There’s no doubt about it, this has been an extremely tough time. As if a global pandemic wasn’t enough the raise my stress level, throw in the political and social unrest that we’re experiencing right now, and it seems that maintaining my equilibrium is pretty difficult.
Many of my personal and professional contacts feel much the same.
I suppose that my frame of mind might not be quite so problematic if my work didn’t include creating sales and marketing content for my clients, none of whom want their brand to be associated with negativity.
I mean, who can blame them.
It’s beholden upon me to keep their voice in my head and to adopt the right tone and manner for whatever it is that I am writing.
And yes, it can be difficult.
You may be experiencing the same thing in doing your own writing. As I mentioned, times are difficult for most everyone and a sense of negativity can pervade your content. Sometimes it’s just hard to get out of your own head.
Here’s what I do and maybe one of these suggestions can work for you too:
Write when the timing is right
Let’s face it, there are times when it is almost impossible to see your way clear from our shared current reality, when the news is bad, and the future seems gloomy. I’ve found that trying to hunker down and “just do it” when I’m in this mood is pretty near impossible. I can find myself staring at the screen or putting down some paragraphs, only to immediately delete them upon review. Don’t force yourself to write when you just don’t feel like it and your mind isn’t
cooperating. Do something else and come back to writing when your head is in a better place.
Listen to music
Background music helps to set the mood or in this case, change my mood and so I will often have some music playing softly in the background. I find that instead of being a distraction, the music tends to help keep me on track and helps me from veering off into negativity.
Get some fresh air and exercise
There’s nothing better to clear your mind than getting outside for even just a few minutes. A brief walk can alleviate stress and when you return to your desk, you’ll have renewed purpose and energy. Exercise can do the same thing so if a walk around the block doesn’t help, consider taking a little more time and go for a run, ride your exercise bike or, do yoga. Any of these activities can help your body to release endorphins and these should result in positive feelings.
Engage in a brief meditation
I must admit that I don’t meditate, however, I do have work colleagues that swear by their meditation practice saying it helps them to feel grounded and able to execute the work they need to do. Give it a try and see if it can work for you as well.
If writing is a burden and stressful, please remember you have options. You can outsource your content and leave yourself the time and mental bandwidth to attend to the other parts of your business. Let us know if we can help.