Surprising ways to crush writer's block.

Obviously, I was able to get back in the groove. But I know many people struggle to get their words down on paper. And although it took a global pandemic to freeze my creative juices, I’m not always filled with inspiration when I sit down at the keyboard. 

Here are three things I do when I’m not feeling particularly creative: 

Surf the internet. 

Yes, it can be a big time-waster. But when I’m struggling to find the right words, reading other people’s words can help. I’ll often give myself 15 or 20 minutes to catch up on the day’s news - or the daily gossip. (Hello, Daily Mail!) I keep an egg timer on my desk to make sure I don’t lose an entire morning to click bait. Giving your mind permission to take a break from the task at hand is sometimes all you need for a reset. 

Try another location. 

I find that work feels less like work when I’m not doing it in my home office. On days when I wish I was doing anything else, I’ll take my laptop into the kitchen or out onto my back deck. Something about literally being able to smell the petunias makes almost any assignment feel more like a vacation.