Writers indeed love to write, it becomes part of our souls, and most of us would feel lost without it. What happens when we no longer can think of what to write, or how to write it?
As writers, I am sure that many, if not most of us have succumbed to writer’s block. It may feel like you don’t know what to write, how to say it, a lack of motivation, just feeling blank inside your mind.
Causes of Writer’s Block
It seems that writer’s block creeps up on us during times of high stress, lack of sleep, when we are very busy, and even when we consistently write without giving ourselves a break.
In my mind, writer’s block is almost like a coping mechanism for our brains. It is a way for our minds and bodies to tell us to slow down and take a breather. Sometimes writer’s block may simply exist without a reason that we can think of.
My Experience
I have dealt with writer’s block several times in my life, including the most recent being within the last week. I love writing so much, I thoroughly enjoy it and it drives me to create more and more content. I often write at full steam because I have so many ideas and thoughts that I can’t seem to get them out fast enough.
Last week, slowly by slowly, my mind started thinking slower, my ideas didn’t come to me, or they didn’t flow. I would sit in front of my laptop staring at a blank white screen, my fingers ready to fly across the keyboard, but instead, they paused. It was almost like my brain wasn’t focusing. The passion was strongly there, but my brain was working against me.
I was in overdrive; I didn’t take the time to slow down and rest. I didn’t take the necessary breaks to allow my mind to recover from creating content and to keep up with life in general.
How to Overcome Writer’s Block
I have found several great ways that get me going again when my brain stops working in my favor:
1. Don’t force or fight the feeling. If you feel resistance from your body to write, then listen to it. Pushing yourself, in my opinion, makes writer’s block last longer.
2. Rest for as long as you need to. Make sure to do activities that help you relax, unwind, and rest your mind.
3. Try not to dwell on the fact that you are stressing about not writing. This will only make matters worse; you need to save mental energy for that next masterpiece!
4. Create a list of ideas or drafts that you would like to write about one day when you have the mental capacity and drive.
5. Get plenty of sleep and spend time outdoors! We can’t function very well on little sleep, also spending time out in nature is a great mood-booster and one that will help get your creativity flowing again.
Can You Relate?
Writer’s block can be very challenging, especially if it lasts for a long period of time. The most important thing is to listen to what your body is telling you and resist the urge to keep going and pushing through the feeling. Some persistence is great, but sometimes your body is telling you to slow down for a reason, partly due to being overloaded. Have you ever dealt with writer’s block? How did you overcome it?
Know that with everything in life that nothing lasts forever, sooner or later, you will be back doing what you love, and you might even come back stronger than ever!
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