It's Okay to Take a Day Off

Welcome to the third and final part of my Lacking Motivation and Focus series! If you missed part one, “Look at Your Space” or part two, “Wake Up Your Writing Brain,” I encourage you to check those out.

You’ve tried everything. You’ve tried changing your space, you’ve tried waking up your writing brain, but nothing seems to work. You don’t want to write. In fact, all you can do is lie on the couch or in bed looking at your phone or watching TV. Perhaps it’s been a long week at work or school, or there are things going on in life that are dragging you down.

I’m here to tell you that it’s okay to take a day off.

There are exceptions to this, of course, like if you are working toward a deadline and you don’t have any wiggle room. But if you have time or if you aren’t working toward a deadline yet, then take a day off. Every writer does it at one point. I take a day off about once every other week, especially if I know I won’t get any writing done that day because of a busy schedule. Sometimes you may even need a few days off to rest, refresh, and get back on track.

            Other than a planned vacation, there are a few reasons as to why you may need to take a break. I also advise you to use discernment and wisdom to make sure you aren’t being lazy either (I know, it’s hard).

Sickness

            When we’re sick, the last thing we want to do is think. We’re exhausted, feel yucky, and our brains are foggy. We take sick days from work and school, so why shouldn’t we take sick days from writing? I’d much rather do extra writing after taking a few days off than forcing myself to write while sick and having to rewrite my addle-minded words anyway.

            The best thing you can do while sick is rest. Don’t make yourself more miserable by forcing yourself to write just to keep a streak. Though writing may not seem like much since you’re sitting down, you’re still pouring energy into focusing. You need all that energy to heal. Some people do take advantage of being sick in order to get writing done, and if you’re one of those people, I applaud you. But if you know you can barely function while sick, then take that time off.

Busy Schedule

            I know from experience that schedules fill up quickly. One minute, I have the whole week free, and the next, I have something every day. If you work outside of writing or have kids or other responsibilities that take up your schedule, then you can get busy without realizing it. Social events can also fill up your calendar if you aren’t careful.

            If you are having a particularly busy day or week, then it’s okay if you don’t get as much writing done, if any. Though we create super amazing worlds and characters, authors are still human and have human tasks. Many beginning writers have other jobs and write on the side or work until their writing supports them. Family should also always be a priority, as New York Times bestselling author Jerry B. Jenkins (jerryjenkins.com) says. Though we ultimately want to be published, there are other priorities we need to take care of first.

            But if you find that you have a consistently busy schedule, then you may need to figure out how to get writing done while also being busy. I know, it’s hard, and I currently must learn this myself. It’s easy to finish the day’s tasks and events and plan to relax for the rest of the night. If you are truly passionate about writing and you want to finish your project, then you either have to push through the tiredness or find a way to free up your schedule a bit. Yes, that could mean staying home from certain social events (as an extrovert, it hurts me to say that).

            Writing around busy schedules is difficult because it’s tempting to use free time to relax. But remember that your project isn’t being written and published without you. If you’re serious about writing, then creating a schedule that works with writing should be a priority.

Burnt Out

            As a fulltime college student, part time worker, an extrovert, and a writer, I know what being burnt out feels like. Your brain is mush, you barely have enough energy to complete your daily tasks, and sometimes you just want to stay home and stare at a wall. This is usually me around March and April, which is a busy season in work and school. Though I love being around people and am usually energized just by seeing my friends, when I’m burnt out, I just want to go home. And when you’re burnt out, you often can’t get over it unless you have a nice break.

            So if you can’t take a break from anything else, take a break from writing if you’re not on a deadline or if you have time. This year, I took a break from writing for about a month and a half so I could finish the school year. I don’t recommend taking that long of a break unless you have no deadline. But as I mentioned earlier, there are sometimes other priorities we need to take care of before writing, and mine was school.

            This can go back around to having a busy schedule. If your schedule is what’s burning you out, then you might want to find ways to open your schedule. If possible, go on a vacation, even if it’s for a weekend. Your health is important too, and if you are constantly feeling burnt out, it could affect your health and your work quality. I was fine with taking a break from writing for a month and a half because my tiredness took a toll on my writing. As I mentioned before, I’d much rather make up for lost time later than rewrite everything anyway.

Stressful Life or Family Situations

            Life happens. We all know it. Whether it’s a rough medical diagnosis, a sick family member, or a moving day, there are many things in life that pull our attention away from everything else. In these situations, writing should be put on the backburner. Taking care of yourself and other people should be priority. Be there for family and friends if they are having a rough time. Don’t feel bad at all if you need to take time away to take care of yourself or visit a sick family member. If you’re moving or getting married in like two days, I don’t blame you for being unable to think of anything else! Stressful life and family situations are definitely good reasons for taking time away from writing.

            You shouldn’t feel bad for missing writing days because of a situation you can’t control or because of a life-changing decision you wanted to make. Again, writers are human too. We’re allowed to have lives. I know some authors say we should treat writing like a job we have to do every day and follow a schedule, but I like to think that, unless we have a strict deadline and no wiggle room, we have a little more freedom. As I mentioned before, many authors work other jobs or perhaps they’re fulltime students like I am. It’s hard to treat writing like other jobs when we have other equally important priorities to worry about.

            Make sure you know what your deadlines and schedule are before you decide to take a break from writing. Also beware that taking one day off makes it tempting to go days without writing. You may also need to make up for lost time. Be strict with yourself, and make sure you can take some time off without getting in trouble.

            Determine why you can’t make yourself write. If it’s because you are being lazy, then find a way to work through that. But if it’s for any of the reasons listed above (or perhaps another reason), then I encourage you to take at least a day off from writing and see if that makes you feel better. Writing streaks are good, but when they’re combined with normal life, sometimes it can take a toll. It’s okay to take a day off!

Bibliography

Jenkins, J.B. jerryjenkins.com