Techniques for Overcoming Regret About Skipping Writing Sessions
In the world of writing, it's common to feel the weight of expectations, especially when it comes to consistently producing high-quality work. However, it's essential to remember that taking a break from writing is not a sign of failure, but rather a necessary step towards maintaining a sustainable and productive writing routine.
Meet Meg, a freelance writer and eight-time NaNoWriMo winner with work published in various publications. She is also the creator of Novelty Revisions, a platform dedicated to helping writers put their ideas into words. Meg shares her insights and experiences on Twitter, where she tweets about writing, food, and nerdy things.
One of the most significant challenges writers face is dealing with guilt when they don't write. To manage this guilt and prevent it from hindering creative progress, the most effective approaches focus on self-compassion, mindfulness, and reframing productivity.
Practice Self-Compassion: Treat yourself with the kindness you would offer a friend. When guilt arises, ask yourself what supportive advice you’d give a friend in the same situation and apply it to yourself. This interrupts harsh self-criticism and reduces guilt about not writing.
Use Mindfulness: Recognize feelings of guilt without getting overwhelmed. Observe the guilt as a passing thought with statements like “I notice I’m feeling guilty right now,” rather than identifying with it. Mindfulness creates mental space and helps you respond more calmly to negative emotions.
Celebrate Rest: View breaks not as something you must earn but as an essential part of productivity and creativity. Tracking restful moments and acknowledging how they refresh your mind can help reduce guilt and prevent burnout.
Accept Writer’s Block Without Guilt: Understand that writer’s block or difficulty writing is a normal, temporary phase, not personal failure. Accepting this can remove the pressure and guilt that hinder progress.
Create Small, Manageable Goals: Set very small writing targets (e.g., 5 minutes or 100 words) to reduce resistance and procrastination. This technique makes starting easier and less daunting, and progress — however small — will build confidence and momentum over time.
Switch to Freewriting: Using freewriting sessions allows you to write without judgment or editing, which can bypass the inner critic and reduce guilt about “not writing well” or “not writing enough.” This frees creative flow and reduces mental barriers.
Shift Perspective on the Stakes: Remind yourself the current writing session or project is not life-defining. Allow yourself to write messily or imperfectly — creativity thrives with freedom from high pressure and harsh judgment.
By incorporating these techniques into your writing routine, you can reframe guilt as a natural feeling, reduce its emotional power, and establish sustainable, compassionate writing habits that foster consistent creativity and progress.
If you often struggle with harsh self-judgment or chronic guilt impacting your writing, integrating mindfulness and self-compassion practices regularly—such as brief meditations or journaling about your feelings—can provide ongoing support.
Remember, sitting down and starting to write can be the hardest part, but the longer one writes, the easier it becomes. Life goes on even when writing is neglected for a day. Taking a day off from writing does not mean abandoning the writing routine, as long as one returns the next day. Creativity can be expressed without writing something. Drawing a picture, taking pictures, or decorating an object can be creative outlets when writing is not desired.
Taking one day off from writing can help alleviate fear of breaking a writing streak. This break can be part of a planned writing routine, reducing guilt. Knowing that one tried to write can help alleviate feelings of guilt.
This article is part of a series on "Writing Articles," which also includes "Taking Time For Your Writing...and the Guilt That Comes With It," "How Your Reputation Could Affect Your Writing," and "Adjusting Your Writing Schedule." For more insights and tips on writing, follow Meg on Twitter or visit Novelty Revisions.
Meg's platform, Novelty Revisions, doesn't only focus on writing but also extends to other aspects of life, such as home-and-garden. Sharing her experiences in maintaining a balanced lifestyle, Meg discusses the importance of taking breaks from writing, viewing rest as an crucial element for productivity and creativity, much like tending to a garden after a long day of work. This holistic approach to productivity can be applied to home-and-garden endeavors as well, emphasizing the need to care for oneself alongside other duties.
