Let’s get back to basics. Before ink smears paper, realise what state of mind you’re in. Are you anxious? Is there something on your mind other than writing? If you’re distracted, it will be tremendously difficult for you to stay consistent with the themes of your work. Believe me, I’ve been there. Writing when distracted is like running two marathons at the same time. You spin two parallel stories in your mind and after a while you lose track of both.
But sometimes you can’t help being distracted. You have a deadline, you've got a cold, your friends are out partying, and you are stuck and stressed. What has solved the distraction problem for me is actually... more distraction. When nothing else would work (bottles of red, following the infamous writers' ways, included), I decided to "out-distract" the distractions. And the most effective way of doing that is exercise. Yes, I mean the physical get-up-and-go-sweat exercise. Leave the writing, leave the deadlines, leave the stress, put your running shoes on and go.
Exercise has multiple benefits. It’s been proven to boost your immune system and even a twenty minute workout contributes to longevity. But more importantly, it shoots endorphins (the happiness hormones) into your bloodstream which regulates stress. Right after exercising, you feel freer, almost invincible. Besides, with all of that happiness, you’re so high, it’s as if the results didn’t matter. Once you’re finished exercising, your mood is improved, you feel lighter, you feel like you've done something good for yourself, and your confidence goes up. That's the time to start writing.
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