Running Aimlessly on the Hamster's Wheel

Running Aimlessly On the Hamster’s Wheel by Debra H. Goldstein

One of my favorite characters in the Stephanie Plum books by Janet Evanovich is Stephanie’s hamster. At some point in every book, there are a few paragraphs devoted to Stephanie feeding the rodent and observing it mindlessly running around the wheel in its cage. Lately, I’ve been having a lot of days that I totally identify with the hamster’s aimless journey.

Juggling the desire to write with family and life responsibilities often resembles the hamster’s endless circling. Writing requires coming up with an idea or ideas and translating them into words clearly enough for a reader to recognize and engage with the thought. This process takes time and energy, but it isn’t the only demand on a writer. Other things, besides writing, come into play, too. These include selling the work, meeting editorial deadlines, launching the piece, publicizing the final product, praying that nothing goes wrong, and immediately repeating the process. 

Although this sounds simple, real-life obligations often conflict with the writing process. Whether illness, death, the need to do one’s taxes, or simply enjoying pleasurable interactions with other people, each can stop creativity. When too many of these things co-exist, which often happens to me, the hamster’s wheel seems more attractive than the real world. I choke up with a fear or flight reaction. Eventually, reality steps in and I accept that the buck of avoidance stops with me. That still doesn’t stop me from feeling overwhelmed until I adopt a coping strategy.

For me, the best strategy is to let myself have a short freak out moment before creating a prioritized to-do list that I work through one item at a time. By the time I finish, I still may have the desire to flee to the hamster’s wheel, but what needs to get done is or I’ve accepted that it doesn’t need to be accomplished.

What about you? Are you ever overwhelmed? How do you cope?