We all have those weeks. You know the ones. Where you have big plans to get sh*t done and somehow you’re staring down Wednesday, Thursday, or even Friday and you’ve not accomplished half your goals. And the stress of how far you’ve fallen behind is added to the stress of the work you have to do today, and it’s making it harder to get anything done, so you fall even farther behind. And so on and so forth.
It’s not just me, is it? Well, I’ve certainly had one of those weeks this week. Blown deadline. Work is nuts. There’s fifty million things to do, and no time to do it, and my writing brain just feels drained. It can start to feel like you’re simple failing at everything. Here’s a few tips to help get back on track.
1) Breathe
Seriously. Stop for just a moment. Get somewhere quiet. Close the door, close your computer, and close your eyes. Take a few deep breaths. Sometimes it can help to simply slow down, and give yourself five or ten minutes not to plan or work or try to figure out how to fix things, but just to let your mind relax. I’ve recently discovered an app called Headspace that guides you through a ten minute meditation. It’s a chance to slow down and give your brain a break.
2) Make A List
This can seem like a stressful activity. Why make a list of all the stuff you still have to do? But I’ve found that when I write down all the stuff—writing, work, life, events, everything that might be stressing me out—I feel more in control of it. Now, it’s not a giant cloud hovering over me. It’s a list of tasks, on a piece of paper. This can be especially helpful with writing tasks, which can often seem overwhelming. Break them down into tasks, the more specific, the better.
3) Let it Go!
I actually listen to this song when I’m stressed. It’s the perfect pump-up for the next part of this exercise—knocking as many things off the list as possible. Take a look at what you’ve written down. Is there anything that doesn’t have to get done in the next few days? Or is there something you could ask for help with? I was slapped in the face by Leanne Sowul’s article from last Monday—she talks about how writers can’t do it all alone. I’m the last person to ever ask for help, but we all need it! So see what tasks you can send packing. And let them go!
4) Embrace Failure
One thing we talk about at DIY MFA a lot is iteration—the idea that we’re constantly tweaking our process, and improving it. Very few writers get anything right on the first draft. The idea is to fail, and then fail better the next time, and not get tripped up in the meantime. The same holds true for our writing life. We’re not always going to have perfect writing weeks. So don’t dwell on what you didn’t get done. Make a plan for the next round. Focus on what you’re going to get done. Right now.
5) Set Your Space Up For Success
The only thing that is really going to slow down the stress is actually getting stuff done. If you’ve sailed off-track, the best way to get back on track is to get to work. Now that you’ve got more of a realistic idea of what has to get done, make a plan and hop to. One of the keys to getting this done is getting rid of distractions. Turn off Twitter. Shut down your email. Put your phone on airplane mode. Shut the door or put on headphones. Sometimes a simple thing like changing to a new desk, or grabbing a cup of coffee can help turn around a bad day. You’re exiting stress-mode and entering work-mode. It’s time to slay. And you can do it!
How do you turn it around when your writing week goes off course? Let me know in the comments, or on social media, using hashtag #5OnFri!
