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What's your way of overcoming fatigue?

I use a combination of coffee, Gatorade, Ibuprofen/Naproxen, caffeine pills, smoking a pipe (with tobacco, not marijuana: nicotine = stimulant) and occasionally sleep (although that last one doesn't work so well in my experience).

Always open to new techniques!

Note: I do not recommend any of my techniques (with the exception of drinking Gatorade I suppose).
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
I keep a case of 5 Hour Energy in the house for any time I want to sleep rather than do my nightly writing routine.
 
Tobacco pipe with a cup of tea. Quick couple of push-ups/sit-ups to get the blood flowing. I will listen to some upbeat music, but sometimes it alters the mood I'm trying to capture in my stories. Snacks always do me good!
 
I keep a case of 5 Hour Energy in the house for any time I want to sleep rather than do my nightly writing routine.
I've never had 5 Hour Energy before. Do you recommend it? How does it measure up with say, caffeine pills or coffees?

Tobacco pipe with a cup of tea. Quick couple of push-ups/sit-ups to get the blood flowing. I will listen to some upbeat music, but sometimes it alters the mood I'm trying to capture in my stories. Snacks always do me good!
Exercise is a good one! -_- That will definitely be one I look into once my house has a place I am able to exercise in. I'll do tea when my fiancee makes it for me, although some kinds tend to relax me more than stimulate me. What type of tea do you drink?

Snacks are good too! When I am sleep deprived (like the day after an all-nighter or a 1-3 hour-er), I will consume probably about twice as many calories or normal (or more). I feel like the Master at the End of Time episodes of Doctor Who (although I absolutely hated that episode -_-).
 

T.Allen.Smith

Staff
Moderator
I've never had 5 Hour Energy before. Do you recommend it? How does it measure up with say, caffeine pills or coffees?

I can only speak for me.... One 5hr will keep me awake and alert for about 4hrs (odd huh?). I do recommend them but they are to be used when necessary, not daily. Overuse of products like these can cause stomach issues. I probably have 1 or 2 a week.
 

Penpilot

Staff
Article Team
The strongest stimulant I use is tea. Usually, I just sit down and read the previous few pages of my work in progress and let myself get drawn back into the train of though and emotion of the story and let that build up the momentum to keep going.

I don't like using stimulants because they can put me in the wrong emotional state. When I'm too caffeinated and hyper, what comes out tends to be very dry and emotionless. Generally, for me, overcoming fatigue is about being so entrenched in the daily writing habit that as soon as I sit down, my brain knows it's writing time and switches to that mode.
 

Chilari

Staff
Moderator
I don't. Not when writing. I drink coffee at work, but never at home. If I'm tired when writing, I set myself a time limit, do what I can, then go to bed. I can't go trying to push through fatigue just to write when I've got a day job that requires me to be awake during the day.

I do occasionally drink alcohol when writing. Not much - a bottle of Kopparberg or a double Bailey's - if I feel like it. Not enough to get drunk, just enough to relax a little, and not frequently - once or twice a month.

If the fatigue isn't physical but mental, I take a break from writing the story for a few days and assess what's wrong with it and how I might be able to fix it or whether it's best put aside.
 
Typically, I do my writing late at night, just before I go to bed (which, bizarrely enough, is when I feel the least tired.) I don't regularly purchase anything containing caffeine or other stimulants, so if I have to complete something while exhausted, I just take a quick nap and hope for the best.
 

Amanita

Maester
Sleep, wonderful luxurious sleep—refreshing and rejuvenating. Nothing beats it.
This.
I'm usually writing in the evening after my other stuff is done, but if I'm too tired, I go to sleep and get up early the next morning to do it.
I neither smoke nor do I consume caffeine or alcohol. Sometimes, my stories serve as a powerful stimulant though but I can't count on that.
 
Exercise is a good one! -_- That will definitely be one I look into once my house has a place I am able to exercise in. I'll do tea when my fiancee makes it for me, although some kinds tend to relax me more than stimulate me. What type of tea do you drink?

I usually drink light teas when I smoke to savor the tobacco and prevent tongue bite. Oolong, Jasmine or Earl Grey otherwise.
 

SeverinR

Vala
I can't write or edit competently if I am fatigued/tired.
My mind wonders, can't focus and I don't trust I am making the best choices when I try to write fatigued.
I am not under deadline, so I don't push myself.
 

Nihal

Vala
Eating. I must bite something every two hours, chocolate gives me energy but I guess I'm getting tired of it and often I want salty things too. If I take too much time to lunch or something my hunger go away and I get really sleepy. Do not skip your meals.

Sedentarism decreases my energy. I love to run and after a long and hard walk I may feel my muscles throbbing, yet I feel thrilled. When I'm active it's easier to get up in the morning and my energy lasts more.

Also, I avoid going to bed hungry or too late. I can easily stay up until the morning, however after a certain hour it destroys the next day. I get headaches, I get really sleepy and it's hard to get up. Do not skip your sleep, sleep well and during the dark hours.

I also avoid sleeping more than 8h. It renders me useless, drowsy and with headaches.

Now, for mental fatigues only a break works, a good carefree break to refresh my mind and shapen my eyes.
 

Merimyn

New Member
Mindfulness meditation. My favourite being a simple concentration on the breath. 15 minutes of meditation can be the equivalent of a couple of hours sleep. I know I feel a bit more refreshed and also my mood and concentration are improved, even after five minutes of meditation.
 
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