Writing on the Dark Side?

No. I’m not talking about horror.

I’m talking about the other side of midnight.

When the clock strikes 12 PM and you’re still at the computer.

Why aren’t you all snuggled-up and cozy in your bed?

“Nothing good is going to happen after midnight,” my mother told me decades ago. “Be in by curfew.”

So, do you have a writing curfew? A time at which you may be still physically able to write, but your brain is no longer functioning to its best creative ability?

Yes, there are those times when a brilliant idea comes our way and the creative juices wouldn’t stop flowing even if we did shut down our computer. 

Most of the time, though, our mind and body adopt a certain rhythm and we automatically know when we are the most productive. For me, it’s between the hours of 10 AM and 2 PM although I often push it to 4 PM.

Here’s what research says about ways to boost productiveness: 

1. Keep hydrated.
2. Take 5 minute breaks every 50 minutes.
3. Stretch regularly.
4. Take a break outdoors.
5. Get in a short nap.
6. Work standing up for short periods.
7. Work by a window (natural light).
8. Take a sniff of peppermint oil.
9. Drink a cup of coffee with a few drops of coconut oil.