This is the third of my seven pearls of writing wisdom.

These pearls grew out of a chi running programme I did in my preparation for doing a marathon a month in 2014. The advice has translated perfectly to other areas in life, including my writing.

Injury is almost inevitable for the long-term runner. This requires adjustments to be made to training and always involves a reduction if not cessation of running for a while. The injured runner may need to cycle, swim, and do some rehabilitation exercises while recovering.

Writing is no different. There may be a period where you lack inspiration, or when you receive rejection after rejection.

Life is tough. Illness, death, divorce, relationship breakdown, unexpected overtime, financial stress are just some of the ways your writing can be derailed.

The truth is that however passionate and talented you are, you will hit roadblocks and challenges. Writing is a tough gig.

Be kind to yourself.

Never be afraid to reach out for help.

Keep in touch with your tribe. If you have a writing group, keep attending even if you are unable to write or give feedback yourself. Allow yourself to feel the warm wave of comfort of being with friend(s) or family who are there without expectation and who accept you just the way you are.

Spend a little time each day just noticing. The feeling of shower water on your skin. The taste of coffee on your tongue. The warmth of sunshine on your skin. Absorb the details of the everyday, the mundane. Be present

When you feel overwhelmed by life try the following simple exercise.

It is a simple technique called rescue breathing or first aid for mental health. Sit up straight with both feet firmly on the ground, hands comfortable in your lap. Let your shoulders relax. When you are ready, take a breath and feel your diaphragm pull your lungs down. Feel the air fill your lungs. Hold the air in your lungs for the count of three, then release it while saying the word, relax, to yourself. Hold the exhalation for a count of three.

Repeat this for three breaths.

It is often enough to bring you back to the present moment, away from rumination about the past and worry about the future.

Life requires adjustments and sometimes forces you to change course.

Pull back and reduce the amount you write. If you are experiencing grief or loss, the only writing you may be capable of for a few months is to keep a journal. Use this to chronicle your emotional and or physical pain. You may only manage a word or a line to capture how you are feeling. Treat yourself to a real notebook, one with blank pages and a beautiful cover. Let it carry the burden of your pain, the weight of your feelings.

The act of emptying your head onto a page is therapeutic. Our experiences good and bad, shape who we are, who we become. When we write, we use words to make our experiences accessible to others. We share our vulnerability, our humanity and readers are relieved to learn they are not alone.

You may never share your journal words with anyone, but inevitably your tough times will spill into your writing, consciously or unconsciously. You may have signed up to write your novel when your life derailed and may instead find yourself writing about the challenges of a difficult diagnosis, the joy of an unplanned pregnancy, the grief of losing a loved one.

The words resulting from your tough times will inform others, give them hope and encouragement that they are not alone.

Writing less can sometimes be more.

It may be that your detour through the tough times takes you to exactly where you need to be.