Why I'm addicted to writing

Because it gives me a clear mind and energy.

Thanks for all the well wishes last week. My nose is on the mend and you can read my article for the Code Sports here.

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I’ve become addicted to writing because it’s the best way I know to clear my head.

And I love the feeling of a clear head because it gives me energy. Things I missed last week while groggy from pain meds.

The grogginess meant all I could do was scroll social media and watch movies all day, and my brain started feeling crap.

And I think that’s because filling my brain with so much junk info means I become mentally overweight.

Just like when I eat too much and don’t exercise.

Except the overindulgence doesn’t show up in my waistline.

It shows up in my mind, as my brain has to work extra hard to make sense of and store all the excess information.

Which then makes focusing hard and I start feeling tired.

All because too much info is going in, and not enough going out.

But the best way I know to fight that is to get good sleep, then write.

Rest the brain. Then empty it.

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Why this gives me energy

I write because a clear head gives me energy.

But deciding what to write about (and share) can be draining.

However after reading Smart Brevity, I’ve started asking myself a few questions before I write that help, including:

“Why will writing about this and sharing it give me energy?”

If I can’t answer that clearly, I’m probably writing about something I won’t enjoy, which means readers won’t enjoy reading it either.

Asking that question also helps because the old Ben would start smashing out words, then spend ages editing trying to turn it into something readable.

This is a common mistake according to the Smart Brevity authors, and a mistake I’ve made often.

I want readers to read what I write.

But they won’t read if I’m muddled and long-winded.

And why I want readers to read what I write is because I’m sharing things that have helped me when I was struggling.

I’m writing to help.

And helping gives me energy.

Thanks for reading.