5 tips for writing when you don't feel like it

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It doesn't matter if you're a content writer, copywriter, or blogger; learning to write when you don't feel like it is essential if you want to take your job seriously.

But at the end of the day, there will be days when you feel next to impossible. Maybe you haven't slept well or your personal life is chaotic. Maybe the words just aren't coming and you just feel uninspired. When this happens, sometimes a break is in order.

However, there will be times when you will have to continue the work in progress despite the resistance of your mind.

Professional writers don't have the luxury of waiting for inspiration. After all, inspiration doesn't pay the bills; writing does. Luckily, there's no need to despair, as a few tried-and-true tricks can get you out of the rut and get you back to typing on your keyboard.

Related: Top 4 Tools to Speed ​​Up Your Writing Process

Try free writing

We often struggle to write because we think too much about finding the right words. It's fine to worry about your prose, but that worry, when left unchecked, can lead to a mental block. Free writing is an exercise that can help you overcome this.

Without thinking, set a timer for 20 minutes and start writing about anything. Give yourself the freedom to write any old rubbish. If your brain goes blank at the thought of this, write down "I can't think of anything to say because..." and see where that takes you. After the time is up, read it again if you wish. You might surprise yourself with what you wrote. But don't worry if none of this makes sense. The goal is not to create content but to get your mind into the flow of writing, which you can then use to get back to your work.

Change your environment

Sometimes a change of environment can make all the difference and alter your state of mind. This is especially the case if you are used to working from home, where some people find it difficult to adopt the right mindset. Just walking to your local coffee shop can tell your brain that a change has occurred and it needs to go into "work mode".

Related: The 5 Skills You Need to Become a Successful Content Writer

Try using the Pomodoro Technique

The Pomodoro Technique is a handy tool for productivity that breaks your workday into distraction-free chunks. The first step is to find a place where you will not be disturbed. Then set a timer for 25 minutes and work on a writing task. Do not allow yourself to do anything other than work on this task during this time. Don't look at your phone, don't check your emails and focus on your work. Once the timer is off, a "Pomodoro" is over and you can give yourself a 5-minute break.

At this point, you can go for a walk, stretch, have a coffee, or whatever else you feel the need to do. You probably want to avoid staring at a screen if you're working on your computer. After those five minutes are up, set yourself another 25-minute timer and come back to it. Once you've completed four Pomodoros, you can give yourself a longer break of 30 minutes. Then keep going until you feel like you've had a good day's work.

The Pomodoro Technique is great for instilling a distraction-free work ethic and keeping track of what you do each day. Of course, you can modify this technique as you see fit. Maybe you find 25 minutes too much, or you prefer to go longer. Either way, remember not to overdo it. Most people do no more than four hours of focused work each day. So doing more than eight Pomodoros a day will wear you down in the long run.

Demystify your excuses

Our brain has a funny way of giving us excuses when we don't feel like doing something. When this happens, don't beat yourself up, like we all do. Have the courage to face yourself. Here is an exercise that can help you achieve this.

First, write down all the reasons why you don't...