addictions

Addictions get a bad reputation.

Well, sure, some are awful– addictions to alcohol, smoking, drugs etc. And some are harmless– like my total addiction to Burt’s Bees honey lip balm. I even went and bought a bundle of 12 on ebay so I’d never leave the house without one. And I am shamelessly addicted to coffee, and don’t plan to give that up anytime soon.

So for the past year or I’ve been trying to form two healthy addictions– writing and running.

I don’t know how many people and how many books advised me to write every day over the years. I understood, but I didn’t really get it until this year. Since I’ve been writing nearly every day (I firmly believe in taking a day off here and there) I’ve been much more productive, and writing is easier. Well, maybe not easy (its never easy), but easier in the sense that I’m growing accustomed to how I write and what my writing process is, and I’m learning tricks to get myself working, unstuck etc. I figured out that I need a quiet place (my carrel), and my laptop, cliff bars for snacks, and paper and multicolored pens. I need to work on paper sometimes much more than on the screen. I’m a very visual writer (mind maps etc.). Anyway, last week I finished off the draft of an article that has only taken me like 5+ months to write and rewrite. And I’m working on dissertation chapters and feeling less overwhelmed by having to produce writing. I’m crossing my fingers that I keep moving in this direction and don’t get stuck in one of those I-hate-my-dissertation-and-I’d-rather-clean-the-fridge-than-write moods anytime soon. I think steady, persistent work is the trick.

And running… I’m back to running again, thank goodness! I got a second opinion about my supposedly-fractured tibia and discovered it was only badly bruised. I am going to a physical therapist for the sprained ankle. Not surprising, physical therapists are awesome. The guy figured out what was wrong with my ankle, taped it so that it didn’t hurt, and taught me all kinds of ankle-strengthening exercises. Now I’m up to running 12 minutes at a time. And I’m running outside in the nice spring weather (and sometimes in the rain) which I really enjoy.

I can tell I’ve been pretty much addicted to both running and writing because I realize that I get super grumpy and out of sorts when I can’t do one or the other. When I couldn’t run a few weeks ago, it drove me nuts. My body felt all out of wack and I didn’t sleep as well. When I can’t write for a few days, my brain misses the quiet time and the process of ordering of thoughts etc. I end up feeling more jumbled and frantic if I’m not spending time writing. Weird.