Mental Clutter
Plus, how I use my walking pad, a giveaway, and some of my recent favorite things!
Hi there.
Yes, hello, I am alive!
Since I last checked in with you guys…
THE MIRROR OF BEASTS debuted on the New York Times bestsellers list!
I finished drafting a new book… which happens to be my adult debut!1
I finally organized my closet, which involved donating or reselling half of it!
Yes, I’m counting #5 as one of my big achievements, because, frankly, the thought of my black hole of a closet has been weighing on me for a solid six months. I fear I’m not much of a multitasker when it comes down to it—my brain likes to focus on one big project at a time, so while I was trying to launch MIRROR, that took up the bulk of my time/energy. When I was drafting this new book, I wanted (and needed) to be fully immersed in the world in order to get it down into my Word document, which meant pulling back on social media and things like my newsletter.
(And yes, that’s absolutely why I had to abandon the Drafting Diaries again. I am finally coming to accept that my brain needs the freedom of not being perceived while I’m drafting because my process is chaotic and involves a lot of reworking as I go. And, also, it’s hard to talk about a project you haven’t announced yet! I’m hoping to pick up the series again when I’m working on the first round of edits, but that’ll largely depend on how much heavy lifting is going to be required to get the draft in shape, and how tight my deadline is.)
When I’m on deadline, I work every single day for the most part, including weekends. I find taking two days off in a row often messes with my momentum, so even if I’m not actively drafting a new scene, I’ll listen back to the last few chapters I’ve written and edit them, or I’ll brainstorm between chores and errands I can’t put off.
But, my closet… I was definitely putting that off. I knew it was going to be an overwhelming, time-consuming ordeal. And, no surprise, it was. It took me an entire week to go through everything and organize it. I cannot begin to tell you how good it feels to have it done—it really did feel like a reward for finishing my draft and turning it in. It was functioning as mental clutter—something that was constantly at the back of my mind, weighing on me, asking me to address it when I had neither the time or energy to. And the longer my draft went on (and on and on and on…) the worse that feeling became. It’s hard to create when you’re in an anxious state and have something tugging at your mind.
Interestingly, my in-process drafts weigh on me in a similar, more demanding way, which is why I get so intense about trying to wrap them up as quickly as possible and go into my little cave. It’s a totally different feeling to what I experienced when I had an office job, which, for the most part, I could leave at the office each night. But with book work, there’s always a nagging sense that I should be working; it’s not even guilt, really, just this general feeling of “gaaah I still have to do xyz” (as I’m writing this, I’m realizing that this is probably down to being a #1 Achiever in Cliffton Strengths and being driven by the sense of achievement that comes with completing something 💀).
I wish I had advice for anyone who also struggles with this, but I think it’s just something to come to terms with, rather than “fix.” I’m tired of trying to fight against my brain. One way I’m planning to reduce my mental clutter is to reduce the physical clutter around me, which I’m hoping will help me be more organized in general (something I’ve struggled with since childhood). What I’d really like is to get on a more set work schedule, where I know certain months will be spent drafting, certain months editing, and others for breaks and promotion. I’m not sure that’s going to be possible, but I’m going to try, damn it!
After my closet, I moved on to repainting a fence this weekend, and this week I’m hoping to tackle my 2024 tax return and my office. I absolutely need to make the latter feel more manageable, which also means doing another big purge of author copies. Stay tuned for some big giveaways in the upcoming months…
How I use my walking pad
There is actually one thing I’ve used over the last few years to help remove the noise of mental clutter, and that’s my faithful walking pad. I’ve had an uptick in questions about my set-up recently, and thought you guys might be interested to know more about how and why I use it.
I’m not kidding when I say this walking pad has been an absolute game changer for me over the last few years. In the past (going as far back as when I was writing fanfiction in middle school and high school), I’ve always used walking as a way to brainstorm. There’s something about movement that really frees up the flow of my thoughts and has sparked a lot of great ideas. And, honestly, I LOVE writing action scenes while walking at a brisk pace—there’s nothing like truly inhabiting your character’s experience with an elevated heart rate of your own. 😂
The reason I think this works, at least for me, is that it literally moves me into a flow state for work. My brain is completely focused on my story and keeping me upright and moving, which leaves little room for wandering. One of the worst things about the advent of social media is that it’s become SO easy to nope out of your draft the second you hit any sort of snag and just do a “quick check” of Tiktok, IG, etc that can easily spiral into more and more time as your brain chases easy dopamine. I have a working theory that because my brain is still engaged in the movement of walking and getting some dopamine that way, I’m less inclined to click over to social or, say, Reddit. It simply moves into brainstorming mode.
I usually do one long walking session a day, anywhere between 30 minutes to an hour and a half, and often after lunch to avoid a post-meal energy crash. I personally walk at a pace of 3.0 but I’m also quite tall (5’10”!) and take very long strides, so keep in mind that there’s some experimentation involved to find what feels good to you. My tip is to always start at an extremely slow pace and work up from there as you become accustomed to walking and working at the same time. Walking while answering emails or doing other admin tasks is a great way to ease into the routine if you don’t want to jump into writing.
A few other tips:
I do think this requires some form of a standing desk or riser to work and keep everything ergonomic. A good way to gauge if your desk is high enough is by making sure that your elbows are at roughly a 90 degree angle as you type. I always use wrist pads for both my keyboard and mouse pad. (I also use the keyboard pad with my Freewrite!) You don’t need an external keyboard if you like to write using your laptop, I just can’t stand Mac keys and need some clickity clack to keep me going.
In my humble opinion, the biggest X factor of whether or not someone enjoys using the walking pad comes down to shoes. I cannot begin to express how important it is to use tennis shoes actually meant for walking. I get bad lower back pain and this has saved me—a good pair will keep you walking for miles without discomfort. My personal favorites are the HOKA Bondi. (I got my first pair specifically for the Eras Tour London show my sister and I went to, much to the amusement of the girl that helped us at the store near Covent Garden 😂).
My biggest regret with my walking pad is that I didn’t get a folding one. Don’t get me wrong—mine has been alive and kicking for three years, long past when I was sure the motor would burn out! It just takes up a fair amount of room and I would love to be able to fold it away under my standing desk. That said, I’ve heard that some folding pads can have issues with the belts, so be sure to read reviews carefully.
There IS some maintenance involved with keeping your walking pad going. You may need to adjust belt tightness, but the biggest thing is oiling the belt every so often to keep it running smoothly. This involves squirting some oil beneath the belt and smooshing it around. I can always tell it’s time for some oil when it starts sounding like it has a death rattle.
It looks like my exact walking pad is out of stock/out of production, but I’ve linked all of the products I could find here, as well as some recommendations for walking pads with great reviews. Feel free to leave any other questions you might have in the comments!
Upcoming Events
Feb 20th-22nd: Romantasy BookCon - Los Angeles, CA
Friday:
9 AM - 12 PM Ticketed Signing in Tiffany Ballroom
Saturday:
9:30 AM - 10:15 AM Evermore Legends and Lore panel
11 AM - 1 PM Ticketed signing in Cordobin Room
March 16th: Tucson Festival of Books - Tucson, AZ
10 AM - 11 AM Teen Worlds: YA Author Carousel in Education 211.
Signing to follow in Children’s Signing Area
1 PM - 2 PM Bad Girls Who Own the Spotlight Panel on YA Stage.
Signing to follow in Integrated Learning Center
Giveaway
I’ve got some author copies that need some new homes… and, as promised, I’m offering up some of the extra hardcover jackets of SILVER I was sent! Ten winners will be selected. This giveaway is open internationally and runs until February 1st.
To enter, click on this link and use the code word TAMSIN. Good luck! 🤞❤️
Recent Favorites
This Olehenriksen lip gloss is the GOAT for me. Suni Lee recommended it last summer as part of her lip routine and it’s truly that good. It’s not sticky, it’s genuinely moisturizing, and if you apply it at night, it’s still there in the morning. I. LOVE. IT.
Inslee Fariss’s desk calendar remains my favorite yearly purchase. I got the little brass easel with it the first year I bought the calendar and have zero regrets. I always look forward to having each new month’s artwork on my desk.
For my historical romance girlies: I’ve been working my way through Tessa Dare’s backlist again, starting with the delightful Stud Club Trilogy! (The titular stud is a horse, I swear) I actually read these out of order starting with book 3 and am finally diving into book 2! Be sure to start with One Dance With a Duke. 🐎
You guys might remember that I binged every season of ER while I was signing tip-ins for LORE. By the end, I was reasonably certain I could intubate someone if necessary. Your girl loves a medical drama starring Noah Wyle, so it probably shouldn’t surprise you that I’ve been enjoying his new show, The Pitt. I love that each episode is an hour of a day, and how the characters are slowly emerging week after week. (Also, P.S. US Traitors is back!!!)
OK, I think I’ve rambled on long enough… until next month friends! ❤️
I’m hoping I’ll be able to tell you more about it soon! It’s tentatively scheduled for early-ish 2026.
I also am living the Pitt! As an actual ER doctor I often struggle with medical dramas but this one really captures something about the heart and soul of the people I work with, not to mention our gallows humor lol.
I bought a standing desk and walking desk for writing after reading that people find it helps productivity. Fingers crossed! Thank you for sharing