I’ve had a busy day.
I ran the kids around town, went grocery shopping, washed and hung two loads of laundry, scrubbed the entire bathroom from floor to ceiling, made dinner and dessert, did the dishes (3 times), bathed the baby, prepared to have 18 people for lunch tomorrow… and a whole lot more.
It’s 9:30 pm. My children are finally both asleep, and I’m halfway there, myself. Now, to write my blog post.
Uh. Yeah. Soooo.
To be honest, I’m exhausted. This is the first time I’ve sat down today. The last thing I feel like doing is staring at a computer screen.
When you’re too tired to write what’s the best way to recharge your batteries so you can get back to writing with full fervour?
Get some sleep.
“What?” you say. “No tips? No tricks? No motivational speeches???”
Nope. Just get some sleep.
If you’re genuinely too tired to write, the most counterproductive thing you could possibly do is force yourself. Your body, your brain–they both need rest so they can function properly.
A tired mind is a fuzzy mind, so even if you do manage to motivate yourself enough to sit down and write something, chances are whatever you write won’t be worth the time you spend on it.
One other thing: don’t confuse the feeling of being too tired to write with the feeling of just not wanting to write. The former is a legitimate, biological excuse; the latter isn’t.
Next time you’re exhausted from work, a long day with the kids, or some other responsibility, don’t beat yourself up for being too tired to write. Give in to the urge to get some sleep.
It’s 10 o’clock, and I’m off to bed now, because I know I’ll wake up rested, happy, and ready to write something great. Something far better than anything I could possible think of right now.
Good night, all.
P.S. Do you ever feel guilty about being tired when you think you should be writing? Do you have trouble admitting to yourself that you need a break? Do you disagree with my assertion that sleep in the best way to motivate yourself when you’re too tired to write?