Writers: Don’t Forget to Breathe

You are writing a short story. You’re excited about it, but also tense. It’s an important story. It seems to be turning out especially well, and you want to keep it going, to make sure it pans out. Breathe.

You’ve just gotten another rejection. That’s the tenth this month. You try not to feel too bad about it—you’ve been through this before. You know that rejection is just part of the writing life. Still, it hurts. Remember to breathe.

Your cover letter is almost finished. A couple more revisions, and you’ll be sending it off to agents, hoping to get representation for your novel. You keep thinking this letter could make the difference between success and failure. A lot is resting on it. Don’t forget to breathe.

If you’re like me—and like many writers—you may have a tendency to hold your breath when you write, especially when you feel anxious or tense.  Linda Stone, an expert on the physiological effects of technology use, claims that 80% of us have a tendency to stop breathing when we work at a keyboard. The scientific data to back up her claim are thin at best—there doesn’t seem to be any actual research behind her numbers. But anecdotal evidence lends some credence to the notion that writers sometimes forget to breathe.

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I’ve noticed that my own breathing often becomes shallow and constricted when I write—and that sometimes I’m holding my breath without realizing it. Blogger Adam Clarke Estes has reported the same thing.  “While working on an especially stressful post and a particularly challenging paragraph, I started getting lightheaded. I’d stopped breathing. This was no medical emergency. I pulled my fingers off the keys, kicked back from my desk and took a gulp air. . . A head shake and a couple breaths later, and I was back at it. Within minutes, the same light-headed feeling was back. I’d stopped breathing, again!”

Whether it’s tension over our writing, poor sitting posture, ergonomic problems, or as Stone calls it , “email apnea,” holding your breath when you write is a terrible habit. It upsets the body’s balance of oxygen and carbon dioxide, can lead to headaches and neck pain , impacts your immune system, and drains your energy. Breathing deeply is calming, releases toxins from the body, and helps clear our minds.

Recently, I’ve been paying attention to my breath when I write. When I notice I’m holding my breath, or breathing in short, constricted gasps as I tend to do at times, I straighten my back and take a few deep breaths.

Check our your own breathing when you write. Are you breathing unevenly? Are you holding your breath? What can you do to remind yourself to breathe?