7 Proven Strategies to Overcome Writer’s Block and Unleash Your Creativity

Let’s face it. Writer’s block is real. Learning how to overcome writer’s block is difficult too. And I am willing to put money on the fact that every one of us has had a bad case of it more than once in our lives. Professional writers, novices, and kids in 8th grade English class.

It’s that frustrating moment when the words just won’t flow, and your creativity seems to have taken an extended vacation.

Just because we’ve all experienced it, doesn’t mean we have to be stuck with it. You can overcome writer’s block and get past it – and I’m here to give you some of the top strategies to help you break through this mental barrier.

So I decided to we should talk about the writing process and what to do when we hit a wall. We’ll take a look at 7 proven techniques that can help you power through the creative process and start writing again. Whether you’re a novelist, blogger, or content creator, these tips will help you reclaim your writing mojo and produce some of you best work ever.

Understanding Writer’s Block: What’s Really Holding You Back?

Writer’s block. That dreaded feeling of being stuck without anything coming through no matter how hard you try. For some, it’s an experience like having a blank mind – with nothing there to even spark a new sentence or paragraph. For others, it’s writing and realizing everything you write sucks.

Simply recognizing writer’s block as it happens is taking a step in the right direction. If you don’t feel you have writer’s block, then how can you overcome it?

When your creative juices just aren’t flowing it can be devastating and if you’re anything like me, once the block comes, it seems to bring on more of it. I think all writers struggle with it from time to time.

There are several major causes for writer’s block, although these are certainly not the only reasons it can happen – it’s different for every writer (and sometimes you get it for multiple reasons at the same time).

Fear

Fear comes in many flavors. For writers, fear of failure and being judge seem to be the two most common types of fear. I talked about it a few posts ago when talking about writing engaging blog posts – when I first started writing for my real estate blog, I was afraid that people wouldn’t take me seriously, because I was new to the industry and didn’t know a ton.

I let that fear control my writing and wound up with blog posts that were dry and uninviting. They read like a term paper, not my own personal thoughts.

Fear is a bad one unless you’re Stephen King.

Perfectionism

Perfectionism ties into the previous block, fear. Fear of not being awesome is what perfectionism is all about. If you go through my site, you’re bound to find errors – spelling, grammatical, incomplete thoughts -all sorts of them. I do my best to not make too many, but I know they’re there.

And I’ve learned to accept it. I’m not perfect and I do make mistakes. No matter what, I can’t let that be the guiding force behind my blog. I have to accept that these things do exist and write anyway.

Perfectionism (or close to it) only comes from practice and the best way to get better at writing is to write often.

Your own self doubt can be a killer, and if you can find anyway to avoid it, do so.

Stress and Anxiety

Stress and anxiety are killers on all levels. Your health, your mood, your inspiration to create, your writing, your home life, your friends, your job…do you get the picture?

They also have a way of feeding on themselves – the more stressed and anxious you feel, the more it makes you feel stressed and anxious. It’s a never ending death spiral.

While none of us can ever claim to be stress free, do your best to let go of that stress and worry, at least as far as your writing is concerned. If you feel stuck, don’t panic. Use some stress relieving techniques to try and soothe your mind and get back to the task at hand.

No Reason at All

Have you ever had a friend tell you not to think about something? “Don’t think about pink elephants,” go ahead and try. Or what about when you buy a new car and all of a sudden you can only see those cars on the road?

Your brain is a fascinating place and I don’t know if we’ll ever truly know all that goes on inside it. Your brain gives you the power to do incredible things, but it can also take your best ideas and totally throw them out the window. Your brain, when it decides it wants something else, is more powerful than you.

There are a million techniques to be more mindful and present. In fact, some of you reading this are probably blogging in that niche. If you have any great tips, please share them in the comments!

Clear Your Mind: Meditation and Mindfulness Techniques for Writers

Have you ever tried meditation? It’s something I don’t do enough of if you ask me. In addition to being good for your daily life, it can also be a great way to beat writer’s block.

Clearing your mind, allowing your brain to rest, and essentially pushing the thoughts away can be extremely beneficial to get the creative juices flowing. Clearing your mind may seem counterintuitive when you’re trying to fill your mind with your best writing, but sometimes the blank state can help you on the blank page.

The best part is that there are both long term and short term benefits to being able to still your mind. In the short term, it will allow you to focus and work through your writer’s block. In the long term, meditation is known to have positive effects on sleep and restfulness, stress and anxiety, your overall mood, and your coping skills.

There are a ton of exercises out there to help you be more mindful and in the present moment. There are even several apps available to help (Calm being the big one that everyone has seen on TV once or twice – I’ve used it and I like it). If you’re struggling to focus, try one of these methods to get your head in the right space and get that block unstuck.

Simple Breathing Exercise

This one is so simple, it sounds crazy. But I have tried this and other breathing methods and find them to invaluable when I need to focus (I told you, I have a severely ADD brain).

1. Find a comfortable place to sit or lie down with no distractions (leave you phone in another room).
2. Close your eyes. (You can do this with your eyes open, but I find closing them to make a world of difference.)
3. Take a deep breath in through your nose as you count to four.
4. Hold it for one second.
5. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of six.
6. Repeat as many times as you need until you start to feel calm and your focus begins to sharpen.

You may notice your mind start to wander or intrusive thoughts pop up. Don’t feel defeated, it happens to everyone. Just continue to adjust your focus back to your breath. The more you practice the one, the easier it gets…and the better results you’ll have.

The Body Scan

I promise this isn’t the introduction to an alien takeover movie. This is just another way to get the words flowing and your inspiration restored. Be careful on this one, though, you may find yourself so relaxed you don’t want to stop. The methodology in this one is very similar to some self-hypnosis methods.

1. Find a comfortable spot to sit or lie down.
2. Close your eyes (again, this is your choice, but I find cutting off the visual senses helps you keep distractions at bay).
3. Start at your toes and focus your attention on them. Try to feel them and be aware of them.
4. Slowly move your focus up through your body. Pay attention to the sensations you feel as you connect with each part of your body.
5. If anything feels tense, give yourself time to pause and try to relax those muscles and ease your body into a state of stillness and comfort. Don’t fight with yourself. Let the natural feelings wash over you.
6. Keep repeating through process up through your body until you reach your head.

As you move through your body and let go of the tension, you may be surprised at just how tense you truly are. This one is all about relaxing everything all the way up to your mind…and with that feeling, you can let the words float back into your head and start writing once again.

Mindful Walking

Walking is good for you (or so my doctor keeps telling me), but walking with purpose can also be a good technique to overcome writer’s block. Once again, it’s all about the focus and giving it specific things to do that allows you to actually de-focus on the negative aspects of being stuck and move toward a state where you can listen to the good things in your mind.

1. Start walking. Take each step slowly and deliberately.
2. Pay attention to each step. Think about how your foot lifts, moves forward, and touches back down. Feel the force of your foot as it pushes off of the ground, pushing down against the solid earth.
3. Feel the sensations of your legs and arms moving through the air as you propel yourself forward.
4. If you notice your mind wandering, don’t panic. Just calmly refocus your attention on those physical sensations and continue moving forward.

Getting a little oxygen to the brain and your muscles moving will get the blood flowing – and your brain loves a bit of oxygen and blood flowing to it. Feed your brain, and it will return the favor.

Senses Countdown

I can’t remember where I read about this one, and I thought it sounded kind of dumb, but I’ve tried it a few times, and I kind of like it. It works by redirecting your focus to very specific things. As you work your way through them, you’ll find that the junk that usually inhibits our writing moves on and you’re left with a good clear space for a fresh start.

1. Name 5 things you can see.
2. Name 4 things you can feel.
3. Name 3 things you can hear.
4. Name 2 things you can smell.
5. Name 1 thing you can taste.

Some of the relaxation and mindfulness techniques seem like they’re doing too much work – this one is thinking and counting combined, and it seems like if you’re trying to clear your mind, this is the last way to do it, but it works. By progressing through each thought and being hyper-focused, you actually give yourself a clean slate to work from.

Change Your Environment: Spark Inspiration with a New Writing Space

I have two places I tend to write the most: my desk and my couch. Those are the spots I whip out the laptop and work – and they work for me.

Then, like all writers, I’ll hit a wall and find I have nothing coming to mind. The words will fall me and I feel like I’ll never write another word again. I’m dried out and spent.

So I get up and move somewhere else. Maybe it’s the downstairs couch, maybe it’s the dining room table. Maybe I pack up my stuff and go sit by the pool or head to a favorite coffee shop. Every writer has their favorite spots and when you feel you’re not getting anywhere, it’s time for a change of scenery.

I could tell you what makes a conducive writing environment, but the fact is, it’s a very personal thing. My couch is terribly uncomfortable, yet it works for me. Find what works and use it. When it’s not working, switch it up.

Embrace the Power of Freewriting: Let Your Ideas Flow Freely

Freewriting is the act of writing quickly and from your stream of consciousness. Direct from your brain to your fingers with no stops in between. Don’t think, don’t edit, don’t worry about grammar, style, or spelling. Just write.

This is actually my preferred method of writing and over the years, I’ve found it’s where my best ideas come from. I just let the words flow as I think them. Sometimes it’s beautiful and perfect, sometimes it’s raw and a bit ugly. But it’s my style and what I feel most comfortable with.

Find your comfort. Follow the cues that your brain leaves for you and write how it works.

Set Realistic Goals: Break Your Writing into Manageable Chunks

Now that you’re focused on using your blog content calendar, you have timelines and worse yet, deadlines. In order to meet them, you need to avoid any sort of issue writing. A few hours feeling blocked up could have disastrous consequences to your timeline.

Don’t sweat it. Break things up. If you had planned to write for the next couple of hours, take a break and go get an ice cream. Don’t force yourself to sit for a 10 hour writing session just to reach your goals.

Make your writing schedule realistic. If you know your eyes can only handle two hours in front of the computer, don’t schedule yourself to write for four. Break things up into bite sized pieces and cross them off your list one at a time.

Mix It Up: Try Different Writing Styles and Genres

Give your writing a boost by finding new styles to write in. Whether it’s throwing a listicle or how-to into the mix or trying your hand at some narrative storytelling, new ideas often come from new experiences. Don’t be afraid to experiment a little bit.

For me, I like to try writing as short of a post as I can. Why? Because I find it hard to do and it challenges me. If I feel like I can’t write another long form post with how to information in it, maybe I’ll write something short and sweet. Maybe I’ll write without caring about SEO or whether Google will index my page. Maybe, I just write to tell a fun story.

Don’t be afraid to switch things up and try something different. It can release that block and get you back on track.

Take Care of Yourself: The Role of Self-Care in Overcoming Writer’s Block

Like everything in life, it pays to find a healthy balance. Don’t lose sight of why you do what you do. Maybe you want time to reflect, and writing gives you that. Maybe you’re looking to hit it big and make piles of cash. Do what makes you happy, but don’t let it consume you and steal you away from other things.

Writing for me is something I enjoy and I actually find it helps clear my head of a lot of the other junk that floats around in it. I write a lot at my day job and while I enjoy that too, it’s not the same as writing here.

I’m not one to tell you to eat healthy and exercise, but there’s a reason everyone else is telling you that constantly. A healthy body, a healthy mind…it all matters and will help you in every area of your life.

Take care of yourself and your self will take care of you.

Wow – we’ve hit on a lot of topics today and hopefully one of these methods will help get you out of that dreaded state of mind we call writer’s block.

Remember, the smartest thing to do when your mind is blank is to clear you head. You will find the ability to write once again. Don’t freak out. Not being able to think of something to write is only temporary.

Experiment with these techniques and find what works best for you. The next time you find yourself staring at a blank page, take a deep breath, try one of these methods, and watch as your words start to flow. Just remember to always have fun with it – there is nothing more detrimental to your writing than forcing it.

So go on, pull out your laptop or your favorite notebook and pen – and just write. Don’t think about it, just do it. And hey, if you’ve got any personal tips for beating writer’s block, share them in the comments below. Let’s inspire each other and keep our creativity going!