Should You Take a Break from Writing? And How to Bounce Back and Win

As a writer, it can be easy to feel like in order to live up to your name, you must be constantly writing. In a sense, this is true: writers are people who write. However, when you subscribe to that explanation without leaving room for variation, you can find yourself in the same predicament many writers do. Picture this. You've been writing consistently for years. Somehow life changes, and you discover that you are really struggling to maintain the same level of output as you produced previously--in fact, it's a struggle to get anything done at all. You feel like a failure, and it's easy to put intense amounts of stress on yourself to keep writing. 

Does this sound familiar? Perhaps the circumstances are different, but the feeling of burnout leading to beating yourself up is all too recognizable. You're not alone; and going through this is ok. In fact, it might be time to take a writer's break. 

Before you get upset, let's just clarify that a writer's break can take on many forms. Today we're going to cover WHY you might need to take a break, WHEN not to revert instantly to taking a break, HOW are some ways you could do it, and WHAT to do in order to make a smooth, profitable transition back into your regular writing life.

So first up, WHY should you take a break from writing?

1. You have some other activities in life you need to focus on for a while. It could be any number of things. A big move, some school or college that takes your time, an illness in the family, an upcoming wedding, or adjusting to a new job. Whatever it is, sometimes we need to accept that life happens and occasionally, priorities need to shift for a little while. If you find yourself facing a big life change, a time-consuming project or activity, or simply that your schedule is being filled up by something else for a while, you might be in need of some kind of a break from writing. 
2. You are struggling with intense burnout and overwhelm. Burnout and overwhelm can be caused by various triggers, but let's just say: If, in connection with your writing, you are feeling incredibly stressed, having mental breakdowns, crying from overwhelm, or fighting a lot of negative thoughts such as hopelessness, extreme burnout, panic, worthlessness, or depression-- Please consider taking a break to work through these thoughts and feelings. Mental and emotional health is so important, and if your writing routine or things connected to it (such as blogs, social media, writing groups, and so on) are causing problems, something needs to be resolved or changed. Taking a break can help you heal, recover, and pinpoint what steps you can take to fix things. If you are really struggling, please feel free to get in touch with me. 
3. You have fallen into the habit of writing what others want you to write, instead of what you need to write. It's easy when you already have an audience to fall into the trap of writing what's expected of you, what your audience wants, or what you feel is what you're "supposed" to write. If you find that you are writing out of duty, instead of writing what you're passionate about or are really excited about-- stop! You might want to think about pausing your writing life for a bit.
4. Your physical or mental health needs to take priority. We already discussed how important mental health is in relation to your writing journey, but if you are fighting mental or physical health battles outside of writing, it's still extremely important to take care of yourself. If you are struggling with an illness, are in and out of doctors or hospitals, or living life with a chronic illness or disability, there may be times when you need to take a step back from writing to focus on your health.  It is totally acceptable to prioritize yourself! The same goes for mental health. While it may be more subtle or more easily go unnoticed, it's just as important. If you are dealing with any kind of severe anxiety, depression, deep grief, PTSD, trauma, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, eating disorders or other struggles, Please take time to get the help and support you need and allow yourself to focus on healing, growing, and getting into a healthier place. Sometimes, priorities need to change for a time, and it can be difficult to let go of things like writing in order to place attention on things like health. Just know that you are not a failure for taking a break for yourself-- in fact, you are doing what is best for you now. Let's also address a couple of harmful notions real quick in relation to writing + mental health. Mental illness or struggles are nothing to be ashamed of. We are human. Don't let fear or shame keep you from taking the time and space to help yourself, or reach out to someone for help. On the flip side, struggling with mental health is NOT to be glorified as a writer either. The starving/struggling/tortured artist is a trope that needs to die. It's not healthy, and it's definitely not realistic. You are not more valid as a creative if you are struggling in some form. Let's glorify and strive to be thriving, healthy artists instead.
5. You're not sure what you need to be writing. Sometimes you find yourself at a crossroads where you aren't working on any specific project at the time, and you're not really sure what direction to go next. Instead of forcing yourself to "be writing" this might be a good opportunity to take a break from it in order to get a clarified outlook on where you need to go next and what you need to be writing as you move forward.
6. You feel your creativity has plateaued. This is different from a writer's block. This is where you have come to the realization that you aren't really growing as a writer, and your inspiration is truly running dry no matter how much you try to move past it. This is when you have come to the point where you need to embrace some massive growth, but you're not exactly sure what that means for you. Everything feels dry, flat, or limp. Your writing and creativity doesn't have the spark anymore. If you feel like this, it might be time to take a writing break to refocus.
7. You realize you need to take some time to grow and transform, as a person and an artist. Going along with what we just talked about, sometimes you find yourself in a place that calls for some growth and transformation. This could extend not only to you as a writer, but also as a person. There are some seasons of life when you are really doing a lot of growing and changing, and if you are in a position like this right now, you might need to stop and allow yourself some quiet space to do this. 

WHEN not to take a break from writing?

1. You're fighting writer's block.There are varying ideas on whether writer's block truly exists or not. Some people think it's a myth, while others believe it is a real problem to be faced. Whatever your stance, we can all agree there are moments when we feel less than inspired or have some sort of mental block to writing. If this is you, a writer's break probably isn't the answer. In fact, taking a break right now could really be a detriment to your writing journey in the long run. Writer's block is essentially a momentary struggle. Yes, this "moment" can last anywhere from a day to a week to however long we allow it to go on. That's the key, though. Writer's block is easy to overcome with the right tools and mindset. Most of the time, writer's block continues because we let it. So before you decide that you're unable to write and just need to stop for a while, consider that it might just be a momentary difficulty. You might be surprised at how quickly you can get over writer's block, and you'll be happy that you pushed through.
2. You are in the middle of a passion project. If you're in the middle of a project that you absolutely love and discover you're struggling, take a minute before resorting to stopping. Your heart and soul is in this, and it deserves more consideration. Read this post, which is all about saving a gone-wrong passion project, and go from there.
3. You are lacking motivation. Sometimes it can be hard to get going, simply because we lack motivation. This is definitely not the time to think about a break. Often you just need to commit to working out that writing muscle. If you find yourself in the predicament of no motivation, check out this post about where to find inspiration-- because we all know it's easier to write when inspired. 
4. You're just being critical of yourself. When the inner critic decides to go rampant, it can be easy to feel like taking a break is the best thing to do. Instead, a lot of the time what this requires is making the decision to not let your inner critic get control. This is not as simple as it sounds, but we have the entire process outlined in this post for you. You can eliminate your inner critic and get real work done with a few simple tips.
5. You're unable to focus on your main project. Lack of motivation, writer's block-- those are all very common and very real issues. There is, however, another one that tends to cause problems that perhaps doesn't get talked about as much, and that is struggling to focus. While it affects some people more than others, it can be a definite difficulty to face. It's easy to instantly want to stop your writing and just take that break, but that's the easy route and certainly not the best one. If you're struggling with focus, you might want to check out our post about freewriting. While it's not addressing the topic of focus specifically, it is packed full of useful writing exercises and tips to get you into the writing flow. It also has links to a lot of great resources to help you keep on track. 

Next up, here are some ways on HOW you can have the right break for you.

1. Take a break from your bigger projects, but still challenge yourself to continue with a small creative goal. This is a pretty simple way to take a lot of pressure off of yourself while still encouraging yourself to keep in some kind of writing habit. Whether it's a small daily goal of 200-500 words, a piece of flash fiction a week, or a blog post a month, having a small mark to strive for can be beneficial to keep some routine. If you are a structure-driven personality, this could be a good way for you to take a profitable break. 
2. Pause all writing and read some good books. No matter what kind of break you take, investing in some good books is always a good idea. This can be especially valuable if you decide to spend your break entirely devoted to consuming literature and reading. Read something you love, read a classic, read some nonfiction, and even try something outside of your normal go-to. If you're taking a break because of health, a creativity lull, or burnout, this could be a really re-inspiring way to use your time.
3. Step back and focus on clarifying your writing goals, passions, and interests. If you are needing a break to grow as a writer or process some major considerations (like what you should be writing, whom you're writing for, and so on), then taking a step back for a period of time can give you a wonderful opportunity to really pinpoint some clear goals, growth patterns, passions, values, and more. Just by clearing your head of all of the noise that your current writing life has can be refreshing enough, but pushing yourself to self reflect at the same time can make a huge difference in your creative journey.
4. Watch and evaluate some movies. Much like the point about reading good books, you could opt to watch and consider some movies. Movies are perfect for really getting into the nitty-gritty of storytelling, and are great opportunities for critical analysis. If you have been feeling like your writing is flat, or not going anywhere, or perhaps you just want to master your craft a little better, watching some movies while evaluating them can be a great exercise. A pen and paper on hand while you watch is suggested, and we also recommend choosing movies that you are already familiar with to some degree and know has a captivating story, compelling characters, or dynamic plotline.
5. Write some short stories while taking time to figure out your next large project. Going along with the first point, this is a great idea for transitory spaces in your writing journey. If you discover that you have finished some larger projects and now aren't quite sure what you need to be writing next, or maybe you are just wanting to test the waters on some new styles or genres, taking a break from your normal and writing some short stories instead is actually a great tool for growth. Short stories are relatively quick to write, and you can try multiple stories and multiple styles easily within a shorter space of time. In fact, jumping into short stories with only a tiny basic idea can be one of the best ways to test the boundaries of your capabilities. It's a lot like freewriting, but more structured. 
6. Focus on journaling. If you're dealing with a lot of extra happenings or feelings in life, especially negative ones, journaling can be a simple way to keep mindfully writing while taking a break. There are many different ways to journal, and it definitely doesn't have to be anything too in-depth if you aren't up for that. Even just a few thoughtful sentences a day can keep your brain active and your words a place to go. Whether you delve into your inner world at night or people-watch and journal at a cafe, journaling is a flexible, personal way to step back from the rules of writing and focus on what words are truly coming from within you.
7. Go through a writing prompt book. Maybe you like the idea of doing some small writing exercises while taking a break, but you're not sure where to start. If freewriting is giving you a hard time, there's another alternative to love: writing prompt books. You can pick up an inexpensive book to work through at your own pace, or you can even follow writing prompt social media accounts to help you get inspired and testing some creative waters. 
8. Decide to take a break from non-creative writing (such as blogs, social media, and website content), and instead focus on returning to your creative side. Sometimes a writing break may not mean you should abstain from creative writing at all. Perhaps you need to take a break from non-creative, duty-filled writing such as blogs, social media, and more. These aren't bad things, but especially if you're going through a difficult time in life or needing to prioritize your health, they can sometimes cause unintended consequences if you don't give yourself the space to focus on what is important. Perhaps, even, you have found that you are struggling to "find the time" to work on your passion projects simply because you have so much other content you feel you have to be creating for not so creative avenues. If you're in this position, you might just need to take a break from some of the duty writing in order to get back in touch with your creative side. 
9. Get away from all of your "supposed to"s and choose to write something just for the fun of it, for yourself. We have a lot of what we think are "supposed to"s in life, and that can easily creep into our writing as well. If you've discovered that you are writing something solely because you think you are expected to, or other people want it, or you are supposed to -- stop and reflect. Is this actually achieving your mission as a writer? Are you personally excited and invested in this? If you're not, it might be a good time to take a break and let yourself just have fun and write something you truly enjoy for a little while. It's also important to really consider what you need to be pouring your time and energy into.
10. Give yourself permission to halt everything if need be without guilt. Lastly, there are times in life when you need to take a break, period. You may not want to, and it may not be what you planned, but sometimes life happens and you need to make the decision to be gracious enough with yourself to allow yourself the chance to take a break, guilt-free. Your life is not only about writing, and sometimes you may just have to put it on the back burner for a little while. No smaller goals, no writing exercises, no extra focus still on writing when it needs to be somewhere else. As a creative, this can feel like a failure, but please know: it is not, and you are not, for choosing what is important at the moment for you right now. 

Finally, here's WHAT you can do in order to transition back to your regular writing life smoothly and efficiently. 

1. Decide on a time frame. It's always important when you decide to do a writing break to get at least a general time frame of how long it will be in your mind. This can be so that you can let your followers know if you are on a blog or social media, but it's also just to give yourself some accountability so you don't end up on a "break" for far longer than you need to be. You might not know how long you need, so another great option is to give yourself checkpoints. You can check back in on yourself and your situations in two weeks' time, a month's time, or whatever works for you. If you feel you still need to stay on your break, give yourself another future checkpoint. If not, proceed forward with getting back into your normal writing life!
2. Spend some time at the end of your break preparing for getting back into your usual routine. This is extremely important if you want to have a successful transition. Without and planning or preparation at the end of your break, you'll find yourself "off" of the break but suddenly swamped with numerous things to do. This can lead to overwhelm and then-- we're back where we started. By doing a few tasks, getting some things scheduled, or setting up a planner the last bit of your break, you can go back into your usual routine with confidence and a plan. 
3. Start small, or start slowly. This goes hand in hand with the previous point. If you jump back into everything all at once, it can quickly evaporate the recharge and inspiration you spent the entire break building. It's a good idea to begin with only a one or two things at a time, to make sure you are keeping everything under control and profitable for you. 
4. Make sure your priorities are in place. You took the time to refigure your priorities and get some clarity, so make sure going back into your regular writing life that you keep these priorities straight. They can be about life and writing relations, or even about what kind of content you're creating. The basic principle is to retain what you clarified during your break. Posting your thoughts, priorities, goals, and even some motivational quotes where you can see them as you work can even be a good idea.
5. Do some writing exercises. If you haven't already, break out the writing exercises and do a few of them to "get back into shape". Our post on freewriting has some great tips, and you can also check out other websites with writing exercises like The Write Practice.
6. Get some support. This one can be tricky, especially if you don't know where to find that support. That said, it's very important that you get that encouragement and accountability by knowing some people who have your back. You can share your goals, let them know you're getting back into writing, or tell them what you're excited about. If you aren't sure who would be there for you, you can even send me a message. 
7. Celebrate the successes, and be patient with yourself. Good results can often take time, and that goes for the bounce-back from writing breaks, too. Successes will come, but they may be smaller than you think, so it's important to celebrate every step of the way. It all matters in the long run, and each positive thing you do is a testimony that you are heading in the right direction. To go along with that, be patient with yourself. You might find that things don't go exactly as hoped as you get back into your regular writing life, or that you have to take a longer break, or maybe you even feel a little rusty. It's alright. Allow yourself some grace and remember that progress is not always linear. 

So there you have it, the complete guide to taking the perfect writing break. Wait, though, there's more! In case you want a simple workbook to help guide you, be sure to check out our free one here! 

Don't forget to comment below and tell me your experiences with writing breaks. How did they go for you, and what did you do? 

Stay Fearless!