Write! It's Good For You!

I haven't been sleeping terribly well lately. I'll wake up in the middle of the night and throw myself around restlessly for an hour or so. I sleep fitfully for a while and then do it all over again a few hours later. I wake up feeling distinctly unrefreshed.

I've been pondering all sorts of reasons for this sudden and uncharacteristic insomnia. I think I finally figure it out: I'm not writing regularly.

As someone in a sedentary profession, I've been trying to take good care of my body. I work out semi-regularly (at LEAST twice a week, though I've been trying for every other day); I've been watching what I eat; I take multi-vitamins; I play outside with my kids at least a little every day, etc. But, I've been completely neglecting my mental health -- which is to say, that for me, I need to write a little every day.... or at least be back on a regular writing schedule.

The funny thing is that, for me, at least, it has to be fiction. I need to let the demons out to play, as it were. Writing non-fiction (aka blogging, etc.) actually tends to make me more restless and agitated -- most interactive/psuedointeractive internet/computer stuff does (which maybe another part of my problem -- I've been substituting video game playing for fiction writing. Bad writer. No biscuit.)

So starting today, I'm going back to writing fiction every night. I'll let you know if I'm feeling better soon. I suspect the answer will be yes.