Writer’s block happens to the best of us. In fact, I had writer’s block while working on this article, which is precisely what inspired me to write about not being able to write. All of these tips are geared towards creative writing, but honestly, most of them will also work for those who are stuck on an academic paper. Follow these seven tips to conquer writer’s block like a boss.

1. Go for a walk.

Or any type of movement for that matter. Stretch, dance, run laps – do whatever works for you, but just make sure you are moving.

2. Listen to music.

Some may consider listening to music to be a distraction, but for a lot of people, it can really get their creative juices flowing.

3. Free write.

Personally, I used to hate free writing. I would groan and think about what a waste of time free writing was whenever my professor assigned it. It turns out, though, that freewriting does help get rid of writer’s block. The beauty of freewriting is that there are no prompts or stipulations. Write about whatever you want, even if it sounds silly. You never know what will come of it.

4. Set aside time to write.

Whether it’s thirty minutes or three hours, set aside some time every week to write. Fifteen to thirty minutes every day is a pretty reasonable chunk of time to either free-write or work on whatever it is you want to work on. Sometimes forcing yourself to write actually cures your writer’s block.

5. Do something else creative.

As long as you’re not writing. Draw, play a musical instrument, paint, sing -anything that gets your brain in the creative mindset.

6. Write fan fiction.

Yes, you read that right. A lot of people find it silly, but it’s a great exercise for when you need to work on your trouble spots or if you just need to get into the rhythm of writing. Have problems working on a plot? Your characters and setting are already there. Need to work on your setting? Take an already existing character and place them in a setting you create. Fan fiction gives you the opportunity to not only get yourself into the writing mood but work on your problem areas without the added time-consuming activity of creating other elements of a story that you are already good at or normally give too much time to. You kill two birds with one stone.

7. Don't stress about your writing.

This is much easier said than done, but sometimes it helps to remind yourself that you do not have to write everything perfectly the first time around. It’s just the first draft. You can always have someone read it over and workshop your piece with you. If the thing that’s keeping you from writing is the desire to be perfect, step back and remind yourself that it doesn’t have to be. You will be able to come back to your work.

These tips won’t work for everyone one hundred percent of the time. Some days, nothing will work and you might have to sleep on it, and that’s also okay. The real trick is to try as many different methods as you can and find out what works for you.