Why Mindfulness is the Key Missing From Your Writing Career

How an ancient practice can help modern writers

Photo by Ivan Samkov from Pexels

If you’ve ever struggled to find something to write about or gather enough focus to jot down some words, mindfulness can help.

Although the word might bring to mind images of a yoga class or a monk in seated meditation, mindfulness is much broader than that. It’s the ability to be fully present in the moment, aware and attentive.

For the writer, mindfulness is incredibly powerful. It can help you generate ideas to write about, narrow down your focus so you’re not drowning in various topics, and foster the discipline to sit down and write.

Applying the practice of mindfulness to your writing can be broken down into three general steps: the art of attention, the art of focus, and the art of practice. Here’s how to do it.

The Art of Attention

Unless an editor or client gives you assignments, one of the hardest parts of writing can be finding something interesting to write about. You can probably relate.

That’s where the art of attention comes in. Mindfulness teaches us to hone our attention and become aware of where and when we are. Once you start paying attention, you’ll find that there are stories all…