How to Stay Focused When Writing

If you run a google search on how to stay focused as you write, you’ll find a plethora of articles with tips and tricks. Some suggest writing first thing in the morning, or not engaging with any other distractions before you write, like social media or reading the news. Others suggest setting scheduled writing breaks for yourself and making a point not to edit anything until after you’ve written as much as you can. I’ve read many articles swearing by the practice of carving out regularly scheduled blocks of writing time for yourself to stay focused on your writing.

Any of these suggestions may be very useful to you as a writer, but sometimes you feel like you’ve tried them all and you still struggle with staying focused. Because we don’t believe there is a one-size-fits-all method to nurturing one’s creativity, I want to tell you about another method that’s really made a huge difference in my writing practice: meditation. 

Specifically, when running that same google search looking for support to stay focused in my writing, I didn’t find much out there that actually talked about the power of using a breathing-based meditation as a tool for honing focus and clarity when writing. So, I borrowed some magic from my yoga training and have been using meditation in my writing practice to much success! And because I’ve had so much success with this practice, I’ve created my own brand of meditation and writing workshops so others can also reap these magical benefits. Workshop participants frequently tell me they were surprised by how much they were able to write in one setting because of how clear and focused they felt. They’ve also told me my workshops helped them access more creative freedom and confidence. Yay!

So, If you’re in need of a little extra support for staying focused as you write your manuscript, you may find some of these meditations useful too. Below are a couple of my favorites to use before I sit down and write.

Simple Breathing Meditation

This is a meditation I use most frequently before writing. It is the first breathing-based meditation I ever tried. I love it because it feels the most natural, making it very user-friendly. This meditation, like any meditation, holds the power to soothe and center the mind. Typically I do this meditation for 5-10 minutes before I write. 

Step 1: Find a comfortable place and position to sit. 

Comfort is key here, as stillness is an important factor in this meditation. You want to make sure that you’re as comfortable as possible, because you don’t want to get distracted by the urge to make yourself more comfortable and shift your position midway through your meditation. 

I personally like to sit on my bed, leaning against my headboard, with my legs straight out in front of me. Some prefer to meditate in the comfort of a chair. Others invest in a meditation stool or pillow. Though this may be an unpopular suggestion in some meditation circles, I’ve found that sometimes laying down is the best way for me to meditate. Sometimes my muscles need to fully relax before my mind can follow. There is no right or wrong way to situate yourself — just make sure you’re comfortable.

Step 2: Set a timer on your phone for your desired meditation time. 

If you are new to meditation or don’t have much time to write, you may want to begin with five minutes. If five minutes feels good and you would like to meditate for a longer period of time, you can always keep meditating and set your timer for another five or ten minutes. For me, my sweet spot is fifteen to twenty minutes of meditation. However, this varies from day to day. Sometimes ten minutes is all I feel I want or need. Play with times that work for you. If this is a practice that feels beneficial and sticks with you, don’t be surprised if you find yourself craving longer meditations as time goes by. A minimum of five minutes of meditation is a great place to start.

Step 3: Close your eyes and count the length of your inhales and exhales, four counts each. 

Now you are ready to meditate. Inhale for four seconds, exhale for four seconds. Repeat. It’s as simple as that.

Okay. I know it isn’t really as simple as that. When I first began to meditate, I’ll be honest with you. It stressed me the eff out. Why? Because I thought that if I did everything “right” that I would be transported into some kind of psychedelic spiritual head space that I goofily thought all seasoned meditators drifted into when they meditated. I thought I’d see auras in my mind that meant something or that I would receive life changing messages from the depths of my spirit that I could pour into my book.

Nope. It didn’t work like that for me. And it still doesn’t. In fact, my time meditating consists of me simply breathing in and out for four seconds, counting in my mind, occasionally getting distracted by a random thought or memory, then coming back to my breath and counting. And you know what? That’s meditation time well spent. Because whether or not my mind wandered a lot or not so much during a meditation session, I always feel more grounded and ready to focus on my writing after meditating. Even if my meditation was pestered by interrupting thoughts of laundry or near-future errands.

Anxiety Relief Breathing Meditation

When I’m feeling anxious and it’s affecting my ability to write, I love using this breathing-based meditation. As many of us memoir writers know, anxiety can be a common occurrence as we relive painful memories as we write them. Therefore, this meditation is not only useful for pre-writing these difficult scenes, but is also a great emotional recovery tool to use after you’ve written a tough scene.

This meditation focuses on elongating the exhale. Many studies have been conducted on this specific breathing technique and its effect on the vagus nerve. When we elongate our exhales, our vagus nerve signals the brain to active our parasympathetic nervous system (the part of our nervous system that puts us into a state of relaxation and helps us digest our food), and to deactivate our sympathetic nervous system (the part of our nervous system that tenses up, preparing to fight or take flight). 

Step 1 and Step 2 of this meditation are the same steps listed in the Simple Breathing Meditation, and pretty much all meditations. 

Step 3: Close your eyes and breathe in for four seconds, and then exhale for six seconds. 

With this meditation, sometimes it can be helpful to place your hands on your belly so you can feel it expand and contract. Doing this can help you become more conscious of breathing from your diaphragm, which will help you take fuller breaths.

Focus and Clarity Breathing Meditation

This form of breathing meditation uses a breathing technique called Box Breathing. Though this meditation is also beneficial for relieving an anxiety-ridden brain, it is my favorite pre-writing meditation exercise to use after I’ve had a very busy day. When I want to clear my mind of all the remnants of everything I had to focus on during the day so I can focus on my writing, I use this meditation.

Step 1 and Step 2: You know the drill. Get comfortable and set your timer. Close your eyes. 

Step 3: Inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds, exhale for four seconds, hold your breath for four seconds. Repeat. 

At first, this meditation may feel a little awkward. It certainly did for me. I didn’t like the feeling of holding my breath and was distracted by the irregular flow of breathing. However, I urge you to give it a chance. Even for five minutes. The payoff of a centered and calm mind post meditation is well worth it. 

Meditation can be a powerful writing tool for getting your mind centered and clear, helping you ease into a writing flow when it’s time to work on your manuscript. However, if you find that you’re frequently experiencing writer’s block or continuously feel mentally scattered or unsure of what to write, despite using meditation or other writing tips and tricks you’ve tried along the way, this may be an indication that your book’s vision could use a little supportive shaping from a book coach. These issues are often referred to as foundational issues and are quite common for writers. A book coach can be great for helping you materialize the foundation of your book, which is not only essential for honing the direction of your book, but also for helping you write with more confidence and clarity.

Whether you could benefit from incorporating a meditation practice into your writing practice or  benefit from the guidance of a book coach, I hope this reminds you that all writers need support. Even though writing is largely a solitary endeavor, support is a necessary ingredient and it comes in many forms. Don’t hesitate to receive it. Your book (and its readers) will be grateful that you did.

Lots of love,