Time To Recharge by Bruce Atchison

The beginning of a new year might be the start of work for some but for authors such as myself, it's a time to rest and regroup. Because we work so hard to publicize our books during November and December, we need to rest a while and recharge our creative cells.

I've often found that I become more creative after taking a rest from writing. Going full blast at a project sometimes results in little being accomplished. The time I spent trying to bulldoze my way through the writing process could have been much better used to rest and recharge.

Even some of our machines need a break. At the beginning of each year, I shred my bills from two years ago. The problem is that the shredder gets too hot and shuts itself off before it catches fire. Sometimes we tend to run our brains like that. When our minds get mushy and easily distracted, we need to stop what we're doing and come back the next day with a rested brain.

I've noticed that when I spend time away from my blogs and my search for book promotion opportunities, my emotional energy soars. During the Christmas holidays, for example, I stayed home and watched DVDs. After New Year's Day, I felt like getting back to work.

We can all benefit from well-timed rests. A balanced approach to one's work is so much wiser than pressing the pedal to the metal non-stop. Even our Lord Jesus Christ had to take breaks from his ministry in order to speak with his father and replenish his strength. Our biology is also set up for resting one day out of seven. So the next time you feel emotionally and inspirationally drained, take a rest. It'll do you a world of good.


Bruce Atchison is a legally-blind freelance writer as well as the author of How I Was Razed, Deliverance from Jericho, and When a Man Loves a Rabbit. He lives in a small Alberta hamlet with his house rabbit, Deborah.