Finding the Headspace to Write During Difficult Times
The perfect time to write. That’s what they’re calling it.
All that extra time at home.
What better moment to start writing?
But all the while you’re lying on your bed.
Sitting on the edge of your couch.
Standing by your window.
And wondering when your world’s going to stop spinning.
At least that’s been my experience.
In just a few weeks, life has become unrecognisable. With so much uncertainty about the future, how can anyone find the mental bandwidth to write?
Yet at the same time, there’s a part of you that wants to be writing.
To make sense of all this or to distract yourself from it.
To find a moment of stillness.
Or to remind yourself we still live in a world with so much wonder and beauty in it.
I don’t have the answers.
But I know what it is to have that deep-seated desire to express what’s inside you.
Today I’m sharing 8 things that are helping me find the headspace to write.
1. Flexibility
You might have days when you don’t feel like writing anything at all.
And that’s OK.
For me, some of those days were in my last week overseas, trying to get home before borders closed. Days when it felt like I was swimming against a rip. Days when I had no words.
Now is not the time to force yourself into a strict writing routine.
They’ll be days when you do feel like writing, but you’re struggling to focus.
For these moments, it’s worth experimenting with the times when you sit down to write. Even if the pandemic hasn’t affected your routine, new responsibilities could be making it harder to concentrate.
Perhaps words come to you more easily in the morning before you check the news. Or maybe you feel more relaxed at the end of the day when you’ve finished homeschooling your kids and/or working from home.
I’ve been writing more at night recently as a way to disconnect from everything and clear my mind before I sleep.
2. Limiting news exposure
This is something I was guilty of not doing. My husband and I have just finished two weeks of self-isolation after returning home from overseas.
TV and the internet felt like our only window into the outside world.
In our first few days of quarantine, I would watch the breakfast news at 7am and then the evening news at 6pm. I also found myself scanning national and international news websites throughout the day.
No wonder that I was feeling too anxious to write.
I’m not suggesting you avoid the news altogether. Governments and health organisations are continuously issuing information that affects us all. But we need to find a middle ground between staying informed and getting overwhelmed if we want to allow room for creativity in our lives.
3. Talking about other topics
This is something that’s hard to do if we’re constantly consuming news and discussing it with our family and friends. It might seem hard to find other topics of conversation when our social lives are so restricted.
But this is where new hobbies and indoor activities can help.
When you make space in your life for other interests, you encourage curiosity and playfulness. Both are essential qualities for creative writing.
During my time indoors, I’ve been reading more and watching movies and documentaries. I’ve been experimenting with new recipes and trying out journalling in Spanish, my second language. I’ve also been doing a P.E. class on You Tube (yes, it’s for kids, but that’s why it’s much more fun than the gym!)
Is there something you’ve been wanting to try for a while? Or an existing hobby that you’d like to spend more time on?
4. Journalling about fears
This might seem like it contradicts my last suggestion, but I’ve found it helpful to write down my feelings about coronavirus and its impact. While it doesn’t make my fears go away, it does get them out of my head for a while. And that makes more space for other writing topics.
If you’re struggling to think about anything other than the pandemic, try putting your phone on aeroplane mode. Set your timer for 10 minutes. Write down everything that’s going on in your head without self-censoring. When the timer goes off, take a break and then come back and try writing about something else.
5. Silencing anxiety
An alternative to writing about fears is listening to something. I find that listening to music or an audio is a great way to block out that anxious voice in my head.
Playing a guided meditation helps me find the inner stillness I need to write afterwards. I also like to put on some classical music or white noise recordings of rain falling while I’m journalling.
You might prefer listening to a different musical genre or turning on the radio or a podcast.
6. Movement
Exercise can have a similar effect. There is no shortage of studies showing how exercise can reduce stress and anxiety.
But what I’ve noticed recently is that it’s also a natural transition. When you’re doing everything at home, it’s hard to create mental space between activities.
How much sitting down are you doing at the moment? For me, it’s a lot. My commute to work now involves walking from one room in our flat to another.
Exercise is one of my favourite ways to create the mental distance I need to switch to an activity like creative writing. Doing yoga or a workout at home helps me clear my mind and reset without changing location.
7. Creating personal space
If you’re struggling to find the headspace to write, look around at your physical space. Do you have your own space to write at home?
Perhaps you’re one of those people who can write anywhere. TV on at full volume? Family asking you questions every five minutes? No problem. If that’s you, great! It’s going to make writing a lot easier under the current restrictions.
But if you’re like me, you’ll need peace and quiet or at least ambient noise only.
For many of us, cafes and libraries are no longer options. And neither is the kitchen table with family or flatmates at home all the time.
I know this can be a challenge as I live in a tiny apartment without a spare room or home office. If you’re in a similar situation, talk to the people you live with. Negotiate a time when you can use a shared space like a living room or a bedroom for your writing.
Having a private space to write can make a huge difference to your state of mind.
8. Gentleness
These are extraordinary times. There’s so much pressure already. Don’t add more by telling yourself you have to write a whole story or a set number of words.
This is not meant to be something else to worry about. Something else to ‘get through’.
Creative writing is meant to be something that takes you away from all this.
Start as small as you want and do it for yourself.
Write sentences. Play with prompts. And see where they lead.
Most importantly, let yourself have fun.
We all need more of that right now.
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Disclaimer: The information I’ve given in this post is based on my own experience in self-isolation. I’ve shared actions and mindsets that have helped me. I hope you’ll find them useful, but bear in mind that they’re not meant to be a replacement for professional advice. If you’re worried about your mental health, please don’t hesitate to seek professional help.
