Craft of Writing: Grind your way through or not?

 Dear Reader,

It's a tough question when you are just burned out and you have a project sitting on your workbench. Do you grind your way through the writing process to get at least something down on paper or do you stop and take a rest? There's merits to both approaches. It gets complicated, however, when funky brain chemistry gets added to the mix. You may be the sort of writer who gets a dopamine hit when they reach word count or plot related goals. You may be the sort of writer who finds writing an escape from their stress and anxiety.  Regardless of the type of writer you are, depression sucks a lot of the joy out of the task of writing and turns it into an exercise in endurance.

Grinding your way through a project when you are depressed is a heroic accomplishment that feels like it is just not good enough to see daylight. Setting the project aside when you are depressed feels like further evidence that the lies of depression are accurate (i.e. you're not a real writer, your work isn't worth the time you put into it, etc.) and that can make your depression worse. There are times, however, that it is wise to put aside a project. If grinding your way through the project is making your depression worse, set it aside. If grinding your way through the project is making your anxiety spike, set it aside. If grinding your way through the project in anyway negatively impacts your mental or emotional health, set it aside until you are well enough to work on it again.

This is not a defeat. Your project will be there waiting for you to return to it with fresh ideas, fresh eyes, and a renewed sense of purpose. This is a tactical withdrawal from a struggle that you are heavily burdened by. This is you taking a breather so that you can come back to the project with more energy and focus. If you need to step away, do so with no shame. Shift focus to something that is restorative and spend time refilling your reserves so that you have it in you to continue to fight the good fight of writing or creating art.