The Struggle is Real

Image Courtesy of Funny Animals Facebook

I’ll be the first to admit–and I’m sure I’m not alone–that it’s one week into the semester and I already feel like I have no idea what I’m doing!

Test is tomorrow?

Paper is due when?

Six essay assignments due by next week?

Group projects begin now?

Wait, do I actually know any class material yet?

Oh, you want me to pick up an extra shift at work?

Okay, but when do I get to sleep?

Due dates, deadlines, and stress. . .oh my!

Image Courtesy of Avi Singer

College throws you right into the storm, head on, and expects you to tackle it perfectly. Sometimes, if not often, it’s hard to not feel like you are overwhelmed and a little behind. There’s nothing worse than knowing how much work you have to get done, and then having a complete mental block.

Image courtesy of Justin Carper

This was me trying to come up with a creative and interesting post, but struggling to come up with an idea. For the life of me, I could not find anything I wanted to talk about. Those of you that know me, Taylor not having anything to say is a rare occurrence. My writers block has never been such a barrier.

So here I am, writing a blog post, about not knowing what to write in my blog post.

While looking into Public Relations and Communication blogs for inspiration, I came across a truthful article from Spin Sucks. The writer talks about life lessons we can learn from taking a vacation when you’re stressed about all the things you have to get done. After reading, I had somewhat of an epiphany. Here’s my take on her main pieces of advice.

Slow Down

It’s okay to not come up with an idea immediately. Good writing can take time, and it’s okay to search what’s out there to pull inspiration. Especially when it comes to posting/writing for a company, you want to know what works best and what flops.

Be Present

Sometimes it’s hard to let your mind shut out everything going on in life. Trying to concentrate on one task can become difficult when you start thinking about all the other work you aren’t getting to yet. Be present in what you’re doing. Sit down to work on one thing, and commit yourself to that. It’ll not only help you concentrate, but you’ll feel more productive.

Challenge Your Brain to Switch

One of the biggest difficulties for me is to get my brain to think of writing in different ways. It can be hard to switch from formal essay, to PR post, to blog post, to social media, back around to something more formal. It takes a certain type of thinking. Again, be present and slow down; challenge yourself to approach things differently and think outside the box.

Just Breathe

When stress hits hard, you’re overwhelmed, and trying to be creative, tension builds and makes any mental block 10x worse. Trust me, it happens to my brain often. One of the best de-stressors can be to simply close your eyes and take ten deep breaths. Loosen up and try to relax where you feel tension. The mind works so much easier that way.

Image courtesy of Bob Lotich

Seek Advice

Whenever you’re in doubt, use other people’s advice and thoughts as a guide. When it comes to blogging and the world of PR, people are always willing to be interactive and give their advice. The great thing about this digital age is the interactive qualities it possesses!

Social Media, by Regina Luttrell, emphasizes this idea by stating, “. . .the blogosphere is fueled by people–people who are part of the human network of connections we make on a regular basis” (p. 55). It is through these connections that we can use others as great resources to gain inspiration from.

At the end of the day, I’m still just a stressed out college kid, but I have a better frame of mind for blogging and writing in the future.

Hopefully this helps ease some of your minds. If not, well, I tried.

Taylor Bojeri

Public Relations and Communications Blog

Tag: Blogging

What To Do When You Have No Idea What You’re Doing!