Mindfulness of Writing
I write a lot. On the average day I’ll be hammering away on the keyboard for nine or ten hours – all too often it is more than this. For the last couple of years I’ve spent most of my waking hours sitting at a computer screen. In the past I’ve discussed my ambitions to make mindfulness meditation more a part of my life so for this to occur it would need to seep into my writing time. I’ve been trying to be more mindful while writing in recent weeks and have made some interesting discoveries.
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Turning Writing into a Meditation Practice
A few weeks ago I decided that I’d try treating writing like a meditation practice. At first I focused on the feel of my fingers on the keyboard in an attempt to anchor myself to the present; much in the same way that I use the breath in formal meditation practice. This attempt didn’t prove too successful as it slowed me up a lot and made me more prone to mistakes. I guess if I kept at it then this approach might get easier, but it didn’t feel like the right way to go.
What this experiment did show me was that writing already is a meditation practice; it is just that I’ve never noticed it before. There is no need for me to do anything elaborate, like focusing on the touch of the keyboard, because the meditation object is the writing itself. Just like any other form of meditation my mind will drift away from what I’m doing and it is my job to keep on bringing it back to what I’m writing.
One of the most startling discoveries that I’ve made through being more mindful while working is that I’ve a nasty habit of surfing on the web without even consciously deciding to do so. It is like I’ve developed this automatic reflex to check my email or visit websites like Twitter. It reminds me of my days as a drunk; I become aware that I’m reading someone’s blog and can’t even remember how I got to there from what I’m meant to be doing. By being more mindful while writing I can spot this urge to waste time online and I can nip it in the bud.
The other result of being more mindful while writing is that I’m more aware of what my body is doing; I now notice when I’m getting unproductive. Just a break away from the computer of a few minutes can cure this tiredness, but when I’m mindless I don’t notice and work on regardless.
Karlsruhe How to Practice Mindfulness Writing
This is something that I’m still experimenting with but I don’t think the answer is to add anything special to the act of writing. Just focusing on what I’m doing and bringing the mind back when it is daydreaming is all that is required – just like other form of meditation. I’m finding that this simple technique can greatly increase my efficiency and leave me less tired at the end of the day. I’m not sure why, but focused attention seems to be a lot less physically dreaming than just letting the mind drift where it wants to. Of course, having a regular formal meditation practice is important because it provides the concentration I need to use elsewhere.
With all this time spent writing, when do you have time to read books?
I’m only asking because this is one of my main “problems”: trying to balance my reading and writing time, especially when I have an interesting book in my hands or when I’m working on an exciting writing project.
I don’t get to read books as much as I’d like to; maybe half an hour a day. I’m reading internet articles constantly and I also listen to a lot of audio books. I do think that it is important for writers to read a lot.
How did you get into meditation? I’d like to try it and being in Bangkok makes it seem more possible.
How does one start?
What kind of things are your writing?
Hi BB, I began meditating in my early teens. I was first introduced to the technique through martial arts. Thailand is a great place to get into meditation; the resources are here we just need to make use of them.
Your comment about how checking stuff online becomes an addiction (” I become aware that I’m reading someone’s blog and can’t even remember how I got to there from what I’m meant to be doing”) rang so true — I find myself doing this more and more these days and getting so frustrated with myself.
But how to sustain mindfulness at the computer …. that takes discipline. Still, I never quite thought of this as a problem of mindfulness before, and having this as a concept is already a big step forward.
Hi Sarawan, thanks for dropping by. I think it is a huge challenge to stay mindful online. In some ways I think it is worse than TV. The worst offender for me at the moment is stumbleupon; I can spend a lot of time just stumbling from one website to another.
On a related note, I thought this article on the effects of daydreaming v. conscious attention (aka mindfulness) was very interesting: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/science/16tier.html
Good article – it makes a lot of sense.
Ugh, so true about not even realizing how much you’re on the internet…I forced myself to take a break from Twitter and Facebook for a couple of days this week and I felt amazingly free. It doesn’t seem quite as interesting after a couple of days off. Unfortunately, I sometimes think, Twitter is a really important way to promote yourself. So…
I like the idea of mindfulness in writing. Part of the reason I quit my job is because I want to focus on writing and I just can’t find time while working. I know other people do it, but I want to be able to devote a lot of time to it!
I had a lot more time for my own writing when I wasn’t working as a writer – if that makes sense. I spend so much time writing for other people that it can sometimes be a struggle to put content on my blogs in the evening. My job is writing but then in the evening my hobby is writing too – it kind of sucks 🙂 Mind you, there is nothing else I’d rather do.
Oi! I made a comment days ago. I wonder what happened to it! Arggg. I hate the internet sometimes!!!
Well, I just wanted to say that I love that feeling when you are writing and you get lost in it. You know? When you lose track of time. . .
Surfing the internet is usually not a distraction for me as much as answering emails and keeping up with the book of faces. That feels like work and then I just want to get off the computer.
Sigh.
Hi Lani, I wonder what happened to your comment. I have you down for the deluxe service here on paulgarrigan.com 🙂 It is nice when I get lost in writing and I’m enjoying it. Sometimes though, I’m lost because my thinking has slipped back into first gear.
Paul, I hope the above picture of you tapping away on your computer is not how you spend all those hours? Don’t you get backache in that position? I only do a couple of hours a day. If I sit, I find my bum goes numb, and after a while if I use my netbook on my bed stretched out one of my legs goes dead.
What’s the best way?
Hi Mark, I do try to take regular breaks but it is easy to forget. Now that I’m trying for a Muay Thai fight I’m exercising a lot more. I actually think that sitting at a computer all day is more dangerous than Muay Thai.