How to switch out of writing mode
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There’s much out there about how to get words written. How to avoid procrastination. Ways to giddy up your writing mojo. But what about when you reach the end of your writing day/hour, what do you do to switch out of writing mode?
How do you shut off your mind? On very rare occasions, I’ve let someone in Lycra talk me through the importance of stretching both before and after exercise to avoid injury. I figure it’s the same with writing.
Reading is an obvious gear change. I could make a selection from my ever-growing list of ‘must-read’ titles. But fresh out of writing mode, my inner editor kicks in. I need to cushion the space between writing and reading.
Cooling down
Trash TV is the obvious port of call. Almost without fail, watching hapless fools bull-in-a-china-shop their way around antique markets or property auctions, while smug presenters yell encouragement is a sure-fire method of ‘cooling down’ and turning off my critical brain. Given Covid shut down so many productions, the world of TV drama is busy playing catch-up, so there’s no end of reality TV to plug the schedule gaps.
I also like to cook. Not toast. Not a snack. A full-on, kitchen-sink-stove-top-oven-microwave-fridge-clearing, two course meal. If I’m going to create, it has to be something that takes the better part of an hour to source ingredients and assemble.
Writing room revamp
I’m about to embark on a rethink of my office/writing room. If you saw my last newsletter, you’ll understand quite what a dump I’ve created around myself.
So far, I’ve done a lot of online browsing and shopping for bits that will look lovely. There are tins of paint, flat-pack bookshelves and tools-a-plenty waiting for me to get cracking. I’ve found a magazine with step-by-step instructions on how to make your own lamps. And yes, I already have two in a small room, but more is less, right?
What’s your favourite writer-switching-off activity?
