Hopefully not, dear reader. But most of us are in fall/autumn and going into winter- some faster than others; the local high temperature for today is about 85 degrees. On the other hand, the highs for next week are about 55 degrees. So who knows how fast winter’s going to arrive?- and it’s the perfect time to check in with yourself and others. It’s much easier to have your butt in the chair and fingers on the keyboard if you don’t have a bunch of other distractions piling up. Also, checking your habits now will give you enough time to make changes before November, if you’re doing NaNoWriMo; or before the holidays kick off and throw everything into chaos.

So, because a couple of us at MGC independently decided to do checklists on various topics, here’s my contribution:

Light. Does your workspace have enough light? Does it have the right kinds of lights?- specifically, can you change the color of the light according to when you should be revving up or winding down? Blue light in the mornings, yellow light in the evenings, works best for most people. If you need curtains to block light at certain times of day- this is me!- or need an additional light fixture, add it to your shopping list. Remember that the days are getting shorter, and the angle of the light is changing, so what worked a couple of months ago to keep the sun out of your eyes in your workspace, might not work anymore. Adjust your setup as needed.

Sleep. Also really important. Most people need between seven and eight hours a night to function at their peak, and some people handle sleep deprivation better than others (as I look around guiltily, having gotten a maximum of five hours of sleep for the past couple of nights. No, don’t look at the pile of books by my bed; that of course has nothing to do with it). Also make sure that your sleeping area is clean, a comfortable temperature, and that your pillows haven’t gone unacceptably flat. If they have, new pillows are about five dollars at Walmart; go get a couple of new ones.

Exercise. This gets harder as the weather gets cold and the snow flies. On the other hand, denizens of the southern regions are probably delighted to be able to go outside without baking in triple digit heat. Whatever your situation, you probably need to move more, so, go for walks, keep a set of dumbbells nearby- you can also use household items like that gallon of milk in your fridge that weighs about eight pounds- or learn some stretches. If you’re not used to exercising, go slow and don’t hurt yourself. Also, get up and move around for a few minutes every hour, if you’re in the middle of a long streak of work; sitting for long periods of time is bad for your circulatory system.

Distractions. So many distractions. I’ve been trying to finish projects and clear the decks recently, and it’s working, but while that’s happening, my desk tends to get a little messy. Without turning my head, I can sit in my writing chair and see two crochet projects, innumerable sewing projects, daily, weekly, and ongoing to do lists, books, a magazine, woodworking plans, and a whole lot of other of other stuff- and this is an improvement; for a while, there were a few pieces of horse’s tack taking up space while I figured out how to change the stirrups on an Australian saddle. If you’re like me, take a few minutes to remove clutter from your workspace. Put away that screwdriver that you keep meaning to put back in the toolbox; file those papers that have been sitting out for a month; even lining up your shoes neatly can help reduce mental workload and make it easier to write. And every project that’s finished is one less project taking up bandwidth (though I find that more projects show up to fill the available space. Oh, well. At least the initial project is off the books). And while you’re cleaning off your desk, make sure your chair is still comfortable, and your monitor and keyboard are at a comfortable height. Bad ergonomics are a different type of distracting, but they’re distracting nonetheless.

Diet. Food, glorious food! And this is the time of year when there’s so much of it. It’s apple season, pumpkin season, maple season (which always amuses me because maple syrup is made in late winter, not fall) and of course, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg have made their usual appearance, to the delight of some and the consternation of others. Soon it’ll be peppermint and chocolate season. It’s so hard to restrain oneself from partaking of all the goodies, but we must persist, dear reader. Writing isn’t an athletic activity, it’s true, but any kind of work is easier if you have good, balanced nutrition. What that means for each person is a little different.

Health in general. Go to the doctor. Go to the dentist. Make sure your glasses are still the right prescription. Take your vitamins. Work is hard enough; it’s much harder if you’re in pain, or you can’t see what you’re doing. And most health problems are easier to treat if they’re caught early, so you’ll spend less time away from the things you want to be doing.

Routine. Have you noticed that these suggestions are getting less universal as they go? I didn’t do that on purpose. In any case, routines are highly individual, and can be more necessary to some people than others. I find that sitting down for a two hour block each morning is the most productive way to write (and yes, I’m aware that this makes writing a part time job. Bite me. Running this household is my other part time job, and between the two, the work week is more than forty hours). Some people prefer the afternoon or evening, or to do their work in short chunks spaced throughout the day. To each his own, and part of becoming a writer is learning what works for you- and that may change over time, so it’s wise to check in with yourself every once in a while and make sure the old routine is still working. “Because I’ve always done it this way,” is a legitimate reason to do something, but it might not be the best reason forever.

Mental Health. What’s stressing you out? Is there anything you can do about it? If so, good; do it. If not, can you channel those feelings into solving another problem in your life? Look around; examine your life. Are there problems that are going to come up later, that you can solve now, before they become urgent? Can you get ahead of some upcoming deadlines? Winter is a difficult time for a lot of people, including myself, and front-loading work now can give you a feeling of accomplishment, and reduce stress later on. Less stress and better mental health usually leads to more productive writing.

What did I miss? What are some areas of daily life that you’re evaluating as the season changes? Are you content with your setup, or are you thinking of making some alterations? Sing out, so we can all get some ideas we wouldn’t have thought of on our own.