How to Deal With Writer's Block

"Ugh, not this again..."

Oh boy. Another so called "expert" telling you how to deal with writer's block. Cue the eye rolling.

I know, I know. There are a million and one articles out there on the subject. Trust me. I've read them. But for a while, I couldn't figure out why they never seemed to click with me. Perhaps you are faced with the same dilemma. The advice is sound, and the authors appear to have experience enough to provide such. But where does the disconnect come in?

It's quite simple really. Professionals are just that: professionals. Their writing is tied down to deadlines and rewards in business and actually getting their weekly paycheck.

But us? We're not professionals! Okay maybe you are, but I sure am not. I write because I love to write. I roleplay because I love to roleplay. It's my escapism, it's my hobby, it's my vacation from reality.

But then the old writer's block creeps up. Cause guess what: even if it is an escapism or hobby or fun activity, it's still mental work. And like any muscle in the body, the brain burns out too.

So how do we deal with writer's block? Keep reading to find out.

Target Acquired: Locating the Source

"Feeling lucky, punk?"

Sometimes writer's block is a really simple fix. Sometimes it's really tough. The way to know the difference is to find the source of your block.
I'm not going to go into heavy detail on "searching your feelings" and such. In your spare time, and just as a good self-help rule in general, you should definitely research how to identify your emotions and the reasons behind those emotions. Here's a quick one to get you started.
Once we've identified these emotions and the sources, we can then organize the writer's block as an easy fix or a tough fix.
An easy fix is just like the name implies: something easy to deal with and get back into writing. An example of this would be "I don't feel like writing because I am very stressed. I am stressed because I have an exam tomorrow." The easy fix here is that you should probably put off from writing till after your exam tomorrow.
Sometimes the cause is something a little more vague. Sometimes we feel certain emotions for no particular reason, or at least no reason that can be currently identified. For example: "I'm feeling kind of down and sad today, but I cannot fathom why." It's a good idea to try and explore this reason in general, but solutions to these tend to be pretty easy as well. I'm not going to give you a science lecture here, but for the sake of context, I'm gonna let you know that emotions are linked to chemicals in our bodies. Different imbalances of these chemicals can cause different moods. This is typically the reason behind the unidentifiable, "no reason" emotions. Easy fixes include: eating a healthy snack (fruit is always good), drink more water (even subtle thirst can cause major exhaustion), do some jumping jacks or run around the block real quick (get that blood pumping), and other little adjustments. Of course, if the moods persist for weeks or months, talk to your doctor about getting a blood test to see if you are low on certain vitamins, minerals, or hormones.
Now, solutions are dependent on the type of stressor and its source, so they may vary of course. Maybe you just need more hugs in your life. Or perhaps you need to stop watching so many emo poetry readings on youtube and switch to funny vine compilations.
Tough fixes are related to heavier, more prominent stressors in our lives. I'm talking the big ones, like parents going through a divorce, tension and trouble in personal relationships weighing on the mind, a death in the family or friends, a pet being very ill, a new medication causing awful side effects, etc. Obviously, a piece of fruit or a couple youtube videos aren't going to magic away these mountains. That's why they're called "tough" after all.
I also am not a source of some easy-peasy, magic wand that can whisk the problems away. You're going to have to deal with the problems yourself, whether through therapy, or medication, counseling, grieving, etc.
A lot of times, we just need a break from reality in these trying times of our lives. And it can be discouraging and downright awful when our favored past-time of writing is just adding to the stress of it all be being stopped with writer's block.
So once you've located the target of the writer's block, here's how the average joe, and even the professional, needs to deal with it:

Treat Yo-self / Don't Beat Yo-self

Look at that adorable yawn!

When writer's block happens, a lot of people tend to say "force yourself to write", but doing that can actually make things worse.
Your brain is trying to deal with a stress. When the brain feels forced to do anything, that just adds to the stress.
The best for creativity, honestly, is to destress and disengage. Let our brains relax and empty for a while, then come back later all fresh. This is as much of a writer's block post as it is a post on mental health in general. If you actively and consistently engage in these behaviors, you will find yourself not only experiencing writer's block less, but also see an improvement in your daily mental health.
So let's get to the fun part: ways to de-stress and disengage!

NUMBER ONE: Disconnect social media.

"I'm literally one instagram of spaghetti away from Kardashian level fame!"

You heard me!
Turn off those notifications and put your phone away. Put your laptop away. Turn the tv off. Get rid of all that distracting garbage and just let your brain focus on YOU!
Now in this day and age, social media is pretty blown up. Everybody must be linked to facebook and twitter and snapchat and such 24/7. At least that's what they think. But really, what's going to happen if you don't post that picture of spaghetti on instagram? Or don't tweet about how soft your new socks are? Well, nothing actually. The world really doesn't care about you that much. That's not an insult, it's just a fact.
I was a little nervous too about turning off social media. Granted, I only have facebook, but I was still a little worried. Still, I found the courage and deactivated my facebook account.
Suddenly, I had so much time in the day! Rather than wasting it refreshing the home page for status updates every ten seconds, I had hours upon hours just waiting to be filled with other things.
Imagine that social media was in real life. Everyone in the world goes outside and sits on their doorstep with a megaphone. And they scream into the megaphone every time a thought enters their head. Imagine walking just down the block, and having to hear hundreds of thousands of people screaming into megaphones 24/7. It'd be very stressful, wouldn't it?
Social media is exactly like that. We may not hear sounds, but the brain is still being bombarded with a constant stream of information. So turn off that stream, and let the brain get a breather.

NUMBER TWO: get rid of the frustration

"REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!!"

There are two parts to writer's block, frustration and exhaustion. It's important to do activities that let out all that frustration. Getting the blood flowing is a good way to stimulate the brain, and venting frustrations gets rid of those ugly, unhealthy feelings. It's important though that when we vent, we do so in ways that won't be harmful to ourselves or others. Here are some ideas!

• Burn random things in fireplace/fire pit like newspaper or sticks
• Punch a punching bag (or pillow)
• Random dancing. Turn on your most energetic music and let your body do its thing.
• Quick 'exercises' to get that blood pumping: run in place, jumping jacks, push-ups, jump rope, etc.
• Go for a walk or a bike ride. It could be just around the block or on a trail at the local park. Fresh air is good for your health and exercise will pump that brain.
• Scream into a pillow. Alternatively, look up karaoke of your favorite songs on youtube and sing along. 
• Splatter paint on random paper. Throw mud on the driveway. Make a mess! Just be sure to clean up later.
• Speaking of cleaning, do some cleaning! Throwing my frustration into productivity not only gets it out of my system (angry tub scrubbing is quite invigorating), but now I have a fresh, clean, good smelling home.
• Play catch with yourself by bouncing a bouncy ball or basketball against a wall. Bouncy balls are super cheap, like 25 cents from those dispensers in stores.

What are some other fun ways of getting out your frustration?

NUMBER THREE: calm the mind

"Kitten can haz more room on pillow please!"

All that frustration and stress has caused nothing but chaos in your brain. Now you're mentally drained and exhausted. Writing has become a chore.

So stop writing and work on calming the mind!

• Meditation. Just grab a comfy blanket, pick a quiet spot, sit, and relax. Close your eyes and focus on just your breathing. You can change it up by burning incense, lighting scented candles, playing soothing music, etc. You can also look up guided meditation videos on youtube for relaxing mental vacations.
• Go out in nature. Absolutely hike and whatnot if you want, but if you don't want, at the very least, get outdoors. The sun gives much needed vitamin D for energy and mental health. The fresh air helps oxygenate our brains. Whether it's a relaxing stroll in the park, or just sitting on your doorstep looking at the backyard, just take a few to look, listen, and relax.
• Reading a relaxing book. Books are the greatest fuel for creativity (more on this topic coming soon). But especially for now, you need something simple, fun, and feel good. I highly recommend returning to your favorite series as a kid. Some of mine were the Charlie Bone series, Redwall series, and Chronicles of Narnia. Just some easy, light reading that's fun and enjoyable.
• Do an engaging activity that has nothing to do with writing. Bake some cookies, sew a simple pillowcase, paint a picture, put a puzzle together, grab one of those adult coloring books (or heck, even a kid's coloring book is great).
• Indulge in animals. Nothing says fun but relaxing like spending time with a cute critter. If you don't own one of your own, you can always visit the local animal shelter. The vast majority of them are perfectly happy letting you just pet and play with the animals, and the animals will be happier for it too. If you're allergic, you could always go to a pet store and watch the fish or sing with the birds. Or if you have one, check out the local zoo.
• Relaxing music. Take a break from your Cotton Eye Joe Gregorian Hardcore Nightcore Dubstep Remix and indulge in something elegant and refined. Some good genres are classical, jazz, blues, ragtime, and soul.
• Relax to the sounds of nature. If you can't get to nature, bring nature to you. Lie down in bed, put your headphones on, and play some relaxing nature sounds from youtube. Some of my favorites are the rain and thunderstorm ones. Just close your eyes, take deep, slow breaths, and focus on the beautiful soundscapes, imagining you are in that gentle rain. And hey, if you fall asleep, that's fine too.

What other relaxing, calming techniques can you think of?

In Summary

Identify the source of the emotions linked to the writer's block.

Turn off sources of nonstop information like social media or the television.

Vent the frustration in productive and healthy ways.

Calm and relax the mind using healthy techniques and activities.