Take a Writing Break for Self-Care

If you read the writing advice by the greats—Ray Bradbury, Stephen King, Eudora Welty—you come across their suggestion of daily writing.  Many professionals recommend that people write on a daily basis, and for many reasons, they are correct.  Writing on a daily basis keeps the hand limber so to speak. 

When people write on a daily basis, even for ten to fifteen minutes per day, the mental processes needed to write (analysis, synthesis, examination) keep in better condition.  Just like when a person works out on a daily basis, their muscles are more able to operate at full capacity, so the mental muscles are able to operate more efficiently when they are worked on a daily basis. 

In Stephen King’s On Writing, he suggests that writers set a specific daily schedule to write without any variation.  I agree with his suggestion and believe that when I write on a daily basis that my writing is stronger and the process more efficient.  King says he writes every day except Christmas, then he corrects and says that he writes on Christmas too.  No matter what individual readers think of King’s fiction writing, his advice is sound. 

So, if writing every day is so useful to writers, why would anyone suggest taking a writing break?  Why would anyone suggest any other method but writing on a daily basis?  If it isn’t broken, why try and fix it?

Every now and then, a self-care writing break can be just the thing to rejuvenate the mind and stimulate creativity.  As part of a blogging group, I see when writers are falling apart.  They are running on empty ideas so they end up repeating themselves, or their writing lacks the engaging pizzazz their readers need to feel connected, and their writing lacks the depth and breadth of their best work.  They need to take a break.

Sure, sometimes muscling through a problem can offer a workable solution.  But typically, when a writer is racing on misty fumes, what they really need is to inflow not to outflow.  Writers who are stumped, exhausted, or overwhelmed should consider a self-care regime that begins with a decision to stop writing for a short time.  Instead, those writers should focus on taking care of themselves by taking it all in, by in-flowing.  
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Inflow and Outflow 
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Although I do write on a daily basis, I find that sometimes I run dry.  For me, the problem is not getting myself to write on a daily basis but on reading on a daily basis.  I read what I need for my professional work on a daily basis, keep up with the New York Times, and listen to audio books in my car.  But I only spend quality time with a good book or on professional development for my writing once or twice a week (usually on the weekend).  So, I run out of things to write about. 

Because I am not soaking in new information, I end up drawing a blank while writing.  I will leave out details or not go as in depth as I could when my mind is exploding with an abundance of information. 

Reading gives writers the opportunity to inflow information.  When we read, we take in new ideas, compare them against our existing data, and decide where that new information fits in the great spectrum of content we can access. 

When we write, we outflow.  We take the synthesized analysis of content that we have considered and share it with others in an organized, digestible form that others can appreciate.  The balance between reading and writing is a lot like breathing—we inflow new information and we outflow constructed thoughts about our new conclusions.  
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How to Manage a Writing Break
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When you recognize that writing is not going well for you (you are struggling to meet your typical word count, the ideas are not flowing, or the quality of your writing has diminished), try these recommendations for taking a writing break. 

First, stop writing. 

This can feel a bit uncomfortable, especially if you are working on an important project, but you when you put the pen down, you will open up other opportunities that will allow you to write efficiently later on. 

Sometimes, when we are working on important writing projects (building a blog site, composing a novel, drafting articles for publication, etc.), the last thing we feel compelled to do is accept defeat and stop writing.  But when the steam runs out and the muscles weaken, a break is oftentimes just what we need. 

Just as when people’s mental states totally change after taking a vacation, taking a writing break can be rejuvenating.  The key is to take the right kind of break.  Just as visiting certain family members creates significant stress, taking the wrong kind of writing break can make things worse.  So, choose wisely.

Second, start reading.

If you normally read 2-3 news articles a day, change things around.  Instead, incorporate two books to your daily reading—one fiction book to engage your imagination and one non-fiction book to hone your skill set. 

By changing your habits, you will change your mental patterns that have fallen into a state of disrepair.  This is a good thing.  Changing your patterns ensures that your writing next month with be completely different than your writing today.  That is the goal here—improve your writing by taking a writing break. 

If you normally write for an hour a day, use that time to read.  If you normally watch two hours of TV a day, change that time to reading.  If you normally listen to music while at the gym doing the stair stepper, change that to an audio book.  Reading stimulates the brain and thought patterns more than any other activity; it allows major shifts to happen in thinking that stimulate thought. 

Third, look around you.

One of the things that happens to writers when things go poorly for us is that we think about ourselves.  We start to obsess about what is not working.  We worry.  We blame ourselves for poor production and look inward for the reasons why.  With that kind of negative thinking, great writing is unlikely. 

Take time to observe.  Go for walks and do not bring a headset, phone, or music.  Instead listen to the sounds around you, smell the variety of scents on the air, and look at the variety of shapes and colors surrounding you.  Walk and walk and walk.  Ray Bradbury encourages writers to walk on a daily basis, as does Stephen King, and I believe both are correct in that walking encourages writers to reset their mindsets through observation.

I cannot overemphasize the importance of honing one’s observation skills.  A writer who cannot observe cannot describe.  Unfortunately, I see this problem quite a bit, especially in the blogging, personal essay, and short fiction genres.  Writers jump straight into the writing, hoping to force cleverly-constructed words to create themselves, but they have not taken the time to soak in the world around them first.  
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Take a Self-Care Writing Break 
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Writers must be a part of the world not separated from it.  The image of the lonely writer tapping away at a keyboard in a dark basement is completely wrong.  Writers have to talk to people, listen to the wind, read books, walk miles, and taste honey and vinegar both to be able to translate the realities of life into a synthesized truth for their readers to appreciate. 
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Sometimes, writers become overwhelmed, exhausted, or just drained of creative energy.  Taking a break from writing to make a difference and allow writers to return to their practices with enthusiasm and renewed energy.  If your writing practice has fallen into a rut, consider taking a break to rejuvenate.  

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