Taking a Well-Deserved Nano Break

We've all been there. Distracted by...everything. Knowing we should be writing but not. Thinking that anything would be better than being so distracted at THIS moment.

As much as I like writing, I am really, really good at getting easily distracted....As part of that distraction, I've compiled a list of things I enjoy being distracted by. I think it's good to take a little time off once in a while. The key here is tracking that time. I recommend setting a timer for anywhere between 15-20 minutes, getting the distraction out of the way, then jumping back into your Nano novel.

The 8 Distractions of Nanoing

1. Pinterest

I know what you're thinking, I could be sucked in for hours! And, while that's true, I have a few recommendations. 1) Set a timer as I said above 2) Select what you will allow yourself to look for (examples: recipes, hairstyles, clothes for you your character, funny memes) 3) Close it out when your timer is up -  no convincing yourself that you have a few more minutes!

Hey, come follow me on Pinterest :D

2. Pretty Pictures

I'm kinda weird when it comes to my desktop backgrounds - it's got to be the photographer in me. I need my backgrounds to reflect my mental state (not sure I know WHAT that really means). For me, the moment it should be fall I'll have leaves and trees up there. Now that it's winter, I've started my search for the perfect winter scenes. I found this fun website called Wall Paper Stop and they are free (here is the page for winter scenes). Since I have a Mac, each desktop I have (I use 4) has a different scene on it :)

3. New Music

Also being a musician, music is important to me. I love Spotify because of its one time monthly fee ensuring I can listen to all my favorite music pretty much everywhere (no, that wasn't a sales pitch haha). With the changing of seasons I'm now into the Christmas music realm! Making a new playlist can be a great distraction.

4. Snacking

During Nano I pretty much survive on tea, pretzels, and air popped popcorn...okay, not totally, but I do gravitate to these things for snacks. When I'm stuck with my novel and feeling hungry, I'll take a break to grab a snack.

5. Facebook 

As dangerous as Pinterest, Facebook is another good AND bad distraction haha. Same rules apply browsing as Pinterest.

Join me on Facebook too!

6. Clean

I know, you're laughing at me. Who wants to clean as a distraction? Well, that's the beauty of distractions! You'll do just about anything to get out of writing for the moment. Use it to your advantage.

7. Be productive

Procrastination and distraction can be great for getting other things done. Try answering emails, writing a blog post, or getting something done you've been putting off.

8. Read

A last, great choice is to read! My TBR (To Be Read) pile is HUGE (not all books are pictured here) but these are some I'm working on right now. When Nano and photo craziness is over I plan on getting through sooo many books...but taking short breaks to knock out a few chapters is definitely helpful!

So.... what about you? What do you do for distraction?