Call for Resources

I love a good list. In fact, if you could see my office, you’d find about 20 colored Post-It notes with different lists. Some are reminders and some are to-do lists. Some are notes from calls I didn’t know were going to happen and had to write something down before I forgot. 

But my favorite lists are resources. Helpful websites, books, videos, etc. that you can learn from. It could be because learning is one of my strengths and that I enjoy it. There’s something comforting about having a list of places to go when you have a question or need help, though. There’s something satisfying in knowing that you’re not the only person who thinks about things in categories and wonders if other people might find them helpful.

This is why the Resources page on my new website is so meaningful to me. 

It started with the resources from writing my book, Storytelling for Everyday People. But many things I know come from experience - they’re not listable, tangible articles you can read or a video you can watch. I can’t list teaching experience as a resource because you can’t really access my brain like it’s Google, right? 

From the outset, that’s been a question on my mind: how can I make this page the most useful list possible? How do I get more resources without seeming disingenuous or like I’m going on the internet to find random sources to beef up a web page? Because one thing is for sure: NOTHING on the website is random. Every step and design choice - even colors and images - are intentional. 

That’s how I landed on submissions. Who best to share resources than experts using and creating them? 

What’s on the Resources Page

When you land on the Resources page, you’ll notice 3 main sections after the welcome message. The current categories are Websites & Articles, Books, and Talks. I landed on these sections because they tend to cover a pretty wide selection of information you can read and watch. In the future, I could see this being extended to podcasts and interviews as well, but for now, you’ll find most videos under Talks. 

The Websites & Articles section is the most defined with 6 sections: 

• Mental health

• Therapy

• Learning & Confidence

• Writing

• Writing & Book Coaching

• Blogging 

The books and talks are listed as a group. As people submit more resources, you’ll start seeing more sections in those areas as well. It’s a living list, so my goal is for it to continue growing and become a go-to place for those looking for resources about writing, confidence, mental health, and eventually addiction recovery. 

Where & How to Submit + Standards

If you or your business have a resource that could be helpful for those in the mental health and addiction recovery communities, feel free to submit it! All you have to do is go to the Resources page, scroll down to the bottom, and click the button that says “Submit Resource(s).”

When you submit, it sends me an email so I can see and review the resources. 

Once I get the notification, I’ll go read or watch/listen to the piece. If it’s a website, I check the organization and domain authority to make sure the source is legitimate. If I can’t find a website that clearly explains who the organization is or what it does, the resource doesn’t make the cut. I need to know the information is reliable so I’m not sharing incorrect information or propaganda. No spam here!

I also don’t accept sales pages or pitches for products and services. Same with polarizing or unrelated opinions. None of those are really resources, so they don’t belong on a page that’s free and meant to provide help.  

After the source is vetted, I’ll put it up on the website where it can start helping more people.

Within the first couple of weeks of the new submission system, I’ve already gotten a couple of submissions. Very exciting! I can’t wait to see all of the helpful resources out there in the world that I don’t know about yet. 

In the meantime, I’ll keep making my fun colored lists on Post-Its and sticking them everywhere. It makes my office more home-y, and to be honest, I can’t imagine working in a space that didn’t have notes everywhere. It just feels like a learner’s place to be. 

If you have a resource or know about a business or organization that would be a good fit, feel free to share the website and resources page! The more the merrier. Let’s work together to make the world a more informed and helpful place.

7 Unexpected Ways Meditation Helps My Writing

Meditation, like self-care, is a hot topic right now. Or maybe it’s always been a hot topic and I just never noticed until I started doing it. 

I didn’t believe it would work, at least not at first. I took a yoga class in college (because my college required a physical education class...gross), and I loved the yoga part. 

We would also do meditations at the end of class each day, which was super uncomfortable the first few weeks. I mean, who really wants to lay on a yoga mat in an exercise studio with a bunch of people they don’t know and try to get zen? 

It also freaked me out to seemingly give up control of my body for a little bit and actually relax. At the time, I hadn’t yet taken any steps to control my anxiety, so you can probably imagine how tense it was. 

Just as I started to get used to it, though (and actually enjoy it), the class ended. Of course. 

I didn’t pick it back up until early 2020 when the proverbial shit hit the fan and I HAD to figure out how to deal with my anxiety. There was so much going on, and although napping does help me (I’m super open about it - such a creative boost!), it was getting into the nap that was the problem. 

Relaxing enough to shut my mind down even for 15 minutes was a huge problem, so I wracked my poor stressed out brain to figure out what to do. I was willing to try pretty much anything. 

Enter: meditation. 

What Do I Mean by Meditation?

Real quick, before we get to how meditation is pretty much a life (and business) saver for me, I wanted to touch on what I mean because there are different kinds of meditation. When I first learned about it, I kind of thought that only monks meditated - and maybe those who were hardcore yoga practitioners who were in it for the spiritual aspects. It was a super stereotypical assumption, and I’m happy to report that I was wrong! 

Spiritual meditation is a popular practice, and there are a ton of great resources about it. That’s not the kind of meditation I do, though. I use guided imagery meditation. I also don’t meditate at 5 am before anyone is awake - I do it in the afternoon, typically after lunch or mid-afternoon when I look up from whatever project I’m working on and realize that my brain needs a break or a reset. 

I have a couple of apps that I love, and there are lots of free audios to choose from. My favorite is Insight Timer, and I use it both for afternoon meditation and sleep stories at night before I go to bed. I don’t have the premium membership ($59.99/year), but that’s probably something I will purchase next year because I use and enjoy it so much.

Why I Meditate 3-4 Afternoons a Week

So here’s the fun part: all the reasons I meditate on the regular. My goal for August is actually to meditate 4 times a week, which is lofty. As you probably know, being busy makes your schedule a little unpredictable! 

But this particular part of my day is SO worth it. 

Part of my meditation practice is selfish...it helps puppy Maxwell take a nap in the afternoon. I don’t know if you have furry friends at home with you, but with 2 fur babies and myself at home almost all the time (because I work remotely), we NEED naptime in my house. By the afternoon, he’s ready, but fighting it because he has serious FOMO (which I’ve come to realize most little creatures do, human or animal) and he thinks that even though I’ve been massively boring to him and Charlie all day so far, I’m going to jump up and party without him or something. I’m not, but he doesn’t realize that. So when I get ready to meditate, I put him in his sleeping area and I lay in bed for about 15 minutes and get up while he’s still snoozing. 

Amidst the quiet house, because Charlie is always willing to take a snooze no matter what time of day, I get up feeling refreshed and ready to create. The meditations that I do often involve an element of intentional breathing and mindfulness, so any kind of worry or anxiety that has crept into my subconscious is cleared out.

Sometimes this is a bigger deal than others, especially if I’ve been working on a tight deadline or stressful project. Meditation essentially offers me a reset button for my mind. When you weigh 15 minutes of refresh vs. 15 minutes of barely pushing yourself to write another paragraph, the refresh is obviously the better (and more logical choice). 

When I’ve reset my mind and cleared out any worries, I’m always amazed at how clearly I can figure out what I need to do next. Also, it makes me hella creative because I don’t have to create past all that other crap - it’s almost like starting a brand new day halfway through the current day. 

It’s a nice way to break things up, and I’m almost always excited to dive back into projects. The times I’m not, I can at least handle it maturely instead of sitting down to binge-watch nature documentaries on Disney+ for the rest of the day. 

One of the best things about meditation is that it makes me excited about my own writing. If you follow me on social media, you’ll know that there have been a couple of rough patches with my personal writing in the last year (if you don’t, let’s connect!). As it turns out, when you write so much for other people, it can leave you drained of creative energy for your own projects no matter how much you love them. That’s also not great when you’re supposed to be helping other people write creatively. 

“When I amped up my meditation practice this spring, I was surprised at how much of a boost it gave me. And how much clarity for what parts of my creativity I can lean into right now.”

So when I amped up my meditation practice this spring, I was surprised at how much of a boost it gave me. And how much clarity for what parts of my creativity I can lean into right now. I’m pleased to say that I actually have multiple creative projects going on right now, and I have a standing writing date with myself on Friday afternoons. That would be decidedly impossible without meditation and clearing my mind so much throughout the week. 

I feel like I could talk about meditation all day long - I DO talk about it a lot! It’s made such a big impact on my life and creativity, and I think it could help you, too. You may not “get it” the first time or two. I definitely didn’t! But if you stick with it for a little while, I’m willing to bet you’ll start seeing some of these benefits, too. 

My challenge to you is to try meditation - more than once because it’s a habit - and see how it could help you. 

Do you meditate? What do you use for your meditations? How has meditation helped you? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

Grammarly Review

The Product - What is It?

Grammarly is a free downloadable tool that helps users edit while writing. It can be downloaded to a desktop or used in a browser for any type of writing. There is a paid option, but I like the free version, so we’ll stick to that for today. 

How It Works

To use Grammarly, you have to download it to our computer first. I have it installed on my Google Chrome browser so it can help me while I write blog posts, emails, social media posts, or whatever else I happen to write online. 

As you write, Grammarly checks your spelling and grammar. It can show definitions or synonyms of words, and predict what you should say next. You can determine what tools you want to use and turn off the ones you don’t want. 

If you’re writing something and don’t want Grammarly to keep chiming in with suggestions, you can turn it off. Don’t worry, if you want to do a spelling and grammar check at the end, you can turn it back on and it will show you all the suggestions. 

Inside Grammarly

Grammarly gives suggestions based on four aspects of writing: 

1. Correctness - whether there are mistakes

2. Clarity - how easy it is to tell what you are saying

3. Engagement - how interesting your writing is to readers; diction (the words you use, the flow of your writing, etc.)

4. Delivery - how the writing sounds to readers; tone (excited, informal, optimistic, etc.)

You can see the edits Grammarly wants to make right on the writing itself, through underlining. You can also check the small circle in the bottom right corner of the screen. It can be green or red, depending on if it thinks the writing needs help. When you click the circle, it gives you an in-depth look at the edits. 

This in-depth look is where Grammarly tells you which aspect the edit falls under. That makes it easier to tell if it’s a necessary edit or something based on your own preference. 

Preview of Grammarly

Pros & Cons

Top Pros:

• By using Grammarly, editing becomes more thorough and accurate. This helps ensure when people are reading your work, they don’t stumble on easily fixable or obvious mistakes. When I’m reading a book, blog post, or other writing, glaring mistakes in the middle of the page take me out of the story and make me nitpick the rest of the writing. It definitely makes reading less enjoyable. Using a tool like Grammarly is a great way to make sure our writing is as readable as possible.

• Another great pro is that it’s free! There’s a premium version that gives you more in-depth suggestions, but it isn’t necessary, at least not for most things. With the free version, you can still see spelling and grammar mistakes, along with some other clarifying edits. I use the free version, and found it very useful for all of my writing. 

Top Cons:

• Sometimes Grammarly gives suggestions that aren’t what we want or don’t work for the sentence. For example, below I wrote “Grammarly picks up on them all” and it suggested I change “up on” to “upon” which is not what I mean. In these cases, you can just ignore the suggestions. 

• If you forget to turn off Grammarly, it will pop up in all writing circumstances, even when it’s not wanted. It’s a small inconvenience, but can be annoying. I ignore it when I’m not using it, but sometimes it can be hard to ignore, like when you’re trying to type up a quick email and it keeps predicting text you don’t actually want to use.

Overall Usefulness

Overall, Grammarly is extremely useful. There have been plenty of times when I’m writing too fast and don’t notice I used a wrong word or spelled something incorrectly. Grammarly is on top of it and corrects me. 

Even when rereading it’s easy to miss some smaller mistakes, but Grammarly picks up on them all. It ensures that my emails aren’t filled with embarrassing mistakes and that my blog posts make sense! 

Those pesky edits we miss can put a damper on our writing, and Grammarly is a great tool to use to make sure that those edits get included. 

I would recommend Grammarly to any writer. It can be helpful in many ways. If it’s not for you, at least you gave it a try!

My challenge to you is to try Grammarly for a week. 

Do you use Grammarly or another app for editing your writing? How does it work for you? Would you recommend it to other writers? I’d love to hear about your experiences and recommendations! Find me on social media or drop a comment below.

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.

11 Unexpected Time Management Hacks for Writers

Most of us feel busy. Because of the popular messaging to keep “grinding” and “side hustling,” it can be hard as a writer to find time to spend on actually doing what we love. Not just writing for business or work or a client, but writing creatively on our books, poetry, essays - whatever it is that we write because we love it. 

While it’s hard to make time for our own creative writing, it can be even harder to enjoy that time when we know that there are other responsibilities looming. 

How can one really enjoy being in the throes of a first kiss or daring escape from a pirate ship if we’re worried about the pile of dishes in the sink? Or the emails that need a response today.

“As writers, we should treat our writing as a task to be completed. Not in a checklist way, but in a way that makes it important enough to schedule time for. ”

It’s all about time management. I’m very pro-taking breaks, but that can feel counterproductive when the work seems to overwhelm us. As writers, we should treat our writing as a task to be completed. Not in a checklist way, but in a way that makes it important enough to schedule time for. It’s a worthy investment of your time, so it should get some of that valuable space on your calendar and in your day! 

Why is Time Management Important? 

Time management is one of those things that people always talk about, and yet, many people still struggle. I know there are days where I stare at my calendar and my to do list and say “What was I thinking? Why the heck would I schedule ALL of that on one day?” 

Can you relate?

I’m definitely not here to lecture you about how you manage your time. If there’s one thing I’ve learned playing so many different roles throughout my life it’s that we all handle things uniquely. What’s right for me may not be right for you, and what works for you may not work for me. 

I am here, however, as an advocate of managing your time intentionally. Time management is so important! Here’s why:

• Sanity - If you don’t plan for the things you like, want, and need alongside work, you will be unhappy, and there’s a good possibility that you’ll drive yourself nuts trying to keep up with the “to-do” items, let alone trying to make progress on your beloved writing project. 

• Productivity - Being in a constant “grinding” state of mind is not the way to be the most productive. While it is necessary sometimes, burnout is real and it is terrible for productivity. When you manage your time, you can do more with less time - you might even find that you can create “free time” - isn’t that the dream!

• Work Life Balance - The ever-sought, ever-failed idea of work life balance can be tricky. You aren’t going to get there overnight, but with some time management, it is possible for most of us. Also, taking a break is critical! Your life outside of your work is important and the balance in your life should reflect that.

11 Unexpected Hacks to Manage Time as a Writer

So how do we get this golden unicorn of work life balance? We use time management, and we manage the crap out of it!

I won’t say it’s easy, because it’s not.

I’m also not going to say that every single thing you do should be managed and calendared, because for many of us that’s more stressful than having a long list to begin with. 

“Managing your time as a writer doesn’t have to be complicated. ”

Managing your time as a writer doesn’t have to be complicated. Nothing I’m suggesting is a “never before seen” strategy. All of these hacks, though (however unexpected they might be) are things that WORK. T

I use them, I suggest them to my clients, my writer friends use them - sharing is caring, right? These strategies are meant not just to help you complete “all the things,” but help you be productive with the time you spend on your writing. I wanted to share hacks to show you that even if you are scheduled to the max, there are ways to write and enjoy it. 

1. Time Your Writing - On your mark, get set, write! For 30 minutes. Or maybe 60 minutes. Setting a timer can help you get in the mindset of productivity and focus for your writing.

   If you can clear more time than 60 minutes of uninterrupted time and you think you can focus that long, go for it! If, however, you find yourself consistently booked out with other obligations, start with 30 minutes at least once a week. 

   Why it works: Knowing that you have a whole half an hour or hour to just be with your words can be invaluable, especially when you have a lot of work and/or home responsibilities. You’re taking time for yourself and what you love, which is equally as important as other aspects of “adulting.”

2. Use the Pomodoro Method - If you haven’t heard about the Pomodoro Technique, it’s pretty great. The idea is that you set a timer for 25 minutes and work on one task for those 25 minutes without interruption. When the timer is up, you take a quick break and then set the timer for another 25 minutes. After 4 “pomodoros” you take a longer break to refresh your brain. This is another, more involved form of timing your writing. 

   Why it works: Similar to timing your writing in a more unstructured way, the Pomodoro technique was specifically designed to maximize productivity and take advantage of how the brain works and how long it can focus. Although you don’t have to stick to the 25 minutes strictly, you might be surprised by how much you can get done in 25 minutes! I use a similar technique using the Forest App (it’s free in the Google Play Store & the Apple Store!).

3. Take Breaks Often - This might sound counterproductive because you want to focus, but taking frequent breaks helps our brain rest and feel rejuvenated. Taking short breaks of 5-10 minutes at least once an hour when we’re focusing on our writing can help us physically and restore creative stamina. 

   Why it works: While it’s tempting to sit for hours and hours and just type away on our stories, we really do need to give our brain time to recover from all that hard work it’s doing. After all, when we write, we’re creating a world for our readers. If that’s not hard work, I don’t know what is!

4. Take Regular Walks & Stretch Breaks - When we’re taking breaks, it’s important to move and stretch. Whether this means taking a lap around the block, getting a drink, or stretching out on the floor for a few minutes, your body (particularly your back & neck) needs to move around in order to avoid getting stiff and sore. 

   Why it works: Moving around and taking in new scenery after you’ve been thoroughly entrenched in your writing can help your brain stay sharp and catch small details you might miss if you’re staring at the screen for too long. 

5. Do Something Unrelated - When we’re focusing really intently on something, we get absorbed into it and therefore it can create a kind of tunnel vision. When we’re taking our breaks (and making sure to stretch our bodies out), doing something completely unrelated to your writing project at hand can be just the thing to snap you out of your word trance. 

   Why it works: Changing gears for just a moment can help our brain remember that it’s powerful. It isn’t limited to your mundane daily responsibilities, but it also isn’t just for creating this one world you’re writing about. It’s a pretty big player in all areas of your life, even if it feels like mush after a writing session.

6. Meditate - I’ve found very few things that work as quickly to calm a racing or single-track mind than meditating. Doing mindful breathing and purposefully clearing your mind can work wonders for our creativity and writing.

   Why it works: When we write, our brains are cranking away. If you, like many writers, find that your character writes the story for you (that happens for me), sometimes we can come out of a writing session feeling disoriented for a little while. To combat this, I regularly do short 3-10 minute meditations to clear all the junk out of my mind. I use the Insight Timer and Stop Panic and Anxiety apps (both free in the app store). 

7. Take a Nap - Taking a nap for 15 minutes can do a world of good for your creative soul, and your weary body. Don’t succumb to the urge to spend the whole afternoon or evening in bed, but doing a short meditation and then a short nap can skyrocket creativity and productivity.

   Why it works: When you sleep, your body relaxes. It releases stress and anxiety, which is always helpful when productivity is involved. How many times have you been so worried or overwhelmed that you literally sat there trying desperately to figure out how to do all the things? Shutting your eyes and taking a few minutes of quiet is an extremely effective way to overcome overwhelm. 

8. Read a Book - It might seem unconventional to read other people’s words as a way to manage time, but reading is critical for writers. It’s a necessary part of growing and honing your craft. Plus, when you read other people’s words you get new ideas, or engage with familiar ideas in new ways. 

   Why it works: Planning time to read, even if it’s just when you’re in the bathroom for 10 minutes or 15 minutes right before you go to bed is helpful! Most writers like to read, and even if you don’t, you should (exposure to other writing is important), so hopefully adding an element of reading in your time management is a pleasant task.

9. Clean Something - If you, like many of us these days, find yourself at home most of the time, it’s easy to get distracted from your writing by the mess around you. Maybe it’s all the shoes sitting around your living room. Or if you’re in the office, seeing multiple stacks of paper all over your desk that you can’t just pitch in the trash can. So clean something! Take a few minutes and choose one thing to clean. 

   Why it works: Being surrounded by an overstimulating and overwhelming environment is a huge distraction for your creativity. Cleaning one thing around you can help you feel “productive” and also pull you out of your own mind long enough to figure out where you want to go next with your writing. 

10. Work Away from Home Sometimes - Our home means a lot to us. It’s where we have memories, pets, loved ones, or even just our comfiest ratty PJs. As much as we love home, we need to get away sometimes. I try to work away from home at least once or twice a week, but even if you have a goal of once every two weeks or once a month that’s a good start!

    Why it works: Being away from home shifts our perspective, allows us to see new surroundings, and really focus on what we’re doing. 

11. Travel somewhere - Much like working away from home, traveling can help us feel inspired and refreshed, especially in light of the many restrictions we’ve had this year. It doesn’t have to be far - even a day trip works - but going somewhere new can be an excellent way to rejuvenate and increase productivity and creativity.

    Why it works: You’re out of your element, out of your comfort zone, and there are different considerations for travel than when you’re sitting at home huddled at your computer desk with your 4th cup of coffee. It refreshes your mind, and allows you to see new things that could influence your writing in ways you hadn’t thought about. 

Next Steps

For writers, managing time can be hard because sometimes our creativity takes a backseat to other things that seem more important. 

“It’s not always about putting as many things on your calendar as you can. ”

But, you can plan in ways that help you write better (& enjoy it) and be more efficient. It’s not always about putting as many things on your calendar as you can. Sometimes it’s about working from a new coffee shop down the road for the afternoon, or mindfully meditating for 10 minutes to clear your mind during a hectic day. Time management isn’t easy, but it doesn’t always have to be so complicated, either. 

So what do you do with this information?

1. Figure out what you have to do & make a list: List out what you have to do either on paper or digitally - wherever you will actually look at. It might seem overwhelming, and sometimes it is, but list it out anyway. Include your writing on the list.

   NOTE: I like to plan my week on Monday mornings. I make the list for the whole week and then I list out what day I will do what task on, including my writing. 

2. Choose one of the strategies and try it this week: Look through the strategies again and choose one to help you manage your time differently starting THIS WEEK.

3. Get an accountability partner: If you want someone to help keep you on track, or just check in with on a regular basis, find an accountability partner. If you aren’t sure of who would do this with you, or you just want some help from someone who uses these strategies on a regular basis, I can be that person. Click here to read more about how I work 1:1 with writers like you to strategize, set goals, and be an accountability partner for their writing projects. 

My challenge to you is to choose a strategy and try it as soon as you can fit it in.

Are you a writer who manages their time really well? What strategies work for you? Have you tried one of these strategies? I’d love to hear about your experiences! Find me on social media, drop a comment below, or email me at rachel@capturingyourconfidence.com!

Let’s chat because you, my friend, are on your way to great writing.