One of the questions that came up a couple of times in my recent survey
was how to write when daily life is sapping your energy.
I think this is a huge issue for many writers, and one that doesn't always get talked about much. There's a lot of advice on finding the time to write -- which is, of course, important! -- but having time available doesn't necessarily help when you're feeling
drained.
So if you reach the end of your day feeling spent, and you haven't written in weeks, what can you do about it?
#1: Don't Blame Yourself (or Your Writing)
When you lack the energy to write, you might feel that you are somehow at fault: you tell yourself that you should just power through. Or, you end up blaming your writing. You think that if you were a better writer (or writing something different), you might feel more energised about it.
Sometimes, it might be true that you need to tackle a procrastination habit, or you need to take a step back from your writing and look at whether this really is the right project for you.
Often, though, the issue is not with you at all. It's the circumstances of daily life ... and you might
have more control over these than you think.
#2: Take Practical Steps to Change What You Can
Some things can't be easily changed. Your day job hours, for instance, are probably fixed. If you have young children,
your weekends will inevitably be taken up with a lot of family time (which can be lovely, but also exhausting!)
Whatever your circumstances, though, I'd bet good money that you can change something ... even if it's something small.
In our own household, my husband and I now do laundry in the evenings (one of us puts a wash on while the other gets the kids settled for bed, then we tumble it while we're eating dinner / watching TV and fold it before bed). It's a small change but one that means we don't end up spending time during our working hours on sorting out the laundry.
Some small changes you might consider are:
- Going to bed 30 minutes earlier and getting up 30 minutes earlier to write -- that way, you can do your writing before all the demands of the day wear you down!
- Identifying chores that are taking up a disproportionate amount of energy (not necessarily time) and
finding a better way to tackle them.
- Changing what you eat/drink, if it's making you groggy -- e.g. I can never focus after a heavy lunch.
#3: Make Writing Itself a More Energising Time
If writing feels like yet another chore, look for ways to make it something special to look forward to. That might mean something as simple as choosing a special notebook for writing in, or listening to music you enjoy as you write.
You could also try going
somewhere different to write: your favourite coffee shop, maybe, or making a dedicated writing space in your house.
One simple way to make writing easier when you're tired is to "batch produce" whatever you're working on. With these weekly newsletter articles, for instance, I come up with a bunch of ideas all at once (usually at the end of each month, for the
following month). Then I plan out several newsletters (usually 3 - 4) in one go. Finally, I write them! This means that when I'm low on energy, I know I only have to take a small step rather than finish a whole writing task in one go.
Finally ... hang on in there! It can be really frustrating to lack the energy to write, and it's so easy to end up blaming yourself. But writing does take up a fair bit of energy, and sometimes, you're all spent and just need some downtime. Don't beat yourself up --
but do look for ways to gently support yourself in finding ways to move forward with your writing. Best of luck!
