10 Ways To Stay Sane For National Novel Writing Month

Adam Scott as Ben Wyatt on “Parks and Recreation,” photo credit NBC/Universal

Make Sure To Schedule Breaks/Rewards For Yourself

National Novel Writing Month turns into a grind. Let’s just face the facts. Writing 50,000 words in 30 days takes a lot of mental stamina. Burning yourself happens faster than you may realize.

So be sure to reward yourself for all your efforts. Don’t just keep pushing yourself and expect it to all fall together and be a breeze. You need breaks. You need a mental recharge. We’ve talked about all the ways you can keep moving forward, but please, for your creative health, take breaks and relax.

Set goals and then reward yourself for them. Oh, you wrote 1,500 words in two hours? Why not watch an episode of Stranger Things or Marvel’s Luke Cage to celebrate? Give yourself a social media recharge and browse your Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr for a half-hour to clear your thoughts. Watch some Parks and Recreation or some other hilarious comedy show. Any mindless activity.

Whatever helps you recharge and clear your mind, make sure you leave some time for it. You work hard, you need to play hard.

In the words of Parks and Recreation, “Treat yo self!”

And if these first nine tips fail, we have one last one to help you out…