Anyone good with psychology? · 10:08pm Nov 10th, 2015
As you may or may not know from the occasional replies to comments I've made in Changing Views every now and then, the only time where I can actually make decent progress on the next chapter is at night. Specifically, from around midnight up to seven or eight AM, because otherwise I'm easily distracted.
I mean, I have tried advancing during the day when time permitted it, but 400~600 words in 8+ hours of daytime? Sure, it's something, but I'd rather use those hours for something else.
Anywho, the problem I have now is that, after all those nights where I just wrote until I collapsed from sheer exhaustion, it's gotten to the point where I'm pretty sure my brain associated 'working on the story' with 'time to sleep'.
I.E., I feel extremely tired the moment I even consider sitting down and opening my doc file for the next chapter. If not, then I feel sleepy once I actually do open the doc file.
Anyone got a trick for getting past that? I mean, I still manage to occasionally power through it and add a few hundred words every now and then, as you can see on my user page, but I'm wondering if anyone else is experiencing (or experienced) something similar, and how they cope(d) with it.
I'd say take some time off let your brain recuperate. I mean I'm no expert but what you said doesn't sound too healthy...
Just my 2 cents...
Sorry dont know anything about psychology.
But if you are getting tired just from considering to write... well i recommend taking a break.
Get a couple of nights full rest and try again. Some times all one need is to just drop everything and get som sleep
Why i
LOVE
your stoy it is NOT worth you working yourself to the point of exhaustion
We can wait
Take care of yourself no need to overwork yourself Sleep is important
Sorry if this didnt help much
Well, my brother majored in psychology, and he once told me that the brain tends to associate things with other things when the connection is hammered in by behavior.
In this case, you have worked through the night no often that your brain now thinks that when you try to write, its time to go to bed and get ready for the next day, even if you are doing this at noon.
My advice, take a break, and when you start back up again, try to work at various times to prevent something like this happening again.
It's all about the hormones. Dopamine, testosterone, and serotonin play a huge part in your brain's ability to process information and regulate drive and desire (not just sexual; all desire). Dopamine and serotonin both spike at night.
Do some reading up and figure out which dietary hormonal precursors you're not getting. Are you getting enough zinc? Magnesium? Manganese? Vitamin A? Potassium? Look at your diet and habits and figure out if there's something you're missing. Higher protein, higher carbohydrate, high veggie, lower fat, and lower sugar will help you keep your endorphins and testosterone up.
Are you overstressed? Stress is a major hormone killer, especially if you're like me and hit amygdala hijacking really easily.
You may also want to check this out. L-Dopa is the substance your body produces which is then immediately converted to dopamine, and it boosts serotonin levels, too. It's not a drug; instead, it's giving your body the nutrients it needs to convert to the hormones you need to feel motivated.
Sleep is also incredibly important, as that also helps keep your hormones in line. Sleeping at the same time every day, and for long enough, keeps your clock ticking along smoothly. Even one interrupted night's sleep can mess you up for weeks.
Regular exercise, too: make sure you're getting enough, but not too much. If you feel energized after exercise, then exercise early in the day. If you feel sleepy, do so later in the day. You might find that it changes up the more used to exercise you get, so change your schedule accordingly.
So look at your sleep, exercise, stress levels, and diet. Figure out what you can do to ease any pressures (emotional, physical, chemical), and what holes you might have in your diet. It'll help, if nothing else.
If the problem is distractions you just need to find a way to put them out of your mind whenever you set out to write. Like if you have a laptop sit in a different room or outside with it and write in that spot only, close every other program but what your using to write so even if you get distracted opening something up is more work than just tabbing over to it, stuff like that. Figure out a way that pursuing a distraction is more work than it is currently, however small a difference.
Perhaps try to associate something else with sleep time? I always shower just before bed and have something similar to your problem if I have to mid day.
So you done a pavlov dog on yourself.
Ouch.
Eventually you will get over it.... if you don't continue to try to write late at night.
Secondly....
That does not sound like a healthy sleep habit... not getting enough sleep can make you feel down emotionally.
I like to think I am having been raised by therapist.
Anyway yes I have something similar when I work on art I have to much energy but when I tired (see about to pass out) I don't have the energy and that allows me to focus more and draw better the thing you just need to realize the issue and set a goal. I will not work on my story at night. Try listening to calming music and see if that help balance it out. (And not music you know otherwise you will thinking the lyrics)
Well I'm no phycologist but I am an insomniac so I have a few tricks for staying awake
1 WATER THAT IS COLD AS FUCK. now you don't just slash yourself with it. You dip your fingers in the water and rub it under your eyes
2 SCRATCH HARD. Do this by pushing up your bottom eyelid felling for the bone of your lower eyesocket and place a nail on it and scratch back and forth in a parallel line for each eye!
THE SHINING. take a bright light (ex: flashlight/torch) and shine in eye ONLY do this to one at a time and don't use often as it could damage your eyes
NEVER STOP MOVING. Above all keep yourself stimulated any kind will do wether it be focusing on your story (mental) or everything else I listed (physical)
Working through the night should probably be avoided if possible, especially if you don't havd a schedule that lets you lie in to catch up.
You could try eliminating distractions from your daytime working hours.
Turn off all devices but the one you're using or put them into 'do not disturb' mode.
If you can dedicate one area just for writing so you can clear all the distracting books, magazines etc outta there.
There's software to block the most distracting sites like Facebook, Twitter etc. You could try You lack Disipline or OpenDNS if you are tech savvy.
Soon you'll associate daylight hours with writing again and sweet, sweet sleep will return on its own.
I have the same problem with my music. I can only write music at night, but by then I am usually too tired to do it. I also get this weird feeling where I get anxiety when thinking about working on a song, so I don't do it for months at a time. Even if I really want to.
I had similiar problems because of my job. Ignore exhaustion and pain, concentrate on right hemisphere of brain, one that responsible for creative activity, and write. Pain and exhaustion wont go away but you will be able to ignore it for 2-3 hours.
Another option is meditation. There is technique you can use to meditate, but they are very time consuming, i recommend russian technique known as "key", russian psychologists in military and law-enforcing agencies using it to restore mental and physical state of soldiers. Its pretty easy to use, half of hour and you are in nirvana and ready for work and concentration despite exhaustion and pain.
Everyone is on par so far with what you're dealing with.
My guess is that you're suffering from burnout. This happens when you've done something for so long you no longer get the same feeling of motivation you've had before. There is not much you can do about it. Sometimes powering through it is worse as your body tries to fight you on it.
The best recommendation is to take a break and do something else that motivates you until you get that groove back. Don't try and force it, you'll know when you're ready to pick it up again.
If you don't want to do that, well... All I know is that your cortisol levels are low which is what's making you tired. Best thing to do is go chug caffeine so you'll stay awake.
Hope this helps! :)
3535409 From what I've read, caffeine makes cortisol burnout worse. Fortunately, your body makes cortisol directly from vitamin C. Give yourself several large shots of vitamin C a day -- once with each meal and once before bed, with a glass of water. I suggest 500 mg for every 50 lbs of body weight each time, if your cortisol is REALLY low. Otherwise, about half that.
1) Quick sugar and some caffeine. Sugar (5+ tea spoons) + juice of a half of a lemon + 0.5 litre cup of hot, strong tea (green or black). This gives me at least an hour or two of work even if I'm sleepy as hell. Unfortunately, diminishing returns: third cup straigh is almost useless.
2) Cut off the distractions. Consider a dedicated OS installation with games stripped and sounds disabled. Also, consider earplugs. Also make sure everyone is out of your way. A separate room is also good.
3) Early hours are the best. Immidiately after you wake up, force some morning tea into yourself with some sweets (something that is very easy to digest and contains a lot of easily available carbohydrates) and you have 2-4 productive hours.
I personally drink fresh green or black tea.
If that doesn't work try hearing your favourite music with a fast pace.
One of my friends likes to sleep 15 minutes and then wake up again to be full of energy
*sorry for bad english, german man at work*
3535409 Like what this person said is probably happening to you, I feel the same way when I play a certain game for a long time. It especially happens when what causes it is repetitive in nature. So a way to cure it would be to try and change the way it is down so it becomes less repetitive.
I.E you could try and reward you self with something after going so far or while you are writing change the way you do it, maybe have a song list set up that has very different music on it. Like have a clam jazz song followed by a rock song or something like that to change stuff up.
3534285
Hear, hear!
Super unhealthy, mane. Super unhealthy. Ah, and I wish I could tell you how to fix this, but I have the same problems too! Although, it's not writing stories that I stay up late for... It's, erm, writing these comments.