Whether you’re writing a blog, a book report, or some other type of document, it’s important to take time to enjoy yourself between writing sessions. Research shows that taking breaks can help you avoid burnout when working on long-term projects.
In fact, studies have found that taking frequent breaks can improve your productivity and overall well-being.
By making time for relaxation, you can help ensure that your mind is fresh and ready to work when you sit down at your keyboard. Here are some tips on how to relax and give your mind a break from writing:
| Takeaways |
|---|
| Embrace relaxation to overcome writing project challenges. |
| Release anxiety to unlock creativity and productive flow. |
| Find inspiration by stepping back and enjoying the process. |
| Trust in your abilities and let go of perfectionism. |
| Foster a positive writing environment for better results. |
Listen To Your Favorite Music
This is a no-brainer, but it’s also the most effective way to put yourself in a relaxed state of mind. If you’re feeling anxious or stressed out, listen to some tunes that give you that warm and fuzzy feeling inside.
Your favorite song will instantly trigger those emotions and help you relax! If there’s an artist that never fails at making me feel good, it’s Eminem and if he can’t do it for you, then maybe there’s another artist who fits your taste better.
Whatever type of music helps relieve stress for you (whether it’s classic rock or country), make sure that the selection is something familiar so as not to distract from your writing process by having too many options (this could lead back to overthinking).
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Create A List Of Your Favorite Activities
The first step is to make a list of activities you enjoy doing. This can be anything from knitting, reading, or walking your dog to watching movies and playing video games.
Be sure to include things that aren’t directly related to writing for this exercise for example, if you like painting and drawing in general but only paint when you’re writing-related procrastinating, then paint should go on the list as well!
Once you have your list of favorite activities complete (you did it!), pick at least one activity off of it and make it an appointment in your calendar.
The next time you feel stuck or anxious about your writing project (or just life!), look at this appointment and tell yourself “I’m going out tonight.”
If possible, plan something fun with friends so that there will be more than one thing keeping them busy when they get home early enough not only because they couldn’t write anything today but also because they stayed up late last night playing Dungeons & Dragons which ended up being way more fun than expected and why would anyone want a boring old job anyway?
Do Something You Enjoy Every Day
The best way to get unstuck is to do something that you enjoy. This could be listening to your favorite music, creating a list of your favorite activities and then doing one every day, going for a walk or jog, taking a nap or going to bed early, or spending time with friends.
Once you have identified what makes you happy and fulfilled in the life (and not just work), make it happen every day!
Embracing these valuable insights can profoundly enhance your writing skills, leading you on a journey towards becoming a more skillful wordsmith.
Go For A Walk Or A Jog
When you’re stuck, it can feel like all the pieces of your creative life are scattered to the far corners of your mind. The problem is that our minds are usually very busy places, so we end up getting siloed into thinking about one thing at a time.
But when you’re writing, it’s important to be able to think about many things at once that’s how plots and characters develop!
So when you need a fresh perspective on your project, try taking some time for yourself and going for a walk or even jogging. Exercise helps keep those brain cells firing in healthy ways, allowing them to form new connections with other parts of the brain that might not otherwise be used during work hours.
In addition to exercise helping you focus better while writing (and throughout life!), recent studies have found that aerobic activity can help reduce stress levels by boosting feel-good hormones called endorphins while also reducing levels of cortisol.
The “fight or flight” hormone is produced by stress hormones like adrenaline.
Take A Nap Or Go To Bed Early
Naps can help you think more clearly. A nap can give your brain a break and allow it to rest and recover so that when you return to work, it’s ready to focus on the task at hand. Naps aren’t just for kids and college students anymore!
You can use naps in place of coffee or tea breaks or better yet, combine them with your morning cup of joe!
Try having a power nap in the afternoon when things start getting busy again (which is usually around 3 p.m.). It will help clear out any mental clutter so that when 6 o’clock rolls around, all systems go!
Spend Time With Friends
You may not realize it, but spending time with your friends can help you get unstuck. Spending time with friends can help you relax and reduce stress. This means that when you’re feeling stuck on a writing project, the best thing to do is spend time with your friends!
If they have any experience in writing, they may be able to offer some tips or suggestions. Even if they don’t write themselves, they might be able to provide another perspective on your problem than what you’re used to getting from yourself (or someone else).
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Watch Funny Internet Videos
I’m not a therapist and I don’t give out advice, so if you want to hear someone else’s thoughts on how to relax and create a more positive mindset, then please go ahead and check out this article from Psychology Today.
But as for me, I recommend watching funny Internet videos. It’s one of my favorite ways to unwind after a stressful day at work.
And it works! After one or two videos have popped up on YouTube or Facebook, I’ve found that the stress just melts away like butter on top of bread (or something).
It’s difficult for me not to imagine myself as an actual loaf of bread when I think about how relaxing it is for me when these videos play in my mind but don’t worry about that! Just focus on your task at hand:
Watching funny videos online until you get into that relaxed state where all your troubles seem small enough so they can be crushed underfoot by giant feet (you know what happens next…but we’ll save that story for another day).
Write About Something Else
Every writer has had the experience of facing a block. Even if you don’t know what a “block” is, chances are you know what it feels like: that sense of being stuck and unable to move forward with your work.
It can be frustrating when you’re trying so hard to get words onto the page, but nothing comes out right (or at all).
You might think that writing about something else would be counterproductive after all, isn’t this supposed to be the writing project? But the truth is that sometimes it takes getting away from something before you can return to it with fresh eyes and renewed energy.
When faced with a block, try taking some time off from whatever has been giving you trouble and instead write about something else entirely: something fun; something interesting; something relevant or relatable; anything at all!
See where your thoughts take you as they unfold on paper (or screen) maybe even branch out into another medium if there seems like there’s room for creativity there too!
Exercise Regularly And Get Plenty Of Sleep
You’re already working too hard on your writing project, so why not make it easier on yourself by exercising and getting plenty of sleep? Exercise is one of the best ways to reduce stress, and also helps increase creativity.
Once you’re feeling less stressed out, you can focus more on your writing and less on everything else in life that might be bothering you.
Sleep is another great way to deal with stress because it gives your brain time to process the day’s events without having any distractions from reality (or deadlines).
The more sleep you get, the better prepared your body will be for another day, and getting enough sleep each night will help keep those pesky creative blocks away!
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Do Some Spring-Cleaning And Organize Your Workspace
The first step in making your workspace more conducive to writing is getting rid of the unnecessary clutter and organizing what remains. Here are a few things you can do right now to get started:
Clean up your desktop by removing any files, folders, or other items that aren’t necessary. If there’s nothing on it but an icon for your computer’s operating system and maybe one for iTunes or whatever media player you use, then great!
But if there are multiple icons or folders with no apparent purpose, feel free to delete them all.
Organize the remaining icons into folders based on type (work-related documents in one folder; photos in another). As long as you know where important files are stored, this will help keep random objects from clogging up valuable real estate on your desktop.
Clear out browser bookmarks by deleting old sites that you rarely visit anymore (or never visited at all). This will make it easier to find the websites that matter most when they pop up later and who knows? You might just discover some new gems along the way!
Check through email inboxes and folders (especially spam filters) for anything that doesn’t need saving any more spam emails should go straight into the trash; legitimate emails can either be archived or moved into specific folders based on importance level/frequency of use/etc.;
Newsletters/email subscriptions can be canceled altogether once they’ve been dealt with properly once last time. Delete any unwanted documents from hard drives/cloud storage accounts.
Remove junk email from both online inboxes and browser bookmarks. Create a separate “To Do” list document so that tasks don’t get lost among all those papers on top of desks everywhere…
Take A Break From Social Media
If you are a creative person and you’re trying to write, social media can be one of the biggest distractions.
It’s easy to get sucked into checking your Twitter feed or scrolling through Instagram for hours. It’s also a great way to feel like you’re being productive when really, all that time has been wasted.
Social media is filled with people who are posting about their accomplishments, their travels, and their fancy dinners and it can make us feel like we’re not doing enough with our lives if we aren’t up on the latest trend or the newest thing in town.
Social media can also be filled with negativity: trolls posting rude comments about everything from politics to celebrities;
Businesses that thrive on competition between other companies by starting flame wars online rather than focusing on improving their products or services; cyberbullying from anonymous accounts through hateful messages posted online; etc…
Social media allows us to compare ourselves to others (and often come up short). I know this because sometimes I find myself doing it too!
However, comparing yourself too much means comparing yourself against an idealized version of someone else’s life instead of comparing yourself against your own goals and values…which leads me back around again (this time without a loop)
Step Away From The Project For At Least 24 Hours
Take a break to clear your mind. Sometimes, when you’re stuck on a writing project, it’s not that you’ve run out of ideas it’s that the ideas are all jumbled up in your head and you can’t quite make sense of them.
Take some time away from the project and do something else entirely. Do something relaxing: take a nap; watch a movie; go for a walk; take a shower; eat something.
Go back to it when you’re feeling calm and collected so that when you sit down again at the keyboard or laptop, all those thoughts will come together into one coherent piece!
Try Something New That Scares You A Little Bit
You know how, when you’re in a rut, sometimes the best thing to do is to get out of your comfort zone? Well, that’s exactly what this tip is all about.
If you’ve got a writing project that you just can’t seem to get started on or finish and if that happens to be your main job at the moment then the best way around it may be to try something completely new.
Take a class in something that scares you a little bit (or a lot). Maybe it’s gardening or cooking or photography; maybe it’s woodworking or knitting or playing an instrument.
Maybe it’s learning how to make candles from beeswax, which I promise will leave your house smelling like honey for weeks after even if everyone else thinks they smell like burnt hairballs from some kind of recently deceased animal.
If doing something different sounds too intimidating for now, try getting into nature instead: go hiking with friends instead of just sitting at home agonizing over those pages;
Go camping instead of going out on Friday nights when all your friends are out drinking beer and playing pool (which is not relaxing).
At the core of it all lies the key to mastering the art of effective writing, where simplicity becomes the catalyst for conveying powerful messages.
Consider Running Your Writing Through Free Editing Tools Like Hemingway App Or Grammarly
If you’re not sure about the quality of your writing, try using a free editing tool like Grammarly or Hemingway App.
The former is an online grammar checker that can be accessed through any web browser, and the latter is a desktop app that analyzes sentences according to readability and style.
You can also use another resource like Microsoft Word Grammar Check if you want more comprehensive feedback.
Conclusion
By managing your stress levels, you can make sure that your creativity and focus remain intact. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of this, don’t worry we’ve got you covered.
There are plenty of tools out there to help you stay organized, keep track of deadlines, brainstorm ideas, and even get feedback from other writers.
In addition to these tips for relaxing and relieving stress at the moment, don’t forget about the big picture: it will be helpful to create a long-term plan for each project so that you know what steps need to be taken along the way.
Further Reading
12 Techniques for Getting Unstuck: Explore effective methods to overcome creative obstacles and keep your writing momentum flowing.
Breaking Free from Writer’s Block: Discover practical strategies to break through writer’s block and find renewed inspiration in your writing process.
Overcoming Writer’s Block: Practical Tips: Learn actionable tips to overcome writer’s block and unleash your creativity with confidence.
And here’s the “FAQs” section with 5 questions and answers:
FAQs
How can I overcome writer’s block effectively?
Writer’s block can be tackled by trying various techniques such as freewriting, changing your environment, or exploring different writing prompts.
What are some common causes of writer’s block?
Writer’s block can stem from perfectionism, lack of inspiration, fear of failure, or simply feeling overwhelmed by the writing process.
Are there specific methods to spark creativity during a writing project?
Yes, you can try brainstorming, mind mapping, or engaging in activities unrelated to writing to stimulate creativity and fresh ideas.
How can I maintain a consistent writing routine to avoid writer’s block?
Establishing a regular writing routine, setting achievable goals, and avoiding self-criticism can help you maintain momentum and prevent writer’s block.
Is writer’s block a permanent obstacle?
No, writer’s block is a common challenge that writers face, but it’s temporary. With the right strategies and mindset, you can overcome it and continue producing quality content.
Costantine Edward is a digital marketing expert, freelance writer, and entrepreneur who helps people attain financial freedom. I’ve been working in marketing since I was 18 years old and have managed to build a successful career doing what I love.