How to keep writing when you have anxiety
5 things that helped me to overcome my anxiety so that I had enough headspace left to do something I wanted to do: write. When you feel like you’re just barely making it through your life, it’s one big blur of “If I could just finish this one thing, then…”
Give yourself weekends off
When you fill up all of your free minutes with writing, you start to associate writing with rushing + overwhelm
- Writing deserves a dedicated time; it deserves to be savored. When you snack on writing time, it doesn’t satisfy you
- Give yourself a break from writing so your mind can recharge
Remember what made you passionate in the beginning
The key to avoiding anxiety is to make sure it stays a passion and doesn’t become a chore
- Be confident in your passion for writing because if you aren’t-if you do it something just to do it, or if you jump in head first without clarifying your real desires, wants, and needs-you’ll never really succeed
Commit to a daily daydream
Every day, for just 3 minutes, meditate on your current WIP. Do it until you can call up every aspect of your plot and characters immediately, even when you’re doing other things.
- It’s an amazing exercise for brainstorming and working through tough problems.
Don’t let sneaky “multitasking” invade your writing hours
Multitasking isn’t a bragging point. It has been proven to make you less productive AND raise your stress levels.
- Focus is so important for writers. When you focus, you are more creative and more engaged, and it shows in your writing.
Remind your brain how to focus
Make a conscious effort to make the change.
- Set yourself up for success by eliminating any potential distractions and developing awareness for distractions
- When you become distracted, acknowledge it and try to focus on just one task at a time. Repeating this until it’s natural