Take a Break and Create a Masterpiece

I’m so lost in my own head today that I think I’ve come to some kind of writers block. Not just with my blogs but with the novel I’m working on right now. It doesn’t help that my cats are being absolute devils today and getting on my last nerve. 

I have to keep telling myself that this is ok. Bad days are ok. No one is expected to be the best they can be every single day of their lives, because that would be exhausting. I have been reading and rereading my work, some days I like it and some days I just want to delete it all and give up. 

It’s alright if some days you wake up and want to stay in bed an extra half an hour. There’s going to be times when you don’t want to face the world outside. I used to feel that way every day, but now I only feel it maybe once a week. When this happens I do things that make me feel comforted, ways in which I can deal with my emotions. I watch my favourite film or series, I listen to songs I can sing my heart out too and dance around my living room. Don’t force yourself to do things that you absolutely cannot face. 

I’ve been sitting and staring at my laptop screen and nothing seems to happen. No words are flowing from my brain at all. But having this book I’m working on gives me a lot of excitement that I am getting somewhere, that I have a direction that I’m going in. I have determination. I have motivation. That’s something I definitely couldn’t say this time last year. But we can always give ourselves a little break. There’s definitely no harm in that. 

Everyone needs a rest. There’s actually nothing wrong with binge watching a series on Netflix or spending a day pigging out on your all your favourite takeaways. You put those things together and it sounds like a perfect day to me! 

But don’t make a habit of it, don’t get used to doing those things and lose the drive you have to work or fight for something you really want. You don’t want to get to the end of a week and feel regret for being lazy and not being productive. One or two days is fine, but listen to someone who has been in this situation, don’t let those days lead into weeks or months of hibernation. 

I always think that there should be such a thing as taking a ‘mental health day.’ But unfortunately there are people in this world who take advantage of that and ruin it for those who actually need it. There’s been times when I’ve been at work and I forget about everything and that’s great, but sometimes my mental health has been so overwhelming that i just want to burst into tears or run away. This is when we need to do what’s familiar, whatever brings a warmth back inside of us. 

Just don’t let those bad days influence you. Take that break and revisit things tomorrow. I’ll be looking at my writing with a fresh set of eyes, and a clear head. I hope that for me it results in a literary masterpiece, so just think about what that break will do for you. 

There are so many kinds of therapies and counselling you can have when your bad days go beyond what you can cope with. When that happens you need to recognise it. And what you need is much more than what I can offer. But I would like to think that I can help those already on the road to recovery, or those thinking they are having a slight setback. It happens, so don’t lose hope. It comforts me that I know people are going through the same things I am. It makes me feel less alone. So those of you who take the time to read my blog, I would like you to feel less alone too. 

I can guarantee that every successful person has had a setback at one point or another in their lives. I can guarantee that they will have had to take that break, they will have to step away for a day or two and refresh. It’s what us as humans need. Don’t work yourselves into the ground. I feel like I’m partly talking to myself here and I need to listen to my own advice because like they say ‘Rome wasn’t built in a day.’

The only problem I face here is that everyone has something different that makes them happy. Whether that’s going on a run, reading a book, listening to music, cooking your favourite meal. Or for some which I say ‘each to their own’ play a video game of call of duty or Fifa. No judgement here. 🙌 

All you have to do is pinpoint those things which bring you back to yourself on those days you need that extra help. Why don’t you go on a drive or a walk and get lost somewhere, go on an adventure of self discovery. Ok, that did make me cringe slightly. My apologies. But yes, do those things to reconnect with yourself. Bring peace into your mind. Give yourself a god damn break and you will be so glad you did, you will thank yourself a million times over. You can trust me on that.