Five Tips to Beat Writer’s Block

Take a break

There may be a very good reason that you don’t seem to be able to focus on writing: are you tired? Hungry? Is there another task you need to resolve first? Make sure that you’re allowing yourself the time and circumstances you need to facilitate your own writing process. Sometimes all you need is to take a few minutes and clear your mind.

Change your writing environment

Distractions are an obvious deterrence to being productive. Try moving away from ambient noise, social media, other people, or anything else that draws your attention away from your task. Moreover, mental association is a powerful force: if you are writing in a place where you’re accustomed to doing other things or where you begin feeling too much frustration, you may need to find another place to do your writing.

Re-engage

Do something that stimulates your creativity and helps to kindle the active side of your mind. It could be listening to music, sketching, watching an inspiring YouTube video, or maybe something physical such as going for a walk. Whatever it is, refresh your thoughts so that you can start getting motivated to work.

Outline your writing project

Don’t worry about writing full sentences or even complete thoughts—just put a few bullet points down on paper. You may start with a topic or trigger word, statistics or quotes, or anything that can serve as a jumping point for further development. When you get about three of these, start arranging them in the order you want to discuss them. Are there gaps in the content? If so, think about how you can bridge them, and you’ll quickly be on your way to building more content.

Remember: nothing you put down is permanent. Don’t be afraid to brain dump whatever thoughts you have—just make sure that at the end of your process, you reassess which content should stay and which content is no longer important.

Just start writing

Take a deep breath, let it out, ground your feet, and get started. Whatever you’re putting down doesn’t have to be perfect; the mechanical action of writing will help adjust your mind to the process. Just write about anything that is on your mind, and as you feel yourself beginning to focus and gain momentum, pull out your outline and channel that momentum wherever you need it to go!