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Did you ever have one of those days when you just didn’t feel like writing?
Writing takes a lot of focus. If you’re tired, sick, or otherwise distracted you might have trouble staying on task with your writing.
However, there are many low intensity tasks that you can do to help your freelance writing business even if you don’t really feel much like writing.
Provided you’re not staring an immediate deadline in the face, here are 10 tasks you can perform when you don’t really want to write. All of these tasks require less focus than writing, but all of them will help your freelance writing business.
- Participate in social media. Too much social media can keep you away from your work, but every freelance writer should participate a little. Even if you don’t feel like writing, it doesn’t take a lot of focus to thank someone who has retweeted one of your posts, or to share a post or article that you like.
- Clean out your email. When was the last time that you really went through you email? If your account is like mine, you probably have emails from clients that need to be filed, automatic messages that need to be deleted, and notices for events that are past.
- File the papers on your desk. Too much of a mess can really slow you down. It can also affect your morale. Organizing your office is a great task to perform when you don’t feel much like writing.
- Think of as many headlines as you can in fifteen minutes. Make a game out of this and it won’t seem like work. Write down even your stupid idea. Save the file–you may be able to use it later.
- Answer comments on your blog. Pick out the ones that are straightforward, not the ones that upset you. Let your readers know that you are a real person.
- Delete spam. Spam comments accumulate on your blog and spam emails can find their way into your email inbox. Delete them all.
- Update your profile picture. You know that you have a better photo of yourself than the one displayed in your profile. Updating your bio and social media profile pictures is a great task to do when you don’t feel like writing.
- Read a book (about writing). You may not feel like writing yourself, but you can still learn. Curl up with that unread how-to book and improve your writing skills.
- Read your favorite blog. If you’re feeling really social, leave a comment. Reading a post or two won’t take much time and leaving a comment will help you connect.
- Listen to a tape or watch a video. There are many free writing resources on the Internet (or if you are like me, you may have purchased some materials and not used them). Listening or watching requires even less effort than reading.
I try to schedule my “heavy” writing tasks during the time of day when I feel that I am naturally more focused and energetic. I perform my more routine tasks at other times.
Your Take
What tasks do you do when you just don’t feel like writing?
19 responses so far ↓
1 Jenn Mattern // Jul 24, 2012 at
I turn my attention to blog maintenance when I can’t focus on writing. I answer awaiting comments, sort through the spam comments, make sure all of the plugins are up to date, check in on their traffic stats, and save post ideas in draft form so I can pick up and write as soon as I’m ready.
Great list Laura. 🙂
2 Writing It Right For You // Jul 24, 2012 at
Believe or not, I KNIT! Great stress reliever and I feel like I’ve gotten a little farther on my many unfinished knitting projects. I set my alarm for 15-20 minutes and get my mind away from work altogether. When I start again, my thinking is more clear.
3 Samantha Gluck // Jul 24, 2012 at
I love these tips, Laura, and all of these keep you engaged in thinking about your writing site, writing work, or writing itself without the added pressure that active writing and business procurement do.
I find that commenting on other websites (even sites that have nothing to do with writing per se) and engaging in social media help a lot. I like Jenn’s comment above where she says she focuses on maintenance. I think that’s a great idea because it gets you to completing tasks that you probably don’t have time to tend to when you’re actively writing or in the middle of a project.
4 Laura Spencer // Jul 24, 2012 at
Great additions for when you don’t feel like writing. 🙂
Jenn–Blog maintenance is so important, and it seems like I’m always behind on it. Every little bit I do in that area helps immensely.
Writing It Right For You, I wish my knitting skills were decent. As it is, I learned how to knit in elementary school and it seems that’s where my skill level has stayed. On the other hand, my cousin owns a yarn store and I am constantly in awe of her creations.
Samantha–I know that I don’t comment nearly enough. But I find commenting to be a low-intensity activity. Even leaving a comment on one or two blogs can help keep me connected.
5 Stef Gonzaga // Jul 24, 2012 at
Jenn, same here! Whenever I’m too distracted to write for clients, I do maintenance work for my freelancing blog or write posts for my personal blogs, just to be able to let out some steam and get the writing juices flowing again.
And yes, excellent post here Laura.
6 Laura Spencer // Jul 24, 2012 at
Thanks Stef!
It appears that blog maintenance work is a top contender for what to do when you’re too distracted to write. 🙂
7 cmdweb // Jul 27, 2012 at
I find that writing for clients (and hence payment) provides a focus in itself. I find myself distracted when I’m trying to write for myself, working on a project that has no invoice attached and may never pay the bills but which I’d like to finish anyway, to see if I can make something of it. The low-intensity tasks end up taking priority and I find I can’t get as far on as I’d like. Too focused on paying the bills just now I think.
8 Laura Spencer // Jul 27, 2012 at
cmdweb–Thanks for sharing that. It IS hard to find the focus to work on personal projects compared to client projects.
9 Philippa Willitts // Jul 28, 2012 at
When I’m too tired to think much, I tend to go to my to-do list to get some ideas, and do the mindless tasks that would normally be boring. It keeps me ‘on task’ but in a fairly easy way.
10 Laura Spencer // Jul 30, 2012 at
Philippa–Great suggestion! That’s a great way to stay productive.
11 Ronda Bowen // Aug 8, 2012 at
Typically, if I’m feeling tired and having a hard time focusing, I’ll do something active – go for a walk or run, dance around, etc. If the reason for low energy is health-related, then I’ll put on some energetic music or change my location – I’ll take the laptop out into the living room or dining room. Then, I’ll focus on administrative work – making sure that the programs I use for business maintenance are up to date, organize research/reference materials, clear out old email, follow up on invoices, etc.
12 Laura Spencer // Aug 8, 2012 at
Hi Ronda!
Those sound like healthy options. 🙂 I especially like the music idea.
13 Ferb // Aug 22, 2012 at
Hi Laura, you’re absolutely right, I do all those things when I find myself hard to focus. But I don’t often change my profile picture because one consistent picture can really create stronger recognitions.
Thanks – Ferb
14 Laura Spencer // Aug 27, 2012 at
Ferb,
I understand about not changing your profile picture–especially if you had a good one to start out with. Too many writers didn’t have good image or use an outdated image.
15 Lily // Aug 29, 2012 at
Thanks Laura for these tips – so far I have been making headlines whenever one pops into my head. I just started a blog and most of the time I do not feel like writing (I can only keep up with my blog on a weekly basis … and I am a designer). Gonna start cleaning out my mail now – thanks!
16 Laura Spencer // Aug 30, 2012 at
Thanks Lily!
I’ve found it helps me to take a break and then return to the writing afterwards.
17 7+ Tips to Writing Effective List Posts : WritingThoughts // Sep 27, 2012 at
[…] 10 Low Intensity Tasks for When You’re Tired (or Just Can’t Focus) […]
18 pjsmom // Jan 20, 2015 at
I need to spend MORE time on these tasks even when I’m NOT tired. Have found using time while sitting at an airport, waiting for my kids’ practice or other times when writing, non-interruption (and true focus) is not a likely, to be good filler/efficient use of time.
19 Laura Spencer // Jan 20, 2015 at
I see your point. I think it depends on the individual and also how often you’ve done the task before.