Why You Need To Take A Break From Your Writing

Are writers taking vacations? Surely that is unheard of!

Well actually, no. No, it is not.

Writers need to take breaks and get away from it all just as much as the rest of the world - perhaps even more so (it can be a pretty stressful job after all).

The things is, writers rarely take proper vacations. Sure, they make grand plans to, and even probably go as far as booking, packing their bags and getting on that plane. But when they arrive at their destination, the temptation to reach for the laptop and just quickly get a piece of writing done, or finish another chapter of that book is all too big.

Of course, this is great. Being passionate about and dedicated to your work means that you love it, it means that you are doing the right thing with your life! However, if you NEVER allow yourself to have a proper break from your writing then you are never giving your mind the rest it deserves - and your writing may suffer as a result.

Here are some great reasons why you should take a vacation from your writing.

You break your routine and ignite creativity

When you are working you need to get into a good writing routine - this may be viewing your writing day as a 9-5 job. It may be that you like to start at 5 am and be done by lunchtime - it’s whatever works for you.

Providing you are writing consistently and meeting your targets your writing routine can be as ‘normal’ or as ‘bizarre’ as you need it to be.

Taking a break, however, changes this entirely.

If you relax and set your mind free, you can think differently about your work. You may come up with a fantastic new idea for a set of insightful articles; you may suddenly realise how you can make that all important plot twist in your book work.

A new environment may inspire new ideas

Writers always have their eyes and ears open and are constantly looking for some creative inspiration to fire them up for their next story.

A change of scenery is perfect for writers who are feeling a little uninspired, a little blocked. This works particularly well if you are holidaying somewhere rather beautiful.

There is nothing like a glittering blue ocean, the astonishing greenness of hills and forests, or a lungful of warm, rose-scented air to get those senses tingling and get you feeling relaxed and ready to tackle your writing once more.

A holiday should be all about relaxing and recuperating and when you have finished you should be able to pick up your writing with more energy, a positive mindset and renewed vigour.

You will get quality time with the people you love

Let’s face it; sometimes when we are writing, we can go into a bit of a ‘zone.’ Lovers, children, and believed pets all suffer from feeling a bit neglected when we simply need to lock ourselves away for a while and get our writing done. A vacation is a time to put this to one side, to concentrate on catching up with friends, spending time with your partner, and playing games with the kids.

So, while there is no harm in taking a notebook with you to jot down some ideas when you’re feeling creatively inspired, the next time you go on vacation, why not try to leave the laptop at home and see how much better you feel when you return?

Bethany Cadman -author of 'Doctor Vanilla's Sunflowers'

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