screen again.
If you are wanting to write a book alongside an already filling timetable and alongside other aspects of work, you will never get it done. It will be something you dip in and about of and it won’t be achievable.
I fell into a pit of feeling completely out of whack with it. I desperately wanted to carve time out to commit to it and it got to the point where I needed to invest in someone to help me.
Therefore, I sought advice from Lis McDermott who became my book mentor. Helping me map out my thoughts, chapters, and the storytelling of my second memoir. Having appointments with her and setting myself goals felt like I was showing up for myself and alleviated my deep stress.
Two other stress relievers in the form of fantastic women, were working with Asha Clearwater Thornton at Turquoise Tiger. She has helped guide me through an editing process and streamline my chapters. Also, Jo Smyth who has written the foreword to my memoir as we worked together at the Swindon Advertiser as reporters (a time period I discuss in the book).
When I submitted the final draft for publishing, I felt a weight off my shoulders. I could exhale and begin to feel pride that I had completed writing a second book. Sometimes, stress can be a healthy thing, and it can fuel you to keep going. When it consumes you, that’s when you need to reach out for help. In whatever context that means for you, there are people out there.
Use your resources and your people because stress shouldn’t be something kept in the pages of your life’s book, it needs to be let free.