Blank space: Great when it’s a song by Taylor Swift, not so great in content marketing. But that doesn’t mean you have to quit your awesome content marketing job to hunt and gather in the woods. That kind of work space can dull your senses, making you feel groggy even after the morning cuppa. A simple change in your mid-day snack can help wake up your brain. If oranges don’t do it for you, try essential oils…or Play-Doh…or a combination of the two. When you’re feeling stuck on content creation, it’s easy to slide over to Facebook and scroll for a while. But when you’re feeling creatively burnt out, social media is worse than a time waster—it’s only going to sink you deeper into a stupor. Really cold water helps wake up your senses (a la point 1) and keep you energized. Listening to your audience will help you properly value your own work—and it will help make your content more relevant, too. It takes a conscious effort to snap out of the doldrums, re-engage your senses, and go back to work with a renewed sense of purpose.
Blank space: Great when it’s a song by Taylor Swift, not so great in content marketing.
No, wait. I already used that analogy. Now I need a clever new intro to this post about overcoming writer’s block and resetting your content brain. I’m staring at a white screen, trying to put words together, intimidated by all that blank space.
Hey, that’s like the Taylor Swift song… no, wait.
If you’re a content creator, the previous two paragraphs likely sound familiar. There are few things more intimidating to a writer than an empty page. Sometimes, despite your best efforts—the caffeine, the snacks, the just-right Spotify playlist—your content-creating brain just won’t turn over.
It’s almost like humans weren’t meant to sit at a desk in front of 1-3 huge monitors all day long, isn’t it?
But that doesn’t mean you have to quit your awesome content marketing job to hunt and gather in the woods. Instead, try these tips to get your brain back up to speed.
#1: Stimulate Your Senses
Most modern work environments are pretty antiseptic – neutral walls, no odors (except when Frank from Accounting microwaves popcorn), minimal sound. That kind of work space can dull your senses, making you feel groggy even after the morning cuppa.
A simple change in your mid-day snack can help wake up your brain. There’s a current fad of eating an orange in the shower that’s relevant here. Dig into an orange at your desk—use your fingernails to get under the peel, pry apart the segments, let each bit explode in your mouth. The aroma, the tactile sensation, the texture and flavor combine to shake off even the heaviest doldrum.
If oranges don’t do it for you, try essential oils…or Play-Doh…or a combination of the two. Whatever invigorates as many senses as possible. (Pro-Tip: Play-Doh does not taste as good as it looks.)
#2: Lock Out Social Media
Everyone gives into the siren call of social media every now and then. As marketers, we’re more susceptible than most. We can always semi-justify…
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