NaNoWriMo Stress Management

To reach 50k wordies in 1 month; it can be stressful throughout the process. I'm hoping these following tips will help along with our Time Management post.

Not all stress can be avoided. You may be surprised, however, by the number of stressors in your life that you can eliminate.

Learn how to say 'no' – Know your limits and stick to them. Explain to your family and friends now that you will be busy ALL of November. This will limit the invites. DO however leave time for holiday celebrations, i.e. Thanksgiving.
Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently bugging you that your writing is not important, limit contact during November. This helps with saying 'no'.
Take control of your environment – Set a time to write. Turn off TV, facebook, and any other things that distract you. Find your music 'playlist' and get it going. Don't forget snackies and drinks. Caffeine will probably be a must during this time.
Be willing to compromise- When you ask someone to change writing times, be willing to as long as you are just moving the time rather than canceling it all together.
Pare down your to-do list – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely. Prepare your meals ahead of time.
Take it 1 wordie at a time-  Every single wordie gets you closer to 50k. Set your goals for each day and do NOT worry if you miss it. There are other days where you will do many more wordies than your goal. (I have managed 10k in 5 hours with no kids of course).
Use Wordsprints to your advantage- These help motivate you and get those wordies you want to have. @FriNightWrites they do sprints all day/night on Fridays. @GetWordies here we will have our 2 10k Writathons and many sprints during the month of November. @NaNoWordSprints  will be doing many sprints as well. Look to our HashTags page for tags.
Relax and recharge your mind- Healthy ways to relax and recharge...

• Go for a walk.
• Spend time in nature.
• Do a chore that bothers you the most.
• Sweat out tension with a good workout.
• Take a long bath.
• Light scented candles.
• Savor a warm cup of coffee or tea.
• Play with a pet.
• Water plants or change fish tank water.
• Get a massage.
• Curl up with a good book.
• Change your music selection.
• Watch TV for 1 episode of your favorite show.

Don’t get so caught up in the wordie goal that you forget to take care of your own needs- Nurturing yourself is a necessity, not a luxury. A healthy body helps make you focused.

Set aside relaxation time- Include rest and relaxation in your daily schedule. Don’t allow other obligations to encroach. This is your time to take a break from all responsibilities and recharge your batteries. Whether is be 5 minutes of 30. It doesn't matter.

Connect with others- Spend time with positive people who encourage your writing. A strong support person will help displace negative comments.

Keep your sense of humor- This includes the ability to laugh at yourself. The act of laughing helps your body fight stress in a number of ways.

Organizational skills- If your physical surroundings (office, desk, kitchen, closet, car) are well organized, you won't be faced with the stress of misplaced notes ans plot info. Make it a habit to periodically clean and sort through the messes of paperwork and clutter that accumulate over the days. Scrivener helps me keep organized. Everything is right there in the program. No open several ones to see what I need.

These are just a few ways that I hope will help you with your 50k wordies goal.