“I Messed it Up, Again”: The Story of an Exhausted Writer
By: Ishita Mondal
Tags: Exhausted Writer, How To Remove Exhaustion, Mental Exhaustion, Procrastination, Exhausted

Again I messed it up! I have a huge pool of client works pending. But, here I am! Writing stories on medium! Well, I have also changed my font style from professional Calibri to Comic Sans MS. Why? Because I didn’t feel like writing in those regular fonts. I wanted a soothing flow of words on my computer screen that can give me the solace of writing, the sense of satisfaction for which I joined the profession of writing.

Yes. Writing has been my passion. And accidentally, it became my profession. I came into this profession to enjoy it, to embrace it, to engulf it. No ‘secure’ job could allure me the way writing did. I never planned for it but when I get into it became my life. It still is. I fall in love with words every single moment.

Even the minor grammatical error amidst the words hurt me. A single wrong spelling can lead to a long search through the dictionary to get it right. Probably, Thesaurus even now counts upon me as one of the most frequent stalkers.

But, someday, writing exhausts me. It makes me feel like running away from it. When exhaustion comes, things change. The exhausted writer within me feels like throwing away the same laptop screen which I would like to kiss every single moment. But, why such exhaustion comes?

I should be happy as I got a chance to pursue my dream career. I should be satisfied that I am not stuck in the tiresome 9 to 5 schedule. I should feel the joy that I can make money out of my passion. I am doing what I love. Very few of us can get a chance to do that. God has blessed me to avail of that opportunity. Then, why am I exhausted?

If you are a writer reading my story, I am sure you also feel like this more or less someday. The sense of exhaustion throbs upon you too. You, too, may be thinking of shutting down the laptop and going far away from where the tic-tac of the keyboard cannot disturb you.

credit: The World Economic Forum

Yes, love! We are in the same boat. Exhaustion is natural for us, the writers. Why only writers? Every single individual who is doing what they love faces exhaustion. It is a myth that life is a bed of roses when you pursue your passion.

Whether you are a creative professional or a budding entrepreneur, exhaustion may come even when you do what you love. Nothing to worry about! Relax! It is natural. But what is not natural is that if you are stuck into it. Yes. Exhaustion may come; it may try to disturb your mind; it may target to ruin your goal. But the more you are stuck into it, the more it will get a chance to gobble you. So, when this monster comes, let’s drive it away as soon as possible. But how?

Credit- The Economic Times

When exhaustion comes, it comes with all its might. It is tough to handle it. Yes, here I can say, “Drive it Away.” But, deep down in my heart, I know it is easier said than done. Especially for us as creative professionals, it is more difficult. If we have to drive exhaustion away, we first have to delve into the reasons for it. Why exhaustion comes even when you do what you love? As I have perceived, the possible reasons are:

· You are OVERDOING it.

· You are COMPARING yourself with other fellow professionals.

· Your to-do list is IMPRACTICAL.

· You are consuming TOO much ADVICE.

· You are focusing on other’s JOURNEY than yours.

· Your mind is full of “WHAT IF’s.”

· You do NOT follow your ROUTINE.

· Your life has NO DISCIPLINE.

· You are likely to take TOO much RESPONSIBILITY.

· You do NOT go for SELF CARE.

· Your GOAL needs to be more PRECISE.

· You do NOT have a proper PLAN.

Have a look at the reasons. Indeed, you will find yours. No matter whatever the reason is, we cannot leave ourselves to succumb to the uninvited exhaustion. It drains our energy, lessens down our efforts. It brings in another special guest called procrastination. And, we, who have chosen the path of passion over the traditional career streams, cannot afford to lose our dreams due to mere procrastination. So, let’s know how to get rid of exhaustion.

1. Rest but Don’t Quit: You probably have heard of the phrase. Well, I find it useful as hell. Take a break from your task for a while, and you will feel rejuvenated. Also, your head will be cleared to make plans and take decisions.

2. Do not Hybenate: I know how alluring it is to go for a nap when everything seems to be messed up. But, once you get into that, you will find your brain more inactive than ever. A definite pang of lethargy will knock at the door bringing procrastination with it.

Credit: HuffPost Australia

3. Do something Productive: When you feel like exhaustion is emerging in your body and mind, take a break from your regular tasks and indulge in other productive things. You can spend some time pruning the plants in your garden. You may sew the button on your cloth, may cook a simple dish for yourself and your family.

4. Bring in Creative Imagination: Random creativity helps to drive away fatigue and exhaustion. So, if you feel exhausted, imagine creatively. And once you get some ideas out of it, turn them into reality. No matter whatever your regular profession is, you can create anything randomly. For example, I am a writer who starts painting plant pots when she feels like an exhausted writer.

Credit: Basic Knowledge 101

You may go for clicking a beautiful snap or writing a poem. You do not need to be a pro. Do it randomly for the sake of it.

5. Get Back to Work desk: Well, someone has rightly said that the environment impacts our minds. So, once you are done with your short break from your tasks, get back to the workspace at the earliest. It will help you to reset your mind for work and start fresh. The earlier you can get into work, the easier it will be to drive away exhaustion.

I hope it helps! By the way, prevention is always better than cure. So, maintain a basic healthy routine so that exhaustion does not come in your way. Have a healthy diet and adequate sleep. Meditate daily. Regular exercise is a must. Spend time with people. Keep yourself hydrated throughout the day. (Well, it just reminded me to have my regular sip of water. Writing is the best therapy for me, honestly!)

So, this was my story of an exhausted writer. That’s how I deal with myself when I feel burnt out. Write below how you deal with fatigue in the comment box! Eager to know yours! If you have some more spare time, click here to read another interesting story!