These are a few things I’ve begun to notice in myself and my fellow writers. We all may be very different, but we all also face similar issues.

Facing them may be too strong a word though.  Some writers, I know, have the strength to face mental challenges, but if you’re anything like me, you curl up in your bed and think about all those big and minuscule mistakes you made in your past and start to feel even worse. . .yeah, anywho, so this post is about that. I’ll identify those icky issues that mess with our minds, then list tips and tricks to fight them off. 

1. As writers, we often start doubting our abilities as word wielders.  Am I good enough? Will everyone judge me? That writer is so much better than me! I’ll never succeed. This is called imposter syndrome! Yay! Now: shut that inner critic down. Drown their voice in coffee, tea, water — whatever your favorite beverage, who cares.  Just press mute.  I find that the best way to turn off Imposter Mode is to listen to music or get outside. I need to get my body moving. But alas not everyone is the same.  So find what works for you.

1. One thing that EVERY writer has to face someday is feedback. And you’re going to get all kinds, I promise you. Good feedback. Bad feedback.  Helpful feedback. Rude feedback.  When I get bad feedback, I don’t get mad at the reviewer — I get mad at myself. I start to think “well, if there’s one flaw, then that whole thing I sent them must have sucked” (this simply isn’t true for anyone, mind you). And then when I get good feedback, I feel encouraged for a time but then I start overthinking and doubt the sincerity of the critic. Did they just say that to make me feel good? Are they only telling me the good stuff and leaving out their honest opinion? I honestly don’t have many “wonder working” ideas to fill this pit of anxiety. I struggle with it often, so you’d think I’d have all the answers. But nope — I’m just as lost as you are. (If you do have a plan of attack in this area, please comment down below)

2. Now here’s an irrational fear: being scared that maybe someday your ability to write well will disappear. Poof. Gone forever. *sheds a tear*. Or worse, that you’ll simply write so much that you’ll burn out and no longer have any more original ideas. This is a life crisis. If writing is what you want to devote your life to, and you think that someday you might lose it? That could be quite scary. But it’s also nearly impossible. No, I don’t have facts and figures to really explain the improbability of it all, so I’ll just cross my fingers and hope that this makes sense.  If you ever feel burned out, TAKE A BREAK. Let your imagination rest.  Using your creative brain too much can be thrilling, but also exhausting. There’s no shame in a break, well-earned or not. My longest break from writing was six months, and boy did it do me good.  I had so many more ideas and it felt like I was making a fresh start. Self care is important.

3. Now, let’s see. . .ah yes. Stress. Anxiety. Wanting to get so much done, then feeling awful at the end of the day because what? Nothing happened. Oh, you wanted to write that story, clean your room, read that book in your tbr, maybe meditate a bit? Nope, you either sat on your phone all day or you had to get to work and “live” life. As an adult, this one is very much a part of my life.  My advice is to plan. Schedule your day. You don’t HAVE to write it down, maybe just make a mental note, but even writing a few words about what you want to get done can ingrain the motivation to DO those things. Give yourself reminders, set alarms and timers on your devices, or ask someone to keep you accountable. The sooner you take this seriously, the sooner you’ll spend your time wisely and lessen that feeling of stress.

4. Overactive imaginations are commonly seen as “good” for a writer. I have one, but I honestly think it’s a plague most of the time. Overthinking things is my fatal flaw.  Even now I’m overthinking this post. The repercussions, how many people might think I’m nuts, people might think I’m just procrastinating making this post (which I am, don’t get me wrong). . .just thoughts. Always. I am so jealous of the people who can shut off their inner dialogue, cuz it sounds like a rock concert of voices in my head. And then there’s this random British guy??? Yeah. No peace. In moments where I struggle with this (which is more often than not), I find something to read. Anything. Not even a novel most of the time. I read signs, I skim my eyes over a newspaper’s heading, read the lyrics to a song. Everything and anything at all. I just get my mind to work for me, not without me. I also sing, but let’s not get into that catastrophic topic.

And my top three favorite tips for literally everything? Pray, listen to music, and get outside.

I hope some of this advice helped! God bless!