Tips for getting in the “zone” as a writer who struggles to focus

The phrase “getting in the zone” is a sports colloquialism that is used to describe a situation where a player is so in-tune with the game and their physical abilities that they can seemingly do no wrong, making incredible plays that would normally be out of their reach. As writers, we all have our own ways of getting into “the zone”. For some it’s listening to the right music; for others, it’s drinking copious amounts of caffeine. Some writers say that writing is their way of escaping reality, while others see it as a coping mechanism for life’s problems. There are many ways to get into “the zone”, but I think one way that is particularly useful for writers who struggle with focus issues is to use relaxation techniques, such as meditation.

Meditation, which has been practiced for centuries in Eastern countries but is only recently gaining popularity within mainstream western society, is essentially the practice of training yourself to become more aware of the present moment by focusing your attention on your breathing or on an object (such as a mantra). By spending time each day practicing meditation, you can teach yourself to become less preoccupied with the past and future, and more in tune with what is happening right now. The practice of meditation has been shown to have many benefits such as increasing focus, promoting well-being, and helping to manage stress. One study even found that meditators who practiced mindfulness scored higher on tests of fluid intelligence than meditators who didn’t practice mindfulness. Fluid intelligence had previously been shown to be strongly affected by the experience, so this finding suggests that meditation may have benefits beyond the short-term in helping you become a better writer.

Meditation can be done in many forms, including guided meditation or mantra meditation. For example, if you’re looking for a well-guided meditation tape to get you started, I would highly recommend meditation tapes by Glenn Harrold. His voice is calm and soothing and the tapes feature wonderful background music. They help me relax and focus on what I’m doing (in this case writing).

Another technique that can be useful when managing your attention as a writer is to notice when your mind has wandered and to bring it back each time you catch yourself doing so. It’s completely normal for the human mind to wander because we all have our own unique stream of consciousness that changes with every experience that we encounter (which means that no two people’s thoughts will be exactly alike). However, when struggling with focus, it can be helpful to train yourself to bring your mind back each time you notice that it has wandered. Some find that having a pre-set alarm on their phone works well for this.

Meditation and mindfulness have been around in some form or another for thousands of years, but they are just starting to gain more widespread popularity in western societies. For writers who struggle with attention, meditation can be an effective tool for increasing your focus and improving your ability to write.

What are your thoughts on meditation? Do you do anything outside of writing that helps you to stay focused? Feel free to share in the comments below!

Conclusion

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