Feeling Blocked? Five Tips to Help

I’ve never liked the term writer’s block and prefer to call it writer’s exhaustion, but it means the same thing. Hours or days of staring at a blank screen unable to type a word.

Recently, I’ve found myself at the crossroads between emotional exhaustion and distraction.

It’s common for creativity to dry up when a person is overwhelmed. Distraction also plays into the inability to buckle down and produce. Writing requires a lot of thinking and emotional input. 

At times I have plenty to say, but emotion stands firmly between my heart and my pen. Then I feel guilty and frustrated, which only adds to the stress.

In this situation, the first thing to do is to recognize the various demands and stressors affecting attitudes, feelings, and productivity.

Here are five tips that help when you’re feeling blocked

Focus on a different task for a short time.

Finding a new creative outlet can re energize, give a tired brain something else to concentrate on. We require times of refreshment, even when situations demand urgent action. It’s okay to take a moment or two, or three for mental health. 

Adapt. 

I received an email from a dear friend yesterday. An in-person writing group has been one of her anchors for years. A support system suddenly becoming unavailable is painful. Virtual meeting aren’t the same, but at least alternative methods exist. 

Many of my friends are taking advantage of writing conferences they wouldn’t ordinarily be able to attend. New seminars and opportunities are offered daily as organizations attempt to fill writers’ current needs.

While writing fiction is hard for me at the moment, taking notes isn’t a problem. For me, this dry spell is an opportunity to concentrate on learning craft. For others, the opposite may be true and periods of writer’s block are the perfect time to journal or explore a different type of writing.

There will be times when the well seems empty. Try to find things to focus on that are attainable. 

Celebrate accomplishments. 

I have a tendency to expect a great deal from myself, and it helps to stop and change my view point,  think about successes in light of my circumstances. I constantly need to remind myself I have a limited energy budget. We aren’t designed to do it all. There is no guilt in that admission. Recognize the goal posts along the way, instead of focusing on the never-ending to do list gives a realistic picture of progress and spurs me forward.

Find joy in the art of writing.

I am one for structure and schedules, which can sap the joy right out of what I love and turn it into a grind. I used to have a mindset that if it’s too much fun, maybe I’m not working hard enough. That’s not true. It’s still work even if I love my calling. It’s right and good to take joy in the gifts and abilities God has given.

Rest.

For me, the biggest obstacle is giving myself permission to allow time for self-care. Self-care is not selfish. It’s necessary for healthy functioning. It’s okay to take a break from whatever is stressful. 

It’s okay to be kind to yourself.

Donna Jo Stone writes YA contemporary novels about tough issues but always ends the stories with a note of hope. She blogs at donnajostone.com.