okay? what are you going to tell me next, that the sunset is overdone? the sound of your favorite song is passé? the sight of your loved ones is worn out and tired? that we shouldn’t revel in the simple joy of enjoying what we know we like, all because of some arbitrary quota you’ve imagined?
Focusing on my creative projects has been a real struggle for me recently. It’s not that I don’t have the time — I can find 15 or more minutes a day every day. The problem is that I absolutely cannot get going with anything. I’ve been wondering why.
First, I put this to fatigue, but that doesn’t quite explain what’s going on. I sleep more than I usually do.
The current suspect is headspace. I have a few projects going on at the moment which are causing me this very mild but constant stress. It’s nothing too dramatic, but I find myself thinking about these often. It’s as if these things implanted themselves into my brain. Even though I can’t resolve them now (there’s a fixed deadline in the future), these things are taking space that I can’t use to work on other things.
Some people are great at compartmentalising their lives so that no single aspect affects the other. I’m not one of them. I wish I was better at it.
Headspace is one of those insidious things. There isn’t any clear indicator to tell you that you don’t have enough. You’re not getting anywhere, beating yourself up about not being productive.
Sometimes, the lack of headspace prevents you from even seeing all the opportunities that are available to you. And you remain stuck. My theory is that the pandemic and the lockdowns caused many to reconsider their situation because it was the first time in years that they had some headspace.
I don’t have any evidence for it, but I feel like meditation helps you to train yourself to let go of certain things when they aren’t important — to get more headspace.
Excuse me while I go sit with my eyes closed for ten minutes, trying not to think about anything.
About the Author
Hi, I’m Radek . I’m a writer, software engineer and the founder of Writing Analytics — an editor and writing tracker designed to help you beat writer’s block and create a sustainable writing routine.
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you are not hard to love. they’re just not right for you. anyone who makes you feel that way is not loving you the way you need, nor the way you deserve.
