So tired.

Same thing happens to me. What helps me is thinking in different places. For example, I'll go to the living room, go out to get a bite, go out for a walk. A change in scenery does wonders for me.

Nutritious snacks, stretching periodically, naps

Also have a good look at what you eat in general.

Celesta said:

Writing, and thinking about what to write, makes me feel SO tired. What can I do to keep my energy level up?

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Coffee.

Walks or working out at the YMCA. (The Indian, especially, is a big help.)

More coffee.

5-Hour energy, in emergencies. Careful, though, it's addictive, in a gotta-have it kind of way. Doesn't mix well with coffee.

Working on something mindless, like assembling circuit boards or sorting junk.

More coffee.

I agree, make sure you're eating a good diet. I know when I try surviving on junk food, after a while I start to feel lethargic and have trouble concentrating. Even my mood gets worse. Fruits and vegetables and protein! Vitamins and minerals! Yeah!

Exercise. My drama teacher used to say "Energy begets energy!" and would make us run laps around the theater if we complained of being tired. Get out and run a few laps around something. Or do what I do, and go for a regular, long (5+ miles) walk every day, rain or shine. It keeps the energy up and helps you think.

Celesta said:

Writing, and thinking about what to write, makes me feel SO tired. What can I do to keep my energy level up?

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Are you sure that this is physiological and not psychological?

If it is the latter, then I recommend seeing the writing as smaller blocks rather than the whole. When you sit down to write, know what you will write that day. Do not think it as a marathon, think about that scene you are about to write not that one 15,000 words away.

Have I said booze in this thread yet?

Celesta said:

Looking at the food helps, does it? I'll have to try that.

Perhaps if I had looked longer at the Reese Puff cereal I had this morning I wouldn't feel so tired now

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no as in look at what you eat in terms of nutrition. If you're legitimately tired from writing, you may be lacking in proper nutrition.

Maybe eat more than just cereal for breakfast.

(cereal, a protein product, and a piece of fruit go further than just cereal.)

maybe its from looking at the computer screen for too long?

drink tea
go somewhere where it is windy. always works for me.
try some yoga?? that way you can physically and mentally relax and when you feel like it, you can just let thoughts drift through your head while youre doing it. you never know, you might get some brilliant ideas that way.
dont have too much sugar. makes you tired and fat. not saying your fat... lol, not what im saying at all. it also rots your teeth, and that means you have to take time out from writing while you go to the dentist and get your teeth fixed.
eat a nice juicy apple while you think/write. not only is it yum and healthy, it gives you something else to think about at the same time.
maybe youre just bored with what your writing? maybe its time to try something new? if your bored, you wont be energised.

A strategic nap can be really helpful.

Things that I find overwhelming can trigger a very physical feeling of tiredness for me. It doesn't feel like a psychological issue; it feels like I need a friggin' nap. But over the years I've learned that various psychological pressures can make me feel this way. So first, look at whether you are dealing with issues in your writing. Writer's block? Feeling overly self-critical? Overwhelmed with the size of a project, or a looming deadline, or any other problem that stresses you out? This is one possible cause.

I don't have a cure, I'm afraid. Once the feeling sets in, it can be very difficult to overcome without the nap. The best medicine is prevention, breaking it down into small steps and setting small, well-defined goals before you sit down to write.

Another possibility is that you are not writing at a good time of day for you. I'm useless in the evenings. I will stare at my screen and get nothing done. I have to work in the morning or it isn't happening. I would love to be able to use the last few hours of the day, and maybe someday I'll figure it out. (Coffee's out - ruins a night's sleep without any improvement in concentration. I hate that jittery tired feeling.) But anyway, in the meantime, I do everything I can to get myself at the computer when my mind is still functional. This summer it means waking up really early, which sucked at first, but you get used to it.

Diet and exercise are important, of course. Make sure you aren't sacrificing self-care to make time for writing. It always backfires eventually.

Depression can also cause a lot of fatigue. If you are depressed, you are more likely to be overwhelmed, which would bring me back to my first point. So do a little mental health check.

If tiredness is affecting all of your daily functions, and not just when writing, then that is a bigger issue.

Porn helps. Or so I have heard...

LOL, thothguard... just LOL

Perhaps it's the time that you are writing. Are you doing ti at the end of the day, because chances are you are tired. Try getting up an hour earlier and doing it then, or in your lunch break.

I'd agree with Huntforthewildborn - yoga is brilliant. You'd be surprised at what ideas come while you're standing on your head! And you'll feel energized afterwards too.

thothguard51 said:

Porn helps. Or so I have heard...

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Not sure my coworkers would appreciate it, though...

Agreed with Sarah Madara and Shaldna. Consider that you may not be writing at the optimum time for you. My ideal time is writing from 9am to noon. Any other time I spend staring at the screen, then wandering off to play Plants vs Zombies.

Fresh air and cardio. Nothing helps me focus my thoughts like a good run. That's usually how I get my ideas. That, and sitting up at 3am with one of my kids

Sometimes, just getting up out of the chair for a few minutes helps. I'll go to the whiteboard and make notes/brainstorm, do a load of dishes, get a snack if I'm hungry, whatever.

Writing and thinking about writing energizes me, but I am old.

Maybe you need to wait a few decades and write when you are old.

Obviously, I'm not serious. Just do all that stuff we know we should do and are sometimes loath to do: eight hours sleep (at least); plenty of nutritious food; stay hydrated; exercise on a daily basis...

And read. Nothing makes me want to write more than reading. I read a chapter and jump up saying, omg, I'm wasting time reading. Seriously.

Take frequent breaks, too. Some writers make sure they get up, walk around and do something else on the hour; others work for no longer than 90 minutes at a stretch.

But you're young. You probably haven't really found the optimum working and writing conditions for you yet. If you're determined and you really want to write, you'll figure this out.

jaksen said:

Writing and thinking about writing energizes me, but I am old.

And read. Nothing makes me want to write more than reading. I read a chapter and jump up saying, omg, I'm wasting time reading. Seriously.

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Same here. Thinking about writing excites me, and actually writing usually makes me completely wired; it can take me hours to come down when the words have really been flowing.

Perhaps if just the thought of writing is so tiring you should take a break? Maybe you're just putting too much pressure on yourself?