Morning Zen for Writers—6 Habits to Increase Productivity

by Veronica Miller

Imagine sitting down at a clean desk, your computer humming as you contentedly type away on your manuscript.

In fact, you’re writing faster and clearer than ever before because you have nothing to interfere with your creative process. You wake up every morning ready to write creatively and productively.

For some writers, sitting down to write isn’t a calming task. Maybe you had to make a choice—write or do the dishes—or maybe you can’t get over an argument you had with your spouse. Perhaps you woke up with brain fog and it’s just not going away.

We all have days where productivity and creativity are lost because we are ill prepared to deal with daily challenges. Here are six habits you can add to your morning routine to decrease stress and increase productive writing time.

1. Prepare the Night Before

A calm morning begins the night before. What tasks prevent you from writing? Do you wake up to a messy office, or a rush to get the kids off to school? Are there dishes in the sink from dinner last night? Use some time before bed to fix your problem areas. Take 10-30 minutes to get everything squared away each night and you’ll feel so much better in the morning.

2. Morning Reflection

Write in a journal first thing in the morning. You can write three whole pages like Julia Cameron Suggests in her book The Artist’s Way, or it can be less. The important thing is to write what’s stuck in your head.

Get down on paper the ideas that may bog you down when you’re trying to write at your desk later that morning. Write about that fight you had with your spouse and how it made you feel. If you put it all down you’ll be less likely to think about it when you’re trying to write productively.

3. Limit Social Media

This habit seems terrifying to most, but social media can add stress and negatively affect your creativity. You want your ideas to be your own and you don’t want to worry over the most recent political conflict. Avoid social media until after your first writing session for the day.

As writers we tend to check our emails for new opportunities or answer correspondence from current clients, but most emails can wait until after your initial writing time.

4. Go for a Walk

Moving in the morning helps clear your head. It can relieve stress, improve blood flow and reduce the risk of heart disease. Novelist Orson Scott Card once said:

“Take care of your body. Writing is a sedentary business; it’s easy for many of us to get fat and sluggish. Your brain is attached to the rest of your body. You can’t do your best work when you’re weak or in ill health.”

Walk at least 10 minutes every morning and increase the stress-relieving benefits by breathing in the fresh outdoor air.

If it’s too cold outside for a walk, try stretching your entire body and breathing deeply to help prevent stiff joints from sitting in one position for too long.

5. Eat a Light Breakfast

Heavy meals full of fat can slow you down and make your brain sluggish. That’s the last thing writers need before sitting down to work. Load up on antioxidant-rich foods such as berries and nuts and avoid fatty bacon and eggs.

A good go-to meal would be oatmeal with plenty of berries and sprinkled with your favorite nuts. Feel free to enjoy coffee and tea but remember that too much caffeine can have negative results such as jitteriness, clouded thoughts and heart palpitations.

6. Commit to a Goal

Lastly, have a goal in mind when you sit down to write.

Pantsers and planners should both have an idea about what they want to achieve in their planned time frame. While word count and pages are common goals writers use to keep track of productivity, there are others that may be more helpful.

A planner’s goal may be to outline the article he plans to write that week or focus on completing three scenes. A pantser, on the other hand, may have a goal that focuses on character development for his novel.

Be clear on what you want to achieve so you don’t waste your time. Design your goal to be time specific: I will create an outline and work for no less than one hour. Keep your goal malleable. Instead of scheduling exactly three scenes aim for two-to-three. This way it’s easier to show yourself self-compassion if you don’t meet your goal, limiting your overall stress.

Incorporate any or all of these stress relieving tactics into your morning routine to experience a more Zen writing experience.

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Veronica Miller is a passionate freelance writer and researcher who loves delving deep into physical and mental health.