Write Every Day, September Day #15

[auroracloud]

I'm probably not the only writer around who gets wrist and hand problems from time to time. Though in my case, it's most of the time, especially since my day job can be quite typing-heavy, too (though that goes for a lot of people). Anyway, I thought I'd share for the benefit of all you writers, or anyone else who needs it, this helpful little video by one of my favourite YouTube Yoga channels. You don't need any yoga experience or to otherwise be into yoga at all, you can just think of it as good stretches and movements for your hands to help alleviate pain and tension. (Though if you are into yoga, her channel has lots of other good videos as well. And normally she doesn't have such perky music in the beginning.)

"Yoga for Wrists & Fingers - Yoga for Wrist Cramps & Carpal Tunnel" (Watch on YouTube)

I should probably take my own recommendation and do these tonight, my hands are sore again. I did most of these movements yesterday, but I really ought to do them most days.

If anyone else struggles with hand/wrist problems as much as I do, here's another tip: wrist warmers / mitts / fingerless mittens really help. Even if it's not terribly cold at home - regardless of the temperature, the little muscles in my hands are much more likely to feel okay if they've got extra warmth around them. Make sure they cover your palms as well as your wrists, and if you're sensitive to scratchy wool like I am, you'll want them made of some soft and gentle fibre such as cashmere, alpaca, or whatever else works for you. I should try a non-wool yarn some time, maybe bamboo would work? If you don't knit or crochet, you can probably buy them from people who do without paying too much for it, or make a friend or a relative knit or crochet them for you.

Anyway, onto the actual writing!

Today's Writing

I wrote exactly 1,000 words on two different femslash ficlets, finishing first drafts of both. Though as a result one of them is now longer than a ficlet should be, but I hope I can fix that in the editing phase. Soon I really need to start editing those ficlets, since I've got several drafts but haven't edited or posted any!

In the evening I continued working on my possible-novel-to-be a bit, writing longhand in my notebook again. I in fact finished the scene I'd been working on, so next I'll have to find a new scene. I've already got ideas, though. But I am going to need to start coming up with names for more than one character.

Tally


Day 1: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, justmcshane, navaan, shopfront, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (9 so far)

Day 2: alexseanchai, brightandravenous, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, navaan,shopfront, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (11 so far)

Day 3: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, navaan, rosefox, shopfront, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (10 so far)

Day 4: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, justmcshane, navaan, rosefox, shopfront, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (12 so far)

Day 5: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, justmcshane, navaan, shopfront, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (11 so far)

Day 6: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, navaan, shopfront, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (9 so far)

Day 7: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, justmcshane, navaan, shopfront, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (10 so far)

Day 8: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, justmcshane, navaan, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (9 so far)

Day 9: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, navaan, shopfront, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (8 so far)

Day 10: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, navaan, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (8 so far)

Day 11: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (6 so far)

Day 12: carenejeans, cornerofmadness, sylvanwitch, talkingtothesky, tinx_r,trobadora, ysilme, and me. (8 so far)

Day 13: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, sylvanwitch, tinx_r, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (8 so far)

Day 14: alexseanchai, carenejeans, cornerofmadness, shopfront, sylvanwitch, trobadora, ysilme, and me. (8 so far)

Let me know if I missed you, or if you wrote but didn't check in yet! And you can join in any time.

Comments

[ysilme]

Sorry to hear about those wrist problems. The video sounds interesting, I'll check it out! I have problems with my finger joints since building that cat fence earlier this year, when I was gripping my cordless screwdriver most of the day for three or four days. Since then, everything that uses a lot of strenght or pressure, or holding small utensils, causes the problems again - like preparing fruit or veggies, knitting, and sometimes also typing. Not fun. On the other hand, I don't have wrist problems any longer since I had them so bad I couldn't type for weeks twenty years ago. I was taught how to sit and where to put my wrists in relation to the keyboard (angles of lower arms, upper arms and body) and always make sure to have a really good keyboard with a wrist support at least while working on the desktop (which I do during the day). I try to imitate that with my notebook, although it's a bit more difficult, but it works. I can't wear wrist warmers or so due to my neurodermatitis, but I wear very close-fitting working gloves while doing outside works, which indeed help a lot. I'm actually going to try to work with these when prepping fruit for canning (another task really bad for my fingers) and see if this works, too - regular gloves don't as I often cut up the slightly too long fingertips, and they were too hot inside, too, causing me neurodermatitis rashes.
(I checked out German Yoga videos for beginners, too, but the only ones that look good have such an annoying music, and the speaker speaks far too low and fast, and doesn't explain well - not really suited for unexperienced people, no matter what they claim! I'll check this channel out, though.)
In writing news, 400 words for me, plus the first major part of file sorting done on the big WIP! Now I can start the proper re-reading of what I already got.

[auroracloud]

Hope you find the video useful! And that yoga instructor is one of my favourite online yoga teachers and has plenty of beginner-friendly videos - just make sure you know which type you're going for (she has lots of vinyasa yoga, which is a more active yoga where you flow from one position to the next without long holds, and can really be quite a lot of exercise, and yin yoga which has really long, passive holds to open up tendons and muscles; but there's some hatha yoga as well, which is the easiest for beginners, because it's slower and gentler than vinyasa). If/when I get around to that yoga channels post, this one's going to be on it, with a few example videos. :-)

I'm pretty well informed on how you need to place your body and hands when typing, but I still get a lot of ache on my wrists and fingers. Of course using a laptop at home doesn't make things easier (and I need to get a wrist support here, I do have one at work and it helps). But I get problems even when everything's as good as it can be. It's probably just something about my body, weak wrists or something. However, I've learned to recognize when I need to do something, so I haven't for a long time been in situations where I can't type at all. So that's something. :-)

Congrats on getting your first major part of file sorting done on the big WIP! Good luck with the rereading and all that follows. :-)