Academic writing can be a pretty solitary pastime. Lonely even. There’s nobody to talk to in those moments when you just can’t seem to think your way through the fog or find the right way to get an idea onto the page. These are the times when many people turn to their dog or cat for emotional support.

I am currently in between dogs. Not quite ready to forget the one who was recently in the basket near my desk. In her absence I’ve found myself thinking about other sources of emotional support for writing. When I looked at my desk I saw that I did indeed have four comforting things close by. Even if these objects cannot offer anywhere near dog comfort level they still DO something important during my writing process.

My favourite mug – More than just a container, my BIG mug is a ritual object that signals the start of productive work time. The warmth in my hands and the familiar tea taste anchors me in the here and now.

A small succulent – My cacti is a living reminder to take breaks, breathe, and maintain perspective. I guess that caring for something green provides a gentle reminder that there’s more to life than the intensity of academic work. There is life beyond the page.

A smooth river rock – The rock is perfect for fidgeting as I’m thinking. The repetitive motion of rubbing a smooth stone can be deeply calming. It’s an antidote to the intellectual agitation that comes from tangling with difficult concepts.

A foot massager – rather like the stone except more vigorous. My massager only works if you actually roll it around so I have to quite consciously get it out and start moving it. Doing this seems to keep me from the spiral of textual doom – it’s stimulation at the other end of my body.

I do also have a well-worn leather journal – the leather cover is an old family heirloom. You can put any kind of notebook or paper inside it. I used to have it on my desk – it was something tactile for jotting down sudden insights, working through complex ideas by hand or simply doodling when stuck. It was always at hand when I was doing my own PhD. I remember that the familiar texture and weight was grounding when I felt right at the edges of what I could understand.

I imagine that many people might also have a small framed photo or meaningful object, something that connects you to your “why” – whether it’s family, a meaningful place, or a reminder of what initially sparked your passion for academic work. This kind of emotional support object could help maintain connection to purpose when academic work feels abstract or remote from important relationships. I don’t have this but I do have plenty of aesthetically pleasing artefacts not too far away.

Each of the objects I’ve listed offers a different type of comfort – tactile, nurturing, meditative, ritual, inspirational.  They provide distraction, grounding and support while writing. I am sure many of you don’t need any comforting artefacts while you write, and I am absolutely sure that some people will find the very idea pretty silly. But I suspect that at least a few others besides me might have some emotional comfort objects, not the same but different from mine, that do the writing support job for them.

Do you have emotional support objects nearby when you write?