How To Find More Energy To Write
Yes, You Are Completely Capable Of Being Focused
There will be times when the words simply do not come. When the writing is… well, really hard. You sit down and have good intentions… but you don’t have much to show for it. Other times, you simply avoid writing altogether.
What’s going on here? Instead of making excuses and accepting this as the norm, let’s dig deeper and figure out what is really going on.
Human beings are smart. We avoid pain. Your body — specifically your mind — is trying to tell you something. We just have to work with our bodies to figure out what they are telling us.
The First Question For You
Are you actually getting enough sleep? Millions of people are flat out not getting enough sleep. The statistics are pretty shocking.
- 50–70 million US adults have a sleep disorder.
- 37.9% reported unintentionally falling asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month.
- 4.7% reported nodding off or falling asleep while driving at least once in the preceding month.
Clearly, a lot of adults have sleep problems. And sleep problems add up over time. You know you need a ton of mental energy in order to write well. Likely more than you think you do. Taking a short nap can often do wonders. Set a timer something like 15 or 20 minutes and snooze away.
How Else Are You Refueling Yourself?
When you write, you are pouring your thoughts, emotions, experiences, and ideas on the page. Each writing session is a lot like taking some water from a well. If more water isn’t feeding the well, the well runs dry.
Creativity cannot be just one-way. Your creativity will run dry if all you do is take from it.
You must restore and refuel your creativity. And one of the easiest ways to do that is to find what makes your creativity flow.
There are certain pieces of art that tap into your creativity. Maybe it’s a book. Maybe it’s a movie. Maybe it’s a song. These pieces of art that are more than just art. These creations captivate you, and there is something deep and lasting about them.
Go to those. Find the source. When I listen to Jimi Hendrix, I remember what it felt like to be a 14-year-old kid who wanted to learn how to play electric guitar.
When I read The Tell Tale Heart, I remember how that piece of writing was like nothing I’ve ever read before. I want to create. If I’m completely honest, I couldn’t have written this short story if I hadn’t ever read The Tell-Tale Heart.
Great art makes you want to create more great art.
When you go back to the great art you love, you can’t help but respond with more energy.
If you’re still uncertain, here are 5 simple but awesome things you can do to get back on track:
1. Stop. Stop moving. Stop working. Stop tweeting. Stop multitasking. Just stop. Rest. Don’t do anything. You need a break, an intentional period to just recharge.
2. Listen. What is your body trying to tell you? Your body knows what’s best for you. That gentle pull in your gut is telling you exactly what you need to do. It might be saying, “Take a nap,” or “Step away from the screens,” or something like that.
3. Try the 1-second trick. I know this simple trick by changing my approach to how I use social media and other time-suck apps seriously has given me more focus and more time to write. It’s so easy you’ll wonder why you haven’t done it yet. I explain it in detail here.
4. Hang out with upbeat friends. No Debbie downers. Go for the encouraging Eddies instead. Social media absolutely counts! Block, hide, unfollow, unsubscribe, do whatever it takes. You need positive friends in your life. I shudder to think about how often social media — and the instant gratification it brings — stops us from writing.
If someone told you you could spend time on Facebook or you could have a finished book, how would you answer?
I know I’d take a book over time on Facebook in a heartbeat!
5. Revamp — or even trash — your to-do list. Wow, sounds harsh right? It may not be — depending on your situation. If you are simply not doing the tasks on your list, what’s the difference? It is important to be really honest with yourself instead of lying to yourself. Often we lie to ourselves with long to-do lists.
The Takeaway
Focus and mental energy are often difficult to measure. That’s part of the challenge. But as you read this post, did you notice a pattern? Did you find yourself thinking, “Oh yeah, that’s me”?
If so, do one of the steps listed above. Just one. No more, no less.
That will help you build some momentum and get an easy win. That’s what you want. Use that momentum to start building your focus and refill your creative energy. If you want some help, I offer helpful, affordable coaching for writers just like you and I’ve also written a book that will likely help too.
Jim Woods is a bestselling author, freelance writer, and writing coach. His work has been featured in Fast Company, Life Hacker, Goinswriter, The Write Practice, and many other publications.