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6 Bedtime Routines That Can Help You Become a Better Writer
What do you do before you go to sleep?
Do you have a nightly routine that has helped you become a better writer?
While not everyone may have the same set of activities that works for them, you can consider some habits that could greatly enhance your writing skills.
Writing, after all, isn’t just a job we do during the day. It’s a lifestyle that becomes a part of who we are. And forming good habits is one way of developing our capacity to write better!
Here are some bedtime routines you can consider to help you become a better writer:
1. Journaling
I have managed to keep a diary since my teenage years and I can say that this habit has helped me improve my writing.
By journaling, you give yourself the opportunity to freely express your thoughts. You can also recall the important things that happened during the day and then find the ones that had the most impact on you.
You will never run out of things to write because you will have a record of the things that could prompt a reaction or a strong opinion from you.
Journaling helps collect your thoughts and capture them for easy retrieval later on.
“And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt.”- Sylvia Plath
2. Reading
Writing is an output of everything we have received and then processed within. Reading, on the other hand, is gathering substantial input that would make your inner resource richer and more powerful.
The more you read, the more you can write. By reading, you gain insight into the minds of other writers. You also get updated with the world around you.
And if you’re someone who finds relaxation while reading fictional stories, including this routine at bedtime accomplishes two things at the same time. It helps you unwind, but at the same time, it also enriches your vocabulary, imagination, knowledge and empathy.
“The greatest part of a writer’s time is spent in reading, in order to write. A man will turn over half a library to make a book.” — Samuel Johnson
3. Listening to music
I love listening to music before I go to sleep. It relaxes me, frees my imagination, and even takes me into another world at the comfort of my home.
Music can also bring you that nostalgic mood, sending you to the past to reminisce the good old times with family and friends.
With music, you find a safe anchor to end your day while still being productive. Let the power of music nourish your heart and soul at the end of each tiring day.
“Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent” — Victor Hugo
4. Having a digital detox
This is the time of day when you can finally find rest from your computer screen. If you need to journal, you can do so without your mobile phone. Use an old-fashioned diary and write by hand. If you need to listen to music, you can even use an old cassette player. How about a vintage vinyl player to help set a retro mood?
Finding some time to rest from the virtual world is something that can help you breathe freely at the end of the day. It is also something that can enhance your capacity as a writer.
“Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart.” — William Wordsworth
5. Performing some light exercise
Taking a walk or performing some other types of light exercise can help take away your stress from the day. It can also help relax your mind.
As such, they can assist you get a good night’s sleep so you can be recharged for another day of work. It can also free your mind, eventually helping you to become more creative and productive in writing.
Personally, taking a walk has often helped me find good ideas for writing.
“In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks.”- John Muir
6. Talking with family and/or friends
I always look forward to the end of the day when I can talk with my family. We’d share jokes and some trivia we learned during the day. We’d realize how time flies so fast and appreciate the moment that we have together.
Aside from helping you strengthen your relationships, talking with your family and friends can also help you become a better writer.
By using your time to bond with them, you gain the kind of insight and ideas you may never have alone. You can also validate your some of your thoughts and even gain useful feedback for your writing ideas.
“When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people, not characters. A character is a caricature.” — Ernest Hemingway
Final Thoughts
Our work as writers is never finished even after office hours. We carry our passion within wherever we may be and whatever time of day we are.
Nighttime is no exception. In fact, many writers have used this very period to write their best work!
While we need not stay up writing all night, we can form some bedtime habits that can help us become better writers instead.
Detox yourself from stress and too much screen time. Find space for other things to spark your creativity. Get in touch with real people to ground yourself back.
Do these and you will find that this time of day may be your most productive yet as a writer!
“Instructions for living a life.
Pay attention.
Be astonished.
Tell about it.”
―Mary Oliver
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