Ever feel like you've got so much on your brain that instead of letting a few things slip through your fingers, everything falls apart at once, leaving you empty handed and exhausted? Yup. That's where I am right now.
The writing's been slow going. I've written 10K in three weeks. Not enough by a long shot if I plan to have this finished by mid-summer. Every time I sit down to write I remember I have to answer emails, do the dishes, throw in some laundry, pick up something for one of my munchkins classes, etc, etc, etc. The list in my brain goes on and on, all hours of the day. I'm even having trouble sleeping. My head just won't slow down enough for me to rest...but I can't seem to write during the night, either.
I think I'm close to burning out, trying to do too many things at once. I think I need to slow down a bit...take a step back. I don't mean from writing--Heck No! I mean from everything...for a night or two.
Not to mention I've been working out religiously for about four weeks now and haven't lost a single pound...instead, I'm gaining weight. Seriously? I know muscle weighs more than fat, but come on. I want to see those numbers decline on the scale. I'm even watching what I eat and I don't mean that in the funny ha-ha "I'm watching the chocolate as it passes my lips" kind of way. I'm being serious. And I'm not a fan of diets.
Something's gotta give or I'm gonna burn out FAST.
Yesterday I told Husband I need to get out of the house this week. He asked what I had in mind. I don't really have anything in mind, other than doing something that requires my brain to go on auto-pilot. Yet every time I try to think of what I want to do or when I want to do it, it feels like another "thing" added to my to-do list.
I could really use some advice here. What do you do when the writing is grinding and the rest of your life won't slow down enough to let you think clearly? Do you Yoga? Run? Coma-like sleep? Write through it?
4 comments:
I'm exactly where you're at right now. Only, I'm pretty sure I've already reached the burnout point. For me, the only cure is to check out mentally. I drop everything, and I mean everything (except for essentials like feeding and picking up the kids lol) and veg out. I watch reruns of my favorite TV shows, shop, read and nap. If I'm burned out I can't do anything well, and this holds especially true for my writing. Burnout for me equals bad writing and stupid mistakes.
Hope you're feeling better soon!
You have to step back and prioritize. If you're not writing under a deadline, I would take a break for a little while. Writer's block sorts itself out when you're not concentrating on it. Just like exercise is the most beneficial when you're not doing it for the result- put on some great music and run to the beat of your favorite tunes until you're smiling and thinking "That was awesome!" You'll be surprised how much better you feel and how much more enjoyable things are when you're not putting pressure on yourself to do them!
Ugh, sorry you're there too. I think shopping and vegging out sounds fantastic right about now. I'm going out today--last chance before insane Easter weekend.
Hope things look up for you too! Enjoy your writing hiatus this week!
Gina--Thank you for this. I've heard of the running+smiling thing before for mood lifting. It's one of things doctors are supposed to tell people with depression to do.
I'm not under any contractual deadlines, just my own, which I tend to think are more strict. I'm not actually having writers' block...just struggling to find time to sit and write. Lately the time's not there.
Thanks for taking the time to give some advice.
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