If you're struggling to write, your mind could be holding you back. With many people experiencing anxiety disorders, there are different ways that you can manage it when it comes to your writing. In this article, we will provide 10 quick tips for improving focus and concentration when writing with anxiety.
1. Write in a place where you can hear yourself think
When you're struggling with anxiety, it's common to feel distracted by the sounds around you. You may notice that every time someone coughs or there's a loud noise outside, it pulls your attention away from what you're doing. When this happens, it makes it hard to stay focused on the task at hand.
The trick is finding a quiet place where you can hear yourself think. This can be difficult when the world seems loud and chaotic all around you, but there are ways to make it happen.
Like, turning off distractions like your cell phone and television while working on something important. If you need music while studying or writing, choose something soothing and quiet (ideally instrumental).
You should make sure that your workspace is as distraction-free as possible. Close your door if possible so no one walks in unexpectedly. Turn off any lights that might draw your attention away from the task at hand (i.e., bright overhead lights).
2. Try to write for 10 minutes or so at a time
The key to doing this is to set a timer for 10 minutes, and then write for those 10 minutes. If you're like most people with anxiety, the first few minutes will be hard. You might feel like you don't have anything to say or that what you do have to say isn't worth saying. You might feel like your mind is blank or scattered.
But just write anyway. Keep going until the timer goes off. Then look at what you wrote and pick something to work on next time.
If this doesn't work for you, there are other options. Try writing a journal entry every day (either in print or online) for 10 minutes per day. This can help make it easier to keep up regular writing practice because each entry is short enough that it doesn't take much time away from other things in your life — yet it still helps build up your writing habit over time.
You can also try starting with just three sentences per day and working up from there if you find this too easy at first (or start with five sentences if three feels too hard).
3. Turn off distractions like loud music television, or social media
Turning off distractions like loud music, television, or social media is a simple way to improve focus and concentration when writing with anxiety. It's important to set aside time where you can focus on your writing and not be distracted by other things that are going on around you.
This might mean taking a walk around the block, listening to a podcast, or watching something on YouTube that doesn't require any thought. You can also try going somewhere else in the house where there is no noise or activity—like turning off the TV or putting on headphones—and getting some work done.
Remember that it's okay if this doesn't always work for you—it's just one way of helping manage your anxiety while you write!
4. Drink some water or do some deep breathing exercises before writing
Water is a good choice because it helps to hydrate your cells, which means they have more energy to function properly. It also helps with circulation and digestion, which means that your body will use fewer resources to keep running smoothly (like cortisol).
Deep breathing exercises are also helpful because they help restore equilibrium between your brain and body. When your brain feels overwhelmed, it tends to shut down—and this will make it harder for you to focus on what you're doing!
By practicing these techniques in advance before writing, you can work on building up positive habits that will help keep you motivated while writing!
5. Write about something that makes you happy
When you're writing, it's easy to get stuck in your head, thinking about every little thing that could go wrong. But when you're focusing on something that makes you happy, it's easier to stay present and bring your best self to the work at hand.
You can even use this method as a way to write about things that make you feel anxious! For example, if you have social anxiety and are afraid of public speaking, try writing about how excited you are about giving a presentation and getting up in front of an audience.
Your feelings of anxiousness will probably be more manageable than they would be if you were trying to write an essay or research paper where no one was watching! It may seem silly at first, but try it out! It'll help!
6. Write about something that makes you angry
When you are angry, your mind is focused on the task at hand. You can think about what it is you want to say and how you want to say it. Anger gives you energy, and because of that energy, you are able to write faster than normal.
Anger also helps improve your focus because it brings everything into sharp focus. While writing angry, every word seems important and every line has meaning behind it.
In addition to having a clear idea in your head about what you want to say and why when writing with anger, your emotions will be more intense than normal as well. This means that the words will come out faster because they are not clouded by anything else but simply being angry (or whatever emotion may be present).
7. Use relaxing scent while writing
One way to help with this is by using aromatherapy essential oils in the room where you write. Whether you choose to place them in an oil diffuser or use them directly in an aroma lamp, using aromatherapy while writing can help relax your mind and body so that you can focus more easily on your work.
Aromatherapy oils are natural scents that come from plants and flowers. When used as part of aromatherapy, these scents are meant to help improve mood and boost energy levels. They also have other benefits such as helping ease pain or stress relief!
Essential oils are created by distilling plants down into their essential components so that only the purest essences remain. This makes them very concentrated – so they should always be diluted before using them on yourself or others!
8. Write in a quiet room with no windows the easier it will be for your brain to focus and concentrate on what you're writing down
The more time that passes between writing and reflecting, the less likely you are to remember what you wrote. If there is too much time between the two, then it will be next to impossible for your brain to focus on what you are writing down.
If this sounds like something that might resonate with you, try writing in a room where there are no windows or any other distractions that could keep your mind from focusing on what needs to be written down. You can also try writing at night when most of the outside world is quieted down so that there aren't any distractions beyond those in your head!
9. If possible, write longhand instead of typing on your keyboard
Research shows that writing by hand is better for your brain than typing.
When you type something on a keyboard, your brain focuses on all the letters and words you're typing. If you're having trouble with this, or if you're just not sure about it, take a look at the following sentence: “I love my brother.” Now write it out in cursive. You'll see that your brain has to concentrate on every letter as you go along. That's what makes writing longhand so effective.
In addition to improving focus and concentration, writing longhand also helps people remember things more clearly than typing them out on a keyboard does. This is because when we write something down by hand, we actually have to think about what we're writing down — otherwise there wouldn't be any point in doing it in the first place! This isn't the case when we type something out on our computers, though: We don't have to actively think about what we're typing because our brains are focused on other things (like making sure we hit the right keys).
There's also a lot of evidence showing that handwriting improves memory because it forces us to think about what we're writing down instead of just mindlessly pounding away at our keyboards.
10. Take breaks when necessary
When you have trouble concentrating, it can be helpful to take frequent breaks from writing. The brain needs time to re-center, and returning to the activity that helps you concentrate in the first place can be helpful.
For example, if you write by hand, stop for a few minutes and just doodle or draw something. This will help you mentally refocus on your work and get back into the groove of writing again much faster than if you try to keep writing for too long without a break.
When doing this, it's important not to overdo it. Don't do so much that it takes away from your ability to focus or concentrate!
Regardless of whether you are a worker searching for ways to improve focus and concentration when writing, you are bound to gain something from this article. Also, remember the importance of knowing when it's time to set your anxiety aside and seek professional help. Make sure to read the entire article.
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