In the month just gone I read twelve books and published sixteen posts here on Track of Words, on top of the usual day job and general real-world life. That feels great, but thinking back to how things felt at the time I’m amazed I managed to be so productive. I know I’m not the only one finding things tough at the moment – it’s a very strange time in so many respects – but while I consider myself pretty fortunate in a lot of ways, I’ve been feeling increasingly tired and worn out. With that in mind, I’m going to take a quick break from thinking about Track of Words – but first I thought I’d give a little update about why, and what I’m going to be doing.
TL;DR – I’m tired and I need a bit of time to myself, so I’m going to take a week (probably) to just read and relax and not think about writing reviews or blog posts (but I’ll probably still be on Twitter).
I won’t bore you with much background detail, but after working from home for the duration of the UK lockdown so far I’ve just been furloughed from my day job – which is a good thing, from the perspective of my mental health at least. Work has been tough for a while, psychologically speaking, and likewise just dealing with the weird new stresses of the lockdown, and I’ve felt my mental capacity for reading and (in particular) writing really suffer – hence why I’m so surprised and pleased with how productive I apparently managed to be in April! I’m hoping I can now spend some time trying to recharge my batteries, which for me generally means lots of reading, painting Warhammer miniatures and playing guitar.
I absolutely want to spend some of that time working on reviews, interviews and blog posts here on Track of Words…but I think my brain needs a proper rest, first. I’ve got lots of plans for what I’d like to write, but it feels like I need a bit of time away from thinking about writing before I can properly get started on anything. The last thing I want is to jump straight into trying to get loads done and end up putting myself under just as much pressure to be productive as I was while still working. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy writing for Track of Words, but it’s hard work and requires a lot of concentration. Under normal circumstances that’s fine, and for all the work I put in I get a lot out as well…but these aren’t normal circumstances, and I want to make sure I’m looking after myself.
I’ve seen all sorts of suggestions flying around for what we should all be doing while in lockdown, and I’m sure you’ll have seen them too. Lots of people have been espousing using this time to be extra creative, to finally write that novel or screenplay or generally just jump head-first into a different kind of work. That’s all well and good, and I’m sure it’s exactly the right thing for some people…but I also think it’s important to not worry too much, and to feel free to not be creative, or productive, but rather to use this time to unwind and do whatever it takes to de-stress (and we’re all different, so each person is going to do that in their own way).
With that in mind, the plan is to take a week away from Track of Words and fill my time doing things purely for fun – whether that’s reading or anything else. That means I’m not going to post any new reviews, interviews etc. (other than this article), I’m going to choose books to read without any thought of reviewing them, and I’m hopefully going to avoid writing anything. That might mean it’ll be a bit more than a week of radio silence, by the time I’ve switched my brain back on and done some writing next week! I might even find that I enjoy it so much I want to make it two weeks away…or even more. I don’t think that’s likely, but you never know.
During this week I’ll probably still be active on Twitter (as it’s fun, and doesn’t require much brainpower), so please do feel free to head over there and say hi. I’d love to hear about what you’re reading, and I always enjoy getting new book recommendations, so by all means get in touch. I would also be keen to know if anyone is interested in seeing different things on Track of Words once I’m back – would ‘reading roundup’ sort of posts (i.e. quick thoughts on books/stories I’ve read lately but not reviewed) be interesting? Guest posts from other bloggers, or even (if anyone’s up for it) from authors? I’m open to suggestions…
Lastly, I’d like to mention that I always have my Twitter account set to allow direct messages, so if you ever want to chat – whether about books or anything else – you’re very welcome to drop me a line. Alternatively, you can send me an email at Michael@trackofwords.com. Now more than ever I think it’s important to talk! On that note I’ll sign off; I hope you’re all able to find some time to rest, recharge and look after yourselves, and I’ll be back to business as usual in a week (ish) – see you then!