Feeling Too Blah to Write?

7 quick emotions-based strategies to kickstart your writing

We can all feel blocked, stuck or discouraged about writing. When this happens to me, it’s often about the emotions I need to face or manage.

Here are 7 strategies for coping with feelings so that they don’t block your writing. Most take less than 2 minutes.

Photo by freestocks on Unsplash

1. Lift your mood (50 seconds)

I use this strategy for low motivation. It sounds simplistic but it works:

• think of 1 thing or person you love or appreciate (5 seconds) [note: if you’re feeling so low that it’s hard to come up with something, try “running water” or “electricity”]
• feel gratitude for that thing or person for 20 seconds
• notice if you feel more energized. If not, repeat with a 2nd thing or person

Deeper Dive: there is an entire field of psychological research based on the science of gratitude.

2. Mindfully write about the feeling (2 minutes)

Life and world events can trigger difficult emotions (i.e., sadness, fear, anger, jealousy) that block our writing. Try mindfully facing the feeling(s):

• set a timer for 2 minutes