Hello all! Thank you so much for joining me for my monthly author column here at Love Bytes. Today I’m chatting about something that can and does happen to many authors. These days there’s so much to keep up with. As I write this, I have six blog tour posts to write and put together, THIRDS Thursday to write, a cover reveal post to put together, three series blurbs to write, a guest post to format and schedule, proof for Smoke & Mirrors, and a book to finish by the end of the month. This is all this week’s to-do list. Most week’s this is what my task list looks like, with edits, and some real life stuff thrown in.

I’m a full time writer with no kids, unless you count the fur baby. I know authors who have kids and spouses, and sometimes full-time jobs as well and they write, promo, do a lot of the things I do, which is incredible. I get so caught up in my writing cave, I have days I’m lucky I remember to feed myself.

I sustained an incredibly busy and hectic schedule pretty much non-stop for almost two years. Work, writing, promo, conferences, writing, work, promo, and so on. Then I got back from RT with the dreaded con crud and was out for almost three weeks. The only thing I could do was sleep. I know it doesn’t seem like a big deal. Three weeks. Well, three weeks in my little writer world plays havoc with my schedule. Deadlines get missed, things get pushed back, emails and notifications build up. Usually when I get sick, I recover and bounce back. There was no bouncing this time. It concerned me. Spending another day in bed sounded really appealing. Slowly I started catching up on emails and smaller tasks, but I wasn’t feeling well, not in my heart or my head.

It suddenly struck me that if I didn’t do something, and pretty quick, that I was going to burnout. I could feel it. It was terrifying. I’m usually the cheerful, nutty person that my friends turn to when they’re feeling under the weather or need a little cheering up. I felt bad because I couldn’t be that person at that moment. I didn’t know how to cheer me up much less someone else. I had to step away from desk, leave the office, and stay out for a few days so I could work things out in my head. Figure out what I needed.

I spent a few days just doing anything but working. I gave myself permission to do nothing. Let me tell you, that was not an easy thing to do. After a few days, I knew what I had to do. I spoke to two of my best buds, and said “we need to get together every month.” They were happily on board.  Once a month I would go away for a few days to do nothing but hang out with good friends. Of course there would be a little working involved because two of us have jobs that aren’t 9-5. So as I write this, we’re in the middle of our first four-day mini-retreat, and it’s exactly what I needed. It’s the reason I’m able to write this post.

Over the last three days we laughed during Pirate Radio, cried during Big Eden, marveled at Nathan Fillion during Firefly. We listened to Frog on audiobook. We shopped till we dropped, worked on our planners, had some super tasty sushi, made cauliflower pizzas, told silly jokes, laughed until we were in tears, teased each other mercilessly, and overall have had an amazing time. It was exactly what I needed. I had hobbies. They used to be reading, writing, and drawing. Those hobbies are now part of my job. I love it, and hope that I can continue doing what I love for many years to come. I work hard. Very hard. But all that working isn’t going to do me any good if I don’t take care of me. Not just physically, but in my head and my heart.

So it’s important, whether you’re an author or not, to take care of you. We get so caught up in the “I have to do this. I need to do this. I’d like to do this…” taking on more and more until our brain and body decides for us that it’s had enough. Do something that makes you happy outside of what you do. To have fun, smile, and give yourself permission to take a break. Whether it’s taking up photography, coloring, starting a garden, walking dogs, do something you enjoy, because life should be about more than just working, even if you love your job.

So what do you do to get away from it all for a little while?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

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