Writers live for the thrill of capturing ideas and emotions with the perfect arrangement of words, but somehow, sitting down to do it can feel downright impossible. Between the distractions of living life in the real world and the anxiety caused by wondering whether your words are worth reading, writing can sometimes feel less like a vocation and more like a chore.

Here are 11 things that I think are extremely helpful for picking yourself up and deciding to write, whether your focus is on poetry, prose, or journalism.

1. Guided journals.

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Guided journals, with their zany and unusual prompts, can get you out of a writing slump by pushing you to be creative on the fly. They are a fun and effective way to start writing.

2. Chocolate.

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According to the Washington Post's article "The Magical Thing Chocolate Does to Your Brain," chocolate has many positive cognitive benefits. Among these benefits is the way that regularly consuming chocolate can help with abstract reasoning, which is essential for creativity and writing.

3. Meditation.

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Not only can meditation help calm any anxiety about writing, it can also improve your overall creativity. According to a synopsis of a study by Leiden University on Science Daily, "Meditation makes you more creative, study suggests." Meditation can boost your creative ability whether or not you are experienced with meditating.

4. The News.

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The news can be very helpful. If you are a journalist, you can get ideas for headlines, and find perspectives that are not being covered and explore them. If you are a fiction writer, you can use the news as story fuel -- for example, you could write a tale about a dystopian future where a bigoted demagogue threatens to take over. If you are a poet, the news is probably useless to you, except maybe as fuel for poetic angst.

5. The dictionary.

If you are completely stumped for inspiration, you could base a story, poem, or even an article on a single world. Opening a dictionary to a random page can help, and I love the blog this image is from (Other-Wordly) for words that capture the many shades of human emotion. Online dictionaries also tend to have a "word of the day" feature.

6. Social Media.

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Social media can be helpful in many ways, as long as you can avoid being sucked into an endless spiral of scrolling and giggling. Sometimes, social media is the problem, but it can also be the solution. Platforms like Twitter and Facebook can tell you which topics are trending, giving you a window into what is relevant, and sites like Pinterest can provide visual inspiration as well as writing advice. We often think of social media as a means of self-promotion, but it can also be a source of inspiration.

7. Coffee.

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Coffee solves legitimately every problem, and can give your mind a much-needed energy boost when it comes down to the wire.

8. Running.

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Running can suck, but exercise helps blood flow reach your brain. You might also see something inspiring while you are out of the house.

9. Music.

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Music can sharpen your focus. It also helps your creative juices flow by setting a mood. Just try not to accidentally type the lyrics!

10. Conversation.

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Talking to people who you like and respect can sometimes be all that you need for inspiration. Tidbits of wisdom can provide insight to write about. An anecdote can be exaggerated or taken down another route to create a story. A person's concerns can lead to a topic for an article. The people in your life can be powerful sources of motivation and inspiration.

11. Reading.

It may be incredibly cliche, but to be a writer, you need to be a reader. Learning as much as you can about the world and about your craft leads to insights that will inspire you to write.