Essay writing can be overwhelming and exhausting – even for those of us who love writing. If you find yourself stuck in the “I’ll do it tomorrow” circle or the “I can’t finish my paper because it’s not perfect” mindset, these four mindfulness practices can help boost your writing and your confidence.
1. Be Mindful of Overanalysis
Analysis plays an important role in any form of writing, but it’s especially important when writing essays. Arguments need to be constructed strategically, and it’s important to consider where and how you present information to the reader.
With that said, you can also reach a point where you’re overanalyzing just about everything. Overanalyzing can lead to over-thinking, anxiety, stress and fear of failure.
When you find yourself stuck in the over-analyzation loop (or paralysis analysis, as psychologists say), stop what you’re doing and give yourself a moment to calm down. Take long, deep breath, and focus on your breathing.
Once the mind chatter quiets, you’ll be in a much better place to look at your writing from a rational state of mind that isn’t overthinking everything.
2. Be Mindful of the Perfection Delusion
The goal with any form of essay writing – or academic project for that matter – is to give it your all and do the best you possibly can. Many of us take this idea to the extreme and strive for perfection.
Perfection may seem like a good thing to strive for, but it’s a never ending cycle with little reward or satisfaction. Why? Because you never finish your work.
Let go of the impossibly high standards you set for yourself. These standards act more like barriers that prevent you from writing freely and completing your essay.
I’d venture to say that the need for perfection and the fear of failure are two major reasons why students use greatpaper.co.uk for their assignments. That perfection delusion makes us believe we aren’t good enough to complete the task on our own, so we’ll get someone with the right credentials to do it for us.
3. Be Mindful of Procrastination
“I’ll write that paper tomorrow,” said every student ever. Many of us get stuck in the procrastination trap, which usually leaves us scrambling to get things in order at the last minute.
The key to success with anything in life – and that includes essay writing – is to take action. Far too many of us get stuck in the planning phase and struggle to move into the writing, or “action” phase.
Stop putting off your writing, and dive in.
Be mindful of when you start thinking about doing a task rather than actually doing it. Ask yourself if you’d rather spend your time thinking endlessly, or produce something real (i.e. your essay).
4. Be Mindful of Mental Chatter and Distractions
Quieting your mind’s mental chatter and letting go of distractions will allow you to fully immerse yourself in the writing experience. When you’re fully immersed and engaged in what you’re doing, you’ll find that the words flow freely and you can keep those pesky mental criticisms in check.
Simply being mindful of the present moment can help tear down mental barriers that keep you from completing the project. What techniques do you use to break through your apprehensions and just start writing?
