Do You Need a Rest from Your Writing?

It's something that often happens when we've been working intensively on a project or struggling to meet a dealine - once the pressure's off, we slump, our brain seems to close down, and we feel as if we're incapable of doing anything. How can we manage to write books, create poems, finish a thesis ever again? Even the thought of it makes us feel exhausted.

The truth is that sometimes we just deplete our energy reserves and we need to have a rest and build them up again before we attempt anything else. This applies especially if we've been involved in a creative endeavour in which we have been digging deep and giving of ourselves, not just going through the motions of showing up at work every day and putting in a set number of hours.

So what are we to do if we find ourselves in that position, feeling we ought to be writing, but not having the physical, emotional and mental energy to do it? Listen to our bodies, give ourselves time and space to recover. Do something undemanding, reduce the amount of stimulation we are exposed to or do something which is a complete change.

Today I watched a one-off drama I'd recorded some months ago called The Good Samaritan. It was light-hearted, entertaining, undemanding, and very, very funny. It was just what I needed after a hard week of de-cluttering and filing papers.

You might like to go for a walk or a swim or do some yoga. Go and visit some friends you haven't seen for a while. Do something with your hands, like making cards or jewellery. Anything to help your body and mind make the shift from the high octane gear that you've been operating in to a more gentle, restorative frame of mind.

So if you feel you need it, have a rest - you'll be glad you did.