Writer Therapy - How I avoid going postal

Today, the good folks at Writer Therapy are sponsoring a blog hop. The question they presented is what do I use as writer's therapy (see what they did there?) and how do I use it to maintain my writerly aspirations and not chuck the whole computer out the window?*

At first, the question seemed simple. What do I use as therapy so I can continue to press forwad and write. Then I realized there are so many reasons that I might not write. Now, I had a much more complicated question on my hand. After all, one week, I may put in nearly ninety hours at the 'real job' and have no energy or time to write. Is the therapy I need for that the same as when I have plenty of time, but am struggling on developing plot for the newest work? What about like now, when I am deep into edits of a completed work and the writing is not pounding out words, but erasing them and struggling to find better words to say the same thing?

Not so simple a question now, is it? But I've thought about it, and realized that despite the type of problem I am experiencing with my writing, there is one common theme to the therapy I use to combat it: time.

I have never been the type to have a 'go to' means of stress relief. I love massages, but can't afford a biweekly rubdown. I don't have a specific hobby unless you count planting my butt in front of a television the size of a double-wide to watch hockey games (get your act together NHL and NHLPA!) and while I used to play sports religiously, that would be counterproductive now since the aches and pains of moving this old body faster than a brisk walk would prevent me from sitting at a keyboard for more than thirty seven seconds.

But getting away from the writing in some manner always works. Thankfully, it also doesn't require removing myself too far from writing either. For instance, I can jump on Scribophile and edit someone else's work for an hour or dial up the latest Chuck Wendig or Chris F. Holm or Kevin Hearne book and read for several hours. I also love spending time with Loving Wife and the Kiddo and with my son getting heavily involved with band projects, a lot of time is being spent there!

I'm lucky. My personality is such that I don't stress much even in the most critical situations. I also have never put much undue pressure on myself (Loving Wife insists my nervous system is laced with Xanax). However, I do get obsessive about things. As I mentioned in a previous post, the bug is in me and that sometimes has me writing or editing instead of doing some of the other important things in life. All things in moderation!

So for me, the answer of what I do as Writing Therapy is simple: give it time. Sometimes its letting the work percolate for a couple of days, sometimes just getting up and raiding the refrigerator in the middle of an editing session is enough. But in all cases, time is the answer. Time lets the little blue globe of writing mana fill back up and allows the maelstrom of dust I caused in the latest flurry of edits settle back down. This may be a simple answer, but it is wholly and completely me. And I figure if I can't be honest with myself, there is no way I can be honest as a writer.

Cheers!

*Okay, the computer is a 25 lb Alienware. Maybe I can just chuck the mouse?