How to overcome your writer's block

How to overcome your writer's block

We all have those moments where just the idea of grabbing your pen or laptop makes your brain go for the lack of better words, blank. Writer’s block is the arch-nemesis of every student and professional alike, leaving all victims beyond frustrated. 

Despite having the content stacked up in your brain, it seems near to impossible to word it down. Something stops you from being able to relay it from your mind to your fingers; despite trying your hardest, you can’t get the words to come out on paper.

 But fear not! We come to you with a list of simple tips and tricks to use to counter this problem, as well as the causes which lead to writer block to help you target the issue before it begins.

Timing, aligned in many situations, happens to be a critical determinant of the work you’re committing to. Therefore, time is a highly essential factor that you should consider. 

You may be trying to write at the wrong time. If your assignment is due at 11:59 pm, and you begin writing at 9 pm, you’re probably not going to produce your best work. It’s advisable to start your work at least a week before it’s due at best; however, even three days prior is good to go. Last-minute writing pieces often produce not only stress but a key-smashed assignment that could have been far better with a little bit of energy management.

Often, writers find themselves restricted by the fear of not being at par to the pre-set standards they devise for themselves. Or, they’re afraid that once shared, they’d receive negative criticism from others.

Many writers also have a fear of sharing their ideas, or brainstorming with others, as they believe it would lead to their plan getting copied. However, they do not realize that they might gain insights off of others that might help them overcome the issue of stagnant ideas. 

Every time you open your notebook or word document, you find yourself staring at the blank screen for hours. Why? Because you’re too invested in making everything perfect from scratch, not even giving yourself any room to progress as you go. 

Those of us afflicted with the disease of perfectionism often find ourselves unable even to begin our work, which only adds to our stress. Our solution on the matter would be to write out the sentences that come to your mind; however imperfect they seem to you as there’s always room for development, so you’ll get multiple opportunities to revert and edit.  

In this digital world, our brain is hard-wired to do multi-tasking. We use multiple apps on the phone at the same time; we eat food while watching TV, we use our phones while driving, and can’t focus on just one task at a time, justifying ourselves with the lie that we’re doing more. 

Wrong! Spreading yourself too thin against the brim might make it seem like a lot is being done; however, it just so happens that we even fail to focus correctly on a single task at hand. 

To avoid writer’s block, try to concentrate on the task at hand without any other distractions. There’s no more significant distraction than the assumption that you can both write your assignment and do research for a different task at the same time, and it will make both tasks take a longer time.

Colors and light play an important role in setting the mood. At the same time, you might not believe in the stereotype of blue entailing gloominess and red inducing danger, (although, a red sign should stop you), lightening while working matters significantly. 

Dark colors and low-lit rooms might induce a state of mind that is too relaxed to get any work done. So keep your room well-lit and try to work in a space where the colors and decorations of your surrounding don’t distract you, but rather keep you alert.

Sometimes, when you’re burnt out, and your mind is just the sound of static, you need to put everything down and go for a walk. Often, taking a stroll helps to freshen your mind and soul. Looking at the greenery and the sky, getting a breath of fresh air, and just changing your surroundings enables you to come up with new ideas and solutions.

So in favor of higher creativity, you could consider stepping away from your work or study space in hopes of igniting and charge your brain so that you move into your creative space of mind. 

There will be times when you believe that you can start writing, and the words will come to you, especially if a deadline is close. But they don’t, and you might be inclined to blame this on writer’s block. And yet, the cause is plain old lack of research. A good trick is to write an outline, a list of ideas or concepts you want to touch upon in your work. Once you have an overview, your thoughts are more organized, and your research becomes easier. 

If you find yourself with no motivation to write and feel like you need a push to get you writing, a good tip is to watch or read something motivational. Find some Ted Talks or YouTube content that discusses issues like writer’s block. Speak to someone who inspires you. Don’t feel like the only thing you should talk about at times like these is the thing that is worrying you; let healthy distractions come to you.