Resetting From a Mental Block

By Daniel Yocom

I was struggling while working on developing some different ideas about this month’s article for the League of Utah Writers. I know there are many articles, videos, and podcasts about writing. I think there are others much stronger than me at those aspects of writing skills. I felt like there wasn’t much I could add to that conversation. So, I took a break and allowed myself to refocus on what I think my strengths are. Each of us has those unique abilities and areas and that is part of the reason I believe each of us has something to say. I recently had a dream that has been with me, and I understood that dream would be the focus of this article.

Everyone has their personal struggles. It is tied to the anxiety of what is happening in our lives. Some of those issues are within our control and others are beyond anything we can do. Personally, I have a range of anxieties I find holding me back as I work sitting down and writing or another task, I feel it is important. Instead, I find myself slipping into something more comfortable and mind numbing. Sometimes this is a therapeutic route that allows me to work through what is bothering me. Other times I find later my anxiety is higher. I have been looking around and finding other ways of creating the proper mental break to help me move forward on my goals.

That is where my dream comes into all of this. I won’t go into the details, they were outlandish. But it came down to a statement made by one of the characters in my dream, “I didn’t feel like there was anything special.” I awoke after telling them, “Let’s find something to make it special.”

Wide awake, my brain was racing about what those two statements meant to me—why were they in my dream?

I’ve heard writers block is because, more important items on our minds. For me I’ve found that to be partially true. Other things are on my mind, but there are times they are issues just taking up space and creating anxieties I need to get away from. These are thoughts taking away what is special for me.

To counter this I have been working on finding small activities to help me get back to the feeling of something special is happening. I want to regain those feelings of me feeling good and remove some of the anxiety I feel. It has helped me get back to doing more of the things I want to be doing. I understand that this is not a cure-all, nor would I say this is the only thing to do. What I am saying is this is another tool you can use in your mental toolkit to help move forward on the goals you have for yourself.

How does this work for me?

When I find myself struggling, I look for something I can focus on for a short period of time that is uplifting or special. I now understand I’ve been doing this for a while. There are times I didn’t realize I was even doing this until some later time. That has included watching my cats play, or sleep. Watching birds out my window or even just enjoying the view of the Wasatch mountains. This morning, I found myself sitting and smelling the coffee in my mug and just allowed myself a moment of floating in the fragrance.

I have also made it a point to find other alternatives to help me reorganize my thoughts by focusing on something new. That has included allowing myself time to be involved in some of the crafts I like to do. Mine are probably different than yours, but I have gotten back to cooking, braiding a rug, and creating scenery from blocks I mold. Yours might be some needlework, painting, cooking, yoga, going for a walk, or taking a shower. It doesn’t matter so much what it is as long as it is something that helps you feel good.

The concept is to allow yourself to find that moment that makes the here and now a special moment. It doesn’t have to be grand or cost money. What it needs to be is something you can indulge yourself with.

Share some of the hidden treasures you have for yourself that make you feel good.

About the Author

Daniel Yocom writes about geeky things because people say to write what you know. Their love of the geeky, nerdy community dates to the 1960s through games, books, movies, and stranger things better shared in small groups. They’re an award-winning writer and editor of short stories, books, and hundreds of articles published by blogs, magazines, and gaming companies.

They enjoy attending conferences, conventions, festivals, sharing on panels, and presentations. They are serving on the boards of the LTUE Writing Symposium and the League of Utah Writes as the president of the Infinite Monkeys Genre Writers chapter. They also serve on the Selection and Awards juries for the FilmQuest Film Festival and as the Panel Coordinator for the SaltCON Tabletop Gaming Convention.

Dan wants to help others reach their goals as creative people.

Join them at www.guildmastergaming.com.