I don’t know about you, but when I grab a bit of time to blog, it sometimes happens during our hour of quiet rest time in the afternoon, but most often after the kids go to bed at night. By then, I’m pretty much fried. I blog because I feel called to minister to other families. While this call compels me to press forward, there are days when I just can’t seem to put two coherent thoughts together. I’m brain-dead. Powering through at moments like this is usually a lost cause.
I need an intervention. Wait, you too?
So what do we do to help wake up our brains, collect our thoughts and start writing? Well, just like my boys do brain breaks when they are distracted or just plain fried, I utilize them too!
It’s amazing how a little bit of movement can go a long way towards clearing the mental cobwebs and helping us put into words all of the thoughts rolling around in our minds. Brain breaks are one way to do that. Put simply, they are short movement exercises designed to get the blood pumping and wire the brain to focus, learn and yes, communicate!
Brain Breaks for Bloggers
When I’ve hit a wall in my blogging I’ll utilize one or two of these breaks:
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Take a Walk.
Sometimes when I need to work out a blog post, article or talk, I’ll jot down the main idea that I’d like to write about and then I’ll head out for a walk. That rush of oxygen and simple way to keep my body busy allows my brain to sort out what I want to write about. Even if my hubby is out for the evening, sometimes I’ll just pace back and forth in front of our house working out how to effectively communicate what is on my heart.
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Stretch.
Stretch the body, stretch the mind. Sometimes it helps to just sit down on the floor and methodically stretch my body. As homeschool mom’s we are busy during the day learning alongside our children and taking care of the home. In those bits of free time when we write, it is helpful to release the stress of the day and limber up our muscles. There is a strong connection between limber muscles and a limber mind. Taking a 3 minute stretch break might be just what you need to finish that project.
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Go Upside Down.
Bear with me on this one. It works. Really. Sometimes when I must power through something, I’ll grab the exercise ball and gently stretch backwards with my head hanging upside down. That rush of oxygen beats a jolt of caffeine any day. Plus, you can do this at night and still sleep well! While it doesn’t pack the added stretching boost, you could also lay down on a bed or couch with your head hanging off for a similar affect. Going upside down can lead to right side up thinking.
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Crazy-Eights.
Blogging requires a mixture of creative and logical thinking. Placing your thumb out in front of you and tracing large horizontal figure eights in the air while you follow the motion with your eyes will help boost that connectivity between the two sides of your brain. Schools have seen a boost in test scores when children have traced crazy-eights on the table. Stepping back from what I’m working on and doing this has proved quite helpful.
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Clean.
Taking a short break and tackling a mindless cleaning project will give your brain a great oxygen boost and give you time to mentally sort through a blog post. The added bonus is that your house is a tad cleaner afterwards!
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Shower.
Whether you blog in the morning or the evening, taking a shower will provide great sensory stimulation, getting you primed and ready to write! Who else gets the best ideas in the shower?
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Go Get a Drink.
I’m talking water, ladies! Walking over to get a big glass of water and then downing all of it will help too. Our bodies need water to properly function and our brains do too. Sometimes in the craziness of the homeschool day, we can forget to drink our water. Catch up. It helps!
What do you do to give your brain a break when bloggers’ block hits?
This post was originally written by Heather Haupt for HomeschoolBlogging.com in 2013. It was updated, edited, and re-published in 2018 by Heather Bowen, HomeschoolBlogging.com owner.
