Writers Block image

One of my New Year’s resolutions this year was to write a new blog post once a week. This was a good goal for me because it gave me a chance to express myself and the motivation to create content regularly. The only problem with committing to write a blog post every week? I have to write a blog post every week. And that can cause some problems sometimes.

For example, this week. I’ve been traveling the past few weeks, which has made it difficult to stay on top of my blogging schedule. I’ve put out some good ones the past couple of weeks, but this week I’m stuck. I have some ideas that are going to take some time, but I can’t think of anything that I can write today. The truth is that I’ve got writer’s block.

So as I was sitting here trying to think of a good topic for today’s blog post, watching the clock tick and my deadline approach, and then it hit me. Why not write about writer’s block? It’s something we all face from time to time. It’s certainly relevant to my life because I’m facing it right now. So here I am, with writer’s block, writing a blog post about writer’s block. Here are a few things I’m trying to keep in mind.

1. Don’t stress.

The first thing you need to know about writer’s block: It’s OK. It happens to everyone from time to time. Whether it’s a paper, a thank-you note, or (in my case) a blog post, each and every one of us will at some point in our lives sit down to write and realize we don’t have anything to say. It’s a totally normal phenomenon, and it isn’t something to worry about. In fact, worrying about it will only make it worse. Just breathe and realize that it happens to everyone, and you will get through it.

2. Take some time away from it.

When you’re facing writer’s block, you’ll probably be tempted to sit there and stare at the blank page until you come up with something. But that might not be the best course of action. If you have the luxury of some time, you should take some time to get away from the project for a while. Take a walk. Go work on something else. Spend some time with family or friends. Getting away from the writer’s block for a while will help you relax, and it will give your mind time enough to wander and maybe even come up with something good to write about. I can’t tell you how many times this strategy has helped me come up with a blog post topic that I was really happy with. It might work out for you, too.

3. You have to write something at some point.

While taking some time away from the project can be good for you, the deadline will eventually come. You can’t put off your paper or speech or blog post forever. At some point, you’ll have to write something. It may not be the greatest thing ever, but something is usually better than nothing. For example, it’s better for me to write a blog post about writer’s block than to miss a week and have to deal with the guilt and shame of breaking my resolution. Plus I know some of you out there eagerly await these blog posts on Tuesday evenings, and I don’t want to let you down.

So there you go. Those are my tips for when you’re facing writer’s block. I hope they were helpful. Check back next week for a (hopefully) more thought-out blog post. Have a great week, friends!