Being at the library challenges me to get work done even when I’d rather be doing anything else. At the time of writing, I’m dealing with a lot of distractive thoughts and problematic feelings, but sitting here at this library desk, I’ve been able to put that aside and get plenty accomplished.
Getting the Ball Rolling
I am an easily distracted person. Knowing this, I had to create these structures to get myself to be effective. Whether it be a space at home or elsewhere, I need somewhere that gives me the nudge to start working on something, regardless of how I feel or what else is pulling at my attention at the moment.
Once I start, I tend to dial in more and more. The flow state is frequently the goal, but not always required. At times, all that’s needed is 10-15 minutes of undistracted output to make substantial ground.
Getting started can be the hardest part without a plan. That’s why I find it so important to take the time to come up with a rough outline to get started at a given time. It can be easy to fall into a trap of looking for something to spark, but it’s possible that it won’t happen until you can really get into it.
Sometimes starting on anything at all is the best practice to simply get in the right mindset. I think of the Morning Pages from the book The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron. The idea is that each morning you write three pages of pure freeflow thoughts onto the page. This practice, also called freewriting, clears the mind of distractive thoughts and allows you to build on that free flowing state of mind. The goal is to write now and edit later.
Another useful system that I’ve started employing more is the Pomodoro Technique. The idea is simple: start a timer and focus deeply during that duration, typically 25 minutes. After that time is up, a short break can be taken, usually about five minutes. The idea is to keep moving through these ebbs and flows of work and breaks until deep enough in the work that the break isn’t necessarily required, but always an option.
As with many systems I enjoy, this one is of course completely flexible for a given practice, person, or precise moment. Maybe a full 25 minutes is needed to get the momentum needed. Alternatively, there are times when a shift towards a productive mindset seems like a substantial task, but five minutes of reading, writing, or whatever task is needed at the time doesn’t seem too bad.
Work as a Distraction
Systems like the Pomodoro Technique are useful to simply take any circumstance we are in to push towards a more productive practice. Sometimes we just need a few minutes to put aside the things weighing us down and work on something else, however using work as a means of ignoring real problems can often do nothing but make a situation worse.
I think it’s critical to understand if the problem that’s being avoided is something that is within a reasonable sphere of control. There’s a big difference between doing the dishes for some relief in grieving over the death of someone close and staying at the office an extra hour to avoid coming home to a failing relationship. The latter is something that needs attention and is work in itself, while the former is an emotional burden that may only need time to process.
Some things just need work and attention themselves. Taking the time to sit down with these problems, be they alone or with someone else. Problems can range from material issues to emotional ones. The former can be a bit simpler to manage, but certainly not always easier. There’s usually a specific problem that can or cannot be addressed.
Emotional issues, however, can be far more complex. Therapy is of course an option, though it can be expensive even with services like Betterhelp that reduce the cost overall. Sometimes all that’s needed is to say them outloud to anyone who will listen. Other times, some action or advice can help, but often it’s getting the ideas out of our heads that helps reduce their effect.
If a more personal approach is preferred, journaling or writing can help to give the thoughts a more concrete image. Freewriting about the current hangup can lead to uncovering problems that were buried beneath.
Either practice can be good for working through an issue. Depending on the severity and level of control we have, sometimes putting it aside for just a few hours on a given day may be all that’s needed. For myself, these trips to the library have helped me put aside the thoughts that had me down. A few weeks ago, I struggled to get myself off the floor, not to mention out the door. Even at the library, it was hard to get anything done, but after a few minutes of freewriting, I was able to accomplish a fair bit.
Working certainly didn’t resolve my issues, but I was able to put them aside and produce some results. The distraction was long enough to let the negative feelings pass by, and now I feel like I can move forward without them weighing me down.
Trying Out Before Buying In 