A mini-vacation — sometimes in the midst of an intensive push forward on a project, you need to take a break; the trick is to give yourself a breather without losing momentum. I’ve learned that, for me, the best way to deal with the need for occasional time off is to give myself a mini-vacation.
Slowing down on one leg of that road won’t put much of a dent in your timetable. Beyond this, we can reap valuable benefits from taking a mini-vacation here and there. In her wonderful guide, The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron suggests taking yourself on a solo “Artist’s Date” once a week, just to keep you creative juices flowing. A trip to a museum where you wander through artwork, a movie or play, reading a magazine in a completely different field, going to a sports event—any or all of these might boost your creativity by:
Stopping a brain drain: Sometimes, when you’ve been working intensively, you get “overcooked.” When this happens you just don’t have the mental energy to keep working at the same pitch. Instead of driving yourself forward until you’re in the red zone, why not take a little time to recharge and refresh your mind?
Refilling your well of ideas: A relaxed mind is a creative mind. When you are constantly pushing forward at a high pitch, your creative juices can slow their flow. Giving yourself a short break can help make sure your creative pump is primed.
Sparking fresh insights: As many of us know, sometimes just doing something light and recreational instead of intensive and demanding gives your subconscious mind time to mull over plot issues or a tricky chapter — and come up with an ingenious solution. Sometimes, “doing nothing” is doing exactly what you need to work through a problem.
So, the next time you’re feeling as if you’re fading or your mind is sluggish instead of snappy, give yourself a mental-health break. Sometimes that’s all you need to shift back into high gear. Just be careful to get back on track quickly and not let your break turn into a block. Write on!
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