Your Writing Space Matters
Have you noticed that you write better when you’re in a specific environment? And that every time before you write you have to do a specific routine to get the vibe just right?
And somehow, the work you produce when you’re in that space is better. You feel like you have more focus, you feel like you are more creative, and overall you feel like you can get more stuff done.
You are not alone.
I have to do my weird little ritual every time I write in my bedroom office. Well, it’s not really weird. It’s not like I have to eat three frog legs and sing an ancient chant everytime I have to write an article about visual design. (No offense to the people who do)
But I usually do these steps if I want to be in a productive state. When I have long hours ahead or if it’s a research-heavy article.
It definitely helps my brain go into writing mode. It helps flip the switch.
My routine
I clean my desk before starting any work. It’s usually quite messy, especially after a strenuous study session the night before. And also because I can’t focus that well in a disorganized environment.
After hiding all my highlighters and notebooks, I head to the kitchen. I fill a cup with water and pop it in the microwave for a quick minute. After it finishes heating up, I put a teabag inside of it. (It’s faster in the microwave, okay?)
After going back to the room, I hide my phone in the right-side drawer under my table. No picking it up randomly while writing! I struggled with this a lot when I first started writing. Simply removing it from my peripheral vision helped stop that.
While taking small sips from my chamomile tea, I open Spotify and play music. Now, what music I play or if even play music at all is variable to what I am feeling that day.
Sometimes I listen to movie scores or soundtracks to get myself inspired. (Check out my movie soundtrack playlist!) At times, I opt for jazz music to create a mellower writing atmosphere. (Spotify’s Jazz for Study playlist is good!) There are times when I prefer not to listen to anything at all, allowing my focus to remain entirely on writing.
And that’s all of the pre-writing steps that I do every day! In my Pomodoro breaks, I usually do quick stretches or jumping jacks to help wake me up. Sometimes I play stupid mobile games. (I like WordScapes a lot)
How about you?
Now that I’ve shared my writing space and routine, I’d love to hear about yours. What do you do to get in the zone? What are your unique writing rituals? Feel free to share in the replies! Let’s continue this conversation and inspire each other to find the perfect writing space and mindset.
