7 Wonderful Ways to Avoid Writing
Whether you are a professional or aspiring writer, there will be times when the words don’t come. Call it writer’s block or struggling to find the right phrase or to whittle a complex idea into a decent paragraph, procrastination can be your friend. Ignore all those listicles that tell you how to be more productive. They will only add to the sense of pressure and anxiety and defeat both your effort and enjoyment.
Procrastination gets a bad rap, but I’m telling you it’s a skill set that can improve your life tremendously.
1. Doing the dishes.
Who can write well when their kitchen is dirty? Not me. With my hands in soapy water, I can tune out and day dream and feel like I have accomplished something even if I am still stuck on that sequence I can’t get to work. The sense of accomplishment helps and at least the kitchen is clean. This also applies to other household tasks, like doing laundry. The great thing is that there is no end to these tasks and doing them while taking a break from frustration with writing, makes them more enjoyable. If you have a garden, getting your hands in the dirt is a superior way of not writing.
2. Taking a walk.
Walking or jogging works well to oxygenate your brain and often resolves conundrums without having to think about them. Walking is not only good for my body, but it reminds me there is an outside world worthy of my attention. There are trees, weird houses, children playing, plants growing up through cracks in the sidewalk, people who smile at you. If you have a dog, all the better.
3. Playing on your phone.
Probably the most perfect distraction mechanism ever invented, I like word games, which I find relaxing, and take a different kind of concentration. You can watch a comedy, you can watch cute dancing baby videos, anything that makes you smile. Do not, I repeat, do not watch the news. It could make you want to forget all about writing, because really why bother? What can my measly piece of writing accomplish in the face of global warming and encroaching fascism?
4. Taking a nap.
When I feel stuck on the page, sometimes a 20 minute lie down on the couch is just the ticket. Usually, after a bit, a solution or new idea pops into my head and I go straight back to my computer. Sometimes I really need the sleep. For those of you with a sexual playmate at home, a quickie can have the same health giving benefits and might make your partner feel extra happy — or if such a person is not available, fun with ourselves should not be underestimated.
5. Calling a friend.
This is a great intervention for writer’s block. It could be a writing friend, and you can talk through what you are struggling with. Often saying it out loud helps me define what the problem is and come up with a solution, and your friend might even have a good suggestion. But usually I call to connect with someone who cares about me, as connection makes me feel life is worth living, even when the words won’t come. Works well when accompanied by a cup of tea and chocolate.
6. Dancing, painting, drawing . .
And any other form of creativity that can loosen you up to remember the joy in life . . I like singing along with a favorite retro songs, say Gimme Shelter or Put the Lime in the Coconut, loudly, and prancing around the room, a sure-fire way to invite endorphins and provide extra oxygen to the brain. This may work even better for some when when accompanied by a glass of wine. If this extends your procrastination for the rest of the day or evening, just tell yourself you are honing your practice.
7. Writing postcards to voters.
This form of avoiding writing has the benefit of making me feel like a responsible citizen, and it’s still writing, so we are definitely practicing our skills in a way that is easier than whatever we are frustrated with at the time. If your hand gets tired, a close second is calling politicians/leaders to advocate for saner policies, or to register your concern or rage about the latest insanity being proposed or if they are working for the good, complimenting them on what they have done well.
Warning: Practicing many of these procrastination skills in the same day might result in you finding out that you would rather live than write. More likely though, a more relaxed body and refreshed mind may have you back writing with increased ease and joy.
