PRODUCTIVITY & REST: WHY BOTH ARE ESSENTIAL FOR WRITERS

Aug 23

5 min read

Welcome back to the blog! This post is the direct follow-up to “Paws, Pens, and Productivity: A Study of Pets and Creativity in Writing.” In this blog, we are diving deep into productivity—and specifically why taking intentional breaks is essential not only for your personal well-being, but for your long-term writing life as well.

In order to be truly productive, you need to be skilled at time management, setting and adhering to deadlines, completing tasks, and staying focused. But productivity suffers when you don’t allow time to recharge. As writers, pushing through exhaustion leads to writer’s block, overwhelm, stress, and burnout.

I know firsthand how not getting enough rest can affect my ability to think clearly and write productively. Most importantly, you need to be able to take time for yourself and rest. Resting isn’t just something you do when you’re completely running on low energy. It is a requirement to keep your creativity, clarity, relaxation, and energy levels high.

Time management is important when you are a writer, just as it is for any role. To put rest into practice while keeping up with deadlines, you need a system that breaks up your work into manageable focus blocks and built-in breaks.

Hour-to-Hour Productivity: Sprint Vs. Cross-Country

When using the standard 25/5-Minute Sessions, you are breaking up your day into more sessions, which can feel overwhelming to try to cram in all those sessions into one day. Even if I am working on multiple projects, I still do get overwhelmed, get off topic, and am unproductive at times.

I prefer to work in longer timed segments than the standard 25/5 pomodoro method. I find that I get less distracted, and the steadiness of having a longer time to focus and work makes me feel more productive.

Your writing sessions can be either sprint or steady. For shorter bursts, you can use the 25-Minute Sprint Method. For intensity and endurance, you can use the 45-Minute Cross-Country Method.

When you switch to the 45/15 Minute Session, you are giving yourself triple the rest time for less than double the work time. By the end of my 45 minutes, I’m able to reward myself with a longer break time. In that break period, I’ll usually try to do a few yoga stretches, grab some water and a snack, use the bathroom, and check my messages. This time allows for a quick reset.

Daily Schedule & Energy Levels

Your energy level can end up depleted and empty after a long day, half a day, or even an hour of continuous writing. Spending an entire day worth just researching or writing can lead to burnout.

I like to think of my own writer’s daily schedule as that of a student’s day. Students in school are allowed some time in between each focused class session. In a school setting, there are blocks of classes where each block is designated for a different topic, so that learning it all in one day isn’t as overwhelming.

Think of your energy level as if it were the contents of a water bottle. The water bottle is full to begin with after you’ve had a full night’s rest. If you sip your water through the course of the day or through a writing session, it ends up being empty.

I’ll spend 45 minutes on one task or topic, take a break, and move onto another task or topic so that I don’t get burnt out. During those breaks, you might run to the bathroom, refill your water bottle, eat a snack, or catch up with friends. When your water bottle is empty, you take a break and go grab a new bottle of water, starting off full of renewed energy and fresh with your mind.

Breaking up the day like this helps me to be productive across multiple projects. You're now ready to start back on your writing.

Routine, Sleep, and Resting at Your Desk

Refilling that energy bottle isn’t always easy when your personal daily life lacks structure. I personally have the dilemma of not having routine and structure in my own life. I’ve always had poor sleep—going to sleep at 2:00 in the morning—because I have nightmares and anxiety.

I was instructed to keep my legs and feet elevated for health reasons. I think my problem is that I always have my feet up, even when I’m writing at my desk. In a way, even as I’m working on my projects, I am still in a resting position.

Set aside your writing for a while, pull up a chair, and put your feet up. Allow yourself to have a clearer mind when you return.

What I know now is that it’s important to allow myself the time to rest and take a break to avoid the stress, the overwhelm, and the tediousness of it all.

Your Toolkit For Balancing Work & Rest

To protect your rest time and keep from falling back into stress, you need practical tools to manage your daily boundaries. Time management, tasks, and deadlines can get away from you when you don't have a clear structure to track your days and weeks.

A day is 24 hours, and if most people work 8 hours in the day, it leaves them with 16 hours. 8 hours should be used for resting. And the other 8, well, that’s up to you how you spend it. To keep a good work-life balance, you need visual tools to map out both your work time and your break time.

Use these simple tools to structure your routine and protect your breaks:

Calendar: Use your calendar to map out your deadlines, mark down long-term goals, and schedule your intentional rest days in advance.
Planner: Break down your projects into specific daily tasks so you know exactly what to focus on during each work session.
Journal: Keep track of your daily progress, note your energy levels, and jot down ideas so you can clear your head when it's time to step away.
Timer: Set your focus timer for your 45-minute work sets and your 15-minute rest breaks to stay disciplined without overworking.

By setting up these habits and routines, you give yourself clear boundaries between working and resting. You know when it's time to focus, and you can take your breaks completely guilt-free.

Final Thoughts: Work-Life Balance & Self-Care

As newbie writers, self-publishing authors, students, or working adults, you might think that 8 hours of writing a day is what you're supposed to do. To be honest, that is a lot, and pushing yourself without boundaries leads straight to exhaustion.

What I know now is that it’s important to allow myself the time to rest and take a break to avoid the stress, the overwhelm, and the tediousness of it all.

After a long day of working on your writing, you should take some time for self-care. To break away from your writing in the evenings, spend some time with your loved ones—family or friends. Set aside your writing for a while, pull up a chair, and put your feet up.

Give yourself permission to rest. By building rest into your daily writing routine, you keep your mind clear, avoid burning out, and protect your creative life for the long haul.

How do you make time for rest during your writing week? Drop a comment below and share your favorite break routine and stay tuned for our next blog post!