When I hit writers block it’s usually not because I have too little to write about, it’s because I have TOO MUCH. I stumble across so many topics, thoughts, ideas, I don’t know where to start. As my brain slowly fills up with all this information it reaches a limit in capacity and processing and then just shuts down. I can’t think clearly and usually give myself a headache trying to do so.

In the past I would struggle onwards, constantly trying to cling onto the one coherent thought I had in my brain. Wasting time trying to work through this situation was unproductive. I quickly discovered that taking myself out of that environment and doing one of the 4 listed below got me out of the block effectively.

Here is my list of the most effective ways to crush your writers block.

Take a break

This is the most obvious but it really does work. You should already be taking regular short breaks throughout your day to help boost productivity. Taking a break also helps remove writers block, just get away from your desk and do something else; could be cooking, cleaning your room, or just going for a walk. It will help you get out of the bubble that you are stuck in and hopefully allow your brain to think through a solution differently. Also you might be lucky and find inspiration from the world around you.

Pictures!!

This one is more specifically aimed at bloggers like myself. Ever in doubt of what to write about? Just post up some pictures of a topic or your own life. It’s nice to switch things up on your blog, especially if it’s a text heavy site. A page of pictures will be a refreshing change to your blog.

Here are a few idea’s for picture posts:

• Your workstation/desk/office, show people how you work.
• Latest trips you went on. This helps to build a more personal relationship with your reader
• Create a list of the ‘best of……’ and find pictures of the products or information.
• Find resources that you can curate that will help your visitor, like my articles; 7 Beautiful, Clean, Free WordPress Themes and 6 Excellent, Free, Mockups for your next eBook.

Ask your friends

Your friends and family will give you a great mixture of feedback when you ask them a question, for instance if I asked my parents (not that clued up with the online world) and my girlfriend (who works in IT) the same question the answers I get would be wildly different and sometimes you might just find some inspiration or another angle to tackle your problem from.

Do some form of exercise

Exercise is a powerful tool for writers (bear with me on this one). To concentrate on a subject your first need to clear your mind and exercise is one of the best ways to do so. For example, yoga is great for clearing the mind. Also sprinting short bursts will leave your mind feeling empty and clear. Believe it or not but these type of exercises are a form of meditation. You are just going to have to trust me on this. Take 20 minutes from your schedule and follow this simple instructional video from the beautiful Adriene who has a brilliant Youtbue channel devoted to free yoga instructional videos. I guarentee after this you will feel refreshed and ready to tackle that blank page that has been starring at you all day!

Mindfulness is the ability to only be in the now. Not to think about the past or future, just your state at this very moment. Exercise, in a way, enforces us to be in this state because it usually involves most of the body including the central nervous system. When you exercise, your mind concentrates on that one thing, the exercise. Concentrating on one thing is a form of meditation. Have you ever felt that euphoric sensation after a workout? That’s your mind feeling clear with unnecessary thoughts removed. Now that you are in this state you can go back to your writing with a clear mind and hopefully a better understanding on what you want to do.

There are 4 of my most effective way on dealing with writers block but I’d love to hear yours. If you have some special (or it could be very ordinary) method of dealing with writers block please post it in the comments below.