3 Tips to Help Break Through Writer's Block
Have you found yourself struggling to finish a chapter or boost the middle of your story? Maybe when you lay your head on the pillow, searching for sleep, your brain refuses to let go of that plot hole you just can't seem to fix. You're not alone, symptoms of what author's refer to as writer's block keep us all awake at times.
Artists in every field experience creative blocks now and then. The harder you focus on the problem, the harder it becomes to overcome. Stress only enhances the struggle. It's a vicious cycle that often ends in a downward spiral or giving up.
Yes, persistence and resilience can get you through these periods, but it's often easier said than done. Thankfully practicing a few activities might help you break through that stubborn block.
The tricks that work best for me trigger brain waves. Neurons emit electrical waves as they communicate with one another in the brain. There are five types: delta, theta, alpha, beta, and gamma. When nurtured, they can support writing activities. When neglected, they can zap your creativity. But breaking through writer's block might be as easy as completing a few activities to capitalize on your brain waves.
By nurturing alpha waves, you can gather ideas, make unique connections, tune out the external, tune in to the subconscious, and visualize. To nurture your alphas, try writing as soon as you wake up, meditate, use nostril breathing techniques, take a warm shower, take a walk in nature, or get a massage.
Nurturing beta brain waves help you concentrate, organize thoughts, and increase productivity. Getting enough sleep will help your betas, but you can also try taking a walk in brisque weather.
If you need deep focus, nurturing your gamma brain waves can help. Listening to binaural beats is a great way to nurture gammas. These are two tones set to specific frequencies (or hertz) you listen to simultaneously. Studies show doing this can temporarily access specific brain waves. But this may require trial and error to determine the needed frequency.
If you'd like to learn more about how to nurture brain waves or find resources for free binaural beats, check out this popular author's blog.
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