This happens to me periodically, although it's when I'm writing a computer program, where the deadlines are just a bit tighter, and obviously I can't just take a few days to regroup, not if I want to stay employed.
Anyway, there are some things that I do that help immensely, and maybe they will help you too.
If the problems is primarily an IDEA block, meaning I'd write if I knew what to write, I go do something else and let it percolate in my brain for a while. The something else has to be fun and relaxing, and not related to what I "ought" to be doing.
If I'm really stuck, I'll take a shower, which probably sounds very funny, but wow, I can't tell you how many times the idea fairy has visited once that water starts running.
The other thing I discovered, much to my amazement, is exercise. It does NOT have to be anything elaborate whatsoever, just something that gets your heart rate up for five or ten minutes. I've been known just to hike rapidly up the hill of my driveway if need be, or briefly run in place for a minute or two and do a few jumping jacks or something.
And then lo and behold, I'll sit down, pleasantly winded, and my focus has returned. Maybe the bit of exercise bleeds off the excess nervous energy or something, but I have been astonished at how much it helps.
Noise can be a problem. I don't know about you, but if I'm in a headspace where my focus wants to fragment, my roommates drive me up a wall with the most innocent activities, like walking past me to go into the kitchen to get a drink of water. For those times, I have a nice pair of noise-reduction headphones and I put on some music. Not soothing music, either, I might add--for those times, I put on something fairly heavy or multilayered. I like Korn, for example, and Fatboy Slim.
Don't underestimate the power of noise--I remember reading Kinzel's journal a while back and seeing you'd had surgery. The stimulus of improved hearing may well be affecting you more than you realized, and you may get considerable relief with some kind of white noise generator or music to mask the little sounds that can shatter your focus.
Anyway, I hope there are a few things in this list that work for you--it's got to be the world's most frustrating feeling when you want to do something and can't get focused. Good luck.
no subject
Anyway, there are some things that I do that help immensely, and maybe they will help you too.
If the problems is primarily an IDEA block, meaning I'd write if I knew what to write, I go do something else and let it percolate in my brain for a while. The something else has to be fun and relaxing, and not related to what I "ought" to be doing.
If I'm really stuck, I'll take a shower, which probably sounds very funny, but wow, I can't tell you how many times the idea fairy has visited once that water starts running.
The other thing I discovered, much to my amazement, is exercise. It does NOT have to be anything elaborate whatsoever, just something that gets your heart rate up for five or ten minutes. I've been known just to hike rapidly up the hill of my driveway if need be, or briefly run in place for a minute or two and do a few jumping jacks or something.
And then lo and behold, I'll sit down, pleasantly winded, and my focus has returned. Maybe the bit of exercise bleeds off the excess nervous energy or something, but I have been astonished at how much it helps.
Noise can be a problem. I don't know about you, but if I'm in a headspace where my focus wants to fragment, my roommates drive me up a wall with the most innocent activities, like walking past me to go into the kitchen to get a drink of water. For those times, I have a nice pair of noise-reduction headphones and I put on some music. Not soothing music, either, I might add--for those times, I put on something fairly heavy or multilayered. I like Korn, for example, and Fatboy Slim.
Don't underestimate the power of noise--I remember reading Kinzel's journal a while back and seeing you'd had surgery. The stimulus of improved hearing may well be affecting you more than you realized, and you may get considerable relief with some kind of white noise generator or music to mask the little sounds that can shatter your focus.
Anyway, I hope there are a few things in this list that work for you--it's got to be the world's most frustrating feeling when you want to do something and can't get focused. Good luck.