Have you ever found yourself in an uncomfortable situation where your brain feels like a lump of old cheese? You may not have enough RAM to process all at once.
So how do you get past this stubborn blockade that freezes your ability to think and form cohesive thoughts? Strictly speaking, I’m not talking about writing. Students, teachers, professionals, and just about every other human being stop at some point.
Sometimes it helps just to write down your thoughts. But what if your mind is completely overwhelmed and you can’t even do that? Writer’s block is a real pain in the ass and very difficult to get over.
tools to empower the mind
When I was in college, I relied on mixed media to keep my brain juices flowing. Even if you have a good idea of what you’re working on, it can be very difficult to organize your thoughts and find the right structure. At the time, my weapon of choice consisted of a battered old laptop, a nice fountain pen, and a stack of notebooks.
The peripherals we use to translate our ideas into text have a huge impact on our ability to communicate and our efficiency. What do you think makes mechanical keyboards so popular? Whether it’s the satisfying click of heavy keys or the smooth flow of ink from a nib, all of these instruments help you achieve essentially the same thing.
With nearly every aspect of lighting going digital, the perfect tool is essential. I want the latest version to jot down rough notes in the corners of some pages. Typing on a keyboard, whether physical or mechanical, does not always have this effect.
In my quest for the perfect thought aid, I’ve tried tablets that support handwriting, keyboards, styluses, and ePaper tablets. My favorite tool for organizing my thoughts and forming basic ideas has been amazing.
thoughts were spoken
There was a time a few months ago when I was caught between a million projects. Dozens of writing assignments and clouded minds are terrifyingly paired with anguish and looming deadlines. A particularly difficult editorial puzzled me. No matter how many pens, pencils, styluses, and fancy keyboards I used, my brain remained unmoved.
Desperate to finish the task at hand no matter what, I started chatting with my better half to help me understand things better. But it helped me find my way through my confused thoughts.
Speaking our thoughts out loud can do amazing things when faced with writer’s block.
Speaking out loud is a great way to relieve stress. In the same way that going to therapy can keep you mentally healthy, speaking your thoughts out loud can do wonders when faced with writer’s block.
Thanks to technology, we don’t even need to find someone to listen. Grab your smartphone, Chromebook, or tablet and start messing around with Gboard. Open your note-taking app, find the little voice input option, and start yak.
It may start out silly, but as you go through it all, your words will eventually start to sound sane.
Speech-to-text conversion is nothing new or revolutionary. In fact, most computers and mobile devices have had this feature for ages.
But don’t dismiss it just because it’s not a revolutionary new feature. Make the most of what you have in your arsenal. Almost everyone on the planet has access to a smartphone, and almost every keyboard app has a speech-to-text engine.
Too much on your plate? Not sure where to start with your homework? Not sure how to open your college essay? talk about it. Have a conversation, even if you’re solo.
I can’t count the number of times voice input has saved me. This is my go-to when I don’t know where to start. All you need is your voice. The rest will fit in place.
