Hitting the Brick Wall as a Writer

It was inevitable and it finally happened. I have been working hard at work and writing in much of my spare time so the result is that I have probably been putting in close to 75-80 hours per week. Running two blogs and coming up with content all while trying to improve my earnings here at HubPages has led effectively to some burn out. Not only do I not feel like writing about the few ideas I have, but I am having trouble coming up with any new ideas.

One way to deal with burnout is to take some time off. It doesn't have to be a lot of time. When I was unable to write last week, I simply played some computer games and went to bed early. Yesterday, after starting and not being able to finish this article, I took a nap and relaxed the rest of the evening. After sleeping over night, I am able to get up refreshed and finish this before going to work.

You also want to make sure that you are getting plenty of exercise. February is a tough time of year for me mentally. Football season is over. It is too cold to be outside and play golf or softball. The days are getting longer, but I am still often going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark. That is why it is vital to at least get some activity. I work out once per week doing high intensity strength training. That at least helps me know that I am taking care of myself physically.

So these are some of the things that I have been dealing with the last week. I have been feeling really burned out and have been having a problem sitting down and writing. There are probably other ways to deal with burnout, and I would love to hear what you have done in the past to deal with burnout or writer's block. Making money online can be brutal on the emotions with lots of work for little reward. I am sure that is not helping right now, either. So far, February has been pretty slow, although AdSense is kicking butt. Nonetheless, I will continue to plug away taking a day off and getting extra rest when necessary.

Please share your tips and comments regarding burnout.

Another way to deal with burnout or writer's block is to change the scenery. There are times when it helps me to go somewhere else to sit down for a little bit and enjoy a different set of surroundings. I will often get ideas simply by watching others. It also provides a mental break for those times when I am feeling burned out.

Another thing that you can do when feeling burned out is to readjust priorities and goals. I may have been pushing myself too hard when I felt as if I needed to write 30 Hubs this month. This was really the big source of angst for me. I was looking at the date and realizing how far behind I was. Keeping up with two blogs and HubPages has been brutal, but by allowing myself a little flexibility, I should feel less stress and the creative juices can start to flow again.

Finally, working on a totally different project can be great to relax as well. I spent part of this weekend cleaning up and decluttering my room. Even though I didn't get much writing done, I was pleased to have gotten some work done on something else unrelated to online earnings. Taking the time to get organized felt really good and still means that I accomplished something that I have been meaning to do for a long time.