Let’s Get Off The Struggle Bus

In 2017 when I started Girl In Space, I was a big believer in HUSTLE. I was working a full-time job at a marketing agency, producing the Write Now podcast, ghostwriting nonfiction books, and doing various community volunteer gigs.

Perhaps you can relate — I wanted to do ALL THE THINGS. Stress fueled me, and I ran on its panicked energy (and, beyond that, on Empty). The days needed more than just 24 hours. Sleep was for the weak. Hustle was the only way to get anywhere.

I was, of course, telling myself a whole big slew of lies.

We are all more busy and overwhelmed than ever. All of us. Especially now, when our normal routine is in constant disruption. And (perhaps no surprise here) it’s not good for us! As the American Journal of Public Health states,

“Numerous chronic diseases, including heart disease, depression, and Alzheimer’s, are associated with high stress levels.”

Adding in a massive new creative project — that novel, that podcast, that memoir — sounds like the last thing we should be thinking about.

However, it turns out that creative activities (such as writing, drawing, sculpting, crafting, sewing, woodworking, and more) are actually good for us.

“Creating helps make people happier, less anxious, more resilient, and better equipped to problem-solve in the face of hardship,” says Amanda Enayati of CNN. Creative activities also help delay cognitive decline in old age.

So we’re faced with a paradox. The creative projects we’re longing to do are good for us, mentally, physically, and even spiritually — but how do we fit them into our already crammed schedules? How do we create without it becoming yet another hustle?

I think that the answer to this question will be unique to each individual person (because of course there are no easy answers). For me, it’s realizing that a.) creating is an act of self-care, and b.) I have a choice in how I use my (precious little) free time.

Each time I find myself with some downtime, I have to assess: what do I have the energy to do right now? Would it be fun to indulge my imagination and scribble some ideas for my latest book/podcast? Or am I completely drained?

Because sometimes we need a Netflix marathon, or to get lost in a really good mystery novel and a cup of tea. Just like it’s good to shut down our phones and computers every once in a while, our brains need downtime, too. Rest is not for the weak — it’s for the weary. And we’re ALL weary lately.

Sometimes I have to remind myself that creativity is good for me. Sometimes I have to remind myself, too, that creativity is a paradox — it’s hard work, yes, but it’s also fun and freeing and invigorating.

So maybe it’s less about squeezing “another project” into our already busy schedules, and more about prioritizing what we love — what is meaningful and important and life-giving for us — into our free time.

Words & warmth,

Sarah

P.S. If you don’t have any free time, then that’s where you need to begin. I recommend listening to the classic Write Now podcast episodes: “How To Prioritize Your Writing – WN 055” and “Say Yes To Writing – WN 009”. 🙂