What To Do When You Experience Writer's Block

Hi readers! I was on the train home yesterday from Fall Break when I started this blog post and as much as I was used to the 3½ hour long rides coming and going, this last time it seemed especially long. Anyway, I was trying to edit an essay that was due today in the afternoon, and as per usual, I found myself in the midst of having writer’s block. We have all been there, haven’t we? I know I am experiencing writer’s block when I find myself staring at my computer screen, completely at a loss for what to type next. It’s always the worst when you are on a roll on an essay and you are typing super fast one minute because your thoughts are actually making sense and then boom, you stop mid-sentence. Or, you have an outline all ready for you to refer back to, but you can only get your name, date, and class name on the page and that’s it. No words are coming to you.

When this happens, I have to clear my head a little bit and take my mind off of what I was just focusing on. Trying to push through writer’s block usually ends up not working, so I wouldn’t suggest doing that. Here are some things you could do instead to get those writing juices flowing (featuring some cool gifs):

Engage in conversation with others – so basically, talk to people, especially if you have holed yourself up in your room for the past three hours. Go with a friend to get some fro-yo or a donut from Good Time. Talk about anything and everything but your paper or story that you’re writing. You just might find the inspiration you need!
Watch a TV show – I don’t know about you, but I am taking any free time I have (sorry friends) to watch all of my TV shows that are currently starting. I’m sure you have your favorite, so all the more reason to get on Netflix or turn on that TV you barely use to watch something entertaining.
Cook (or bake!) – How about you make your roommate/friends happy by not only (1) feeding them, but (2) showing off your impressive cooking skills. Or even better – make some delicious cookies or brownies to eat (you can also share) but mostly, you will eat them all yourself because you can, and why not?
Take a Nap – Okay, I know you were probably thinking this would be the first thing to do, but that would be too obvious wouldn’t it? I feel like I should be a pro at taking naps by now and you should be too! Set aside 15-20 minutes to relax and get some much needed time to focus on nothing other than sleeping. Best.idea.ever.
Listen to music–Music is what helps me the most to not only focus my mind on something else, but it also gives me the excuse to sing a loud to myself and have a mini dance party in my room. Don’t worry I would never do such a thing in public–or would I? 🙂