Stress Management as a Copywriter
I have a shocking confession to make.
I’m not just a copywriter, I’m also a certified meditation instructor.
“What, what, WHAT?!” you say.
In the immortal words of a young girl I once saw in a taco shell commercial: “porque no los dos?”
I got started with professional copywriting around the same time I began studying yoga and meditation with the intention of teaching it (hasn’t happened yet - thanks global pandemic!).
Just like I’d been writing copy for my own businesses for about 15 years, I had been meditating and doing yoga for fun and relaxation for 20+ years when I decided to learn how to do it professionally.
Through a series of odd happenings, the yoga teacher training is on hold. But the copywriting and meditation studies have been going full steam ahead for over a year.
It may seem like an unusual combination, but copywriting and meditation go really well together!
Unfortunately for me, I tend to be a rather high strung individual. It’s in part due to being a highly sensitive person and how I respond to the overwhelm of motherhood. There’s a lot of stress in my life, and there isn’t much I can do to reduce it. Being “stuck inside my own head” can be a real challenge.
I’m going to level with you - things can get more than a bit nerve-wracking around here. It used to be “just” the stress of raising (and homeschooling!) two autistic kiddos. Since I’ve gone full time with my business and my husband is freelancing from home now too, our situation has changed, and so has my Stress-O-Meter reading…
Meditation helps me direct my wild energy into focussed creativity so that I can hone in on one theme or idea at a time, think deeply and creatively about it, and come up with impactful copy for my clients. It helps me tune out the noise (sometimes quite literally), and lets me engage deeply with the task at hand.
While my situation is unique, stress is not. I know that being a human person doing any job or living any sort of life can be stressful, so consider this my little gift to you…
Here are my Top 5 Tips for managing stress as a copywriter. I think you’ll find they’d work well for just about any freelancer or business owner.
Timebox your schedule, or at the very least make a rough plan. Knowing what you have to get done, when you have deadlines and meetings, and how you can fit in having an actual life makes a big difference in stress levels. My favorite book on the subject is Indistracable by Nir Eyal (I wrote a whole blog post about it you can read here).
Make time for meditation. For me, this has been critical. You don’t need to become a certified teacher (but I’m happy to point you in the right direction if you’re interested!).
Even 10-15 minutes a day can set your tone and intention, reduce cortisol levels, help you focus, and bring clarity to your creativity.
There are tons of videos on YouTube that will guide you through a practice. This is one of my favorite channels.
Don’t make it all work, keep some time for yourself. Ideas can’t spontaneously create themselves in a vacuum - you simply cannot come up with innovative ideas if all you do is write, write, business stuff, write All. Day. Long.
You need time to do the things that fill you up as a human and fuel your creativity.
For me, that’s reading, meditation, gardening, and being a pan-craftual person. This book may prove helpful if you need some convincing on this topic (its one of my faves!),
Focus on self care. This has been a theme through several of the other suggestions but self care deserves it’s own spot on the list. And, I don’t just mean mimosa brunch with the gals on Sunday, or manicures every week.
I’m talking about the down and dirty, not-so fun stuff that we sometimes put off in favor of the flashy things...
Schedule your yearly check-up.
Do your weekly meal plan/prep.
Set some goals and stick to them.
Find an accountability partner!
Make a budget for both your personal and business accounts.
Connect with those people that bring you joy in a way you find meaningful.
Reduce (as best you can) the things that don’t bring you closer to your goals.
Tell resistance and impostor syndrome to GTFO, then go kick ass and take some names!
Plan out your goals. Do you have a clear idea where your business is going in the next week? Month? Year? Five years?!
For me, I have a 10 year plan.
Years 3-9 are a bit fuzzy since its impossible to plan in depth that far in advance. I need to remain flexible to see what opportunities come my way in that time frame. But, I know where this bus is heading, who is driving, and who I want to get on along the way.
Getting clear on my why was HUGE in determining my next steps. Each week, I set goals for my business and personal life. Every month I review them, and each quarter, I set new goals and reflect on the past three months. I check to make sure my goals are in line with my current year’s plan as well as my 10 year vision.
Most importantly, I make sure whatever I’m working on is moving me towards my long term goals - if it isn’t, I don’t do it.
Having a plan reduces overwhelm, while giving me clarity, purpose, and direction. Plus, those who have a written plan are 42% more likely to achieve their goals!
Stress is unavoidable, and while not easy to manage, can certainly be reduced by the choices we make. I hope this list resonated with you, and that it will help reduce your stress levels.
Let me know what you think if you try any of these techniques! Comment below or feel free to email me...I love knowing when I help other business owners grow, thrive, and achieve their goals.
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