The 90-Day Reboot

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Seven years ago, I stumbled upon a solution for a common affliction among my clients — a stew of low-level anxiety, depression, fatigue, and lack of motivation.

This discovery evolved into what’s now known as the Reboot.

At the time, my expertise was helping people develop their intuition.

The writers I worked with felt disconnected from their creative source, like the wireless signal from their Muse was offline.

They weren’t necessarily calling it burnout but described:

feeling blocked,
struggling to access inspiration,
and being unable to take their work to the next level.

Most people sought to achieve creative breakthroughs intellectually and spiritually, without considering a physical component.

But heavy mental exercise — thinking more — without grounding in the body leads to overloading your circuits.

From personal experience, I recognized the value of working out as a counterbalance to my tendency to overthink and rely solely on my intellect for problem-solving.

Finally, in my forties, I’d found and stuck to a fitness routine.

I used to think I couldn’t even get depressed as long as I kept up my high-intensity interval training classes.

As I shared in my Writing Through Burnout audio segment, unexpected circumstances still caught me off guard and severely impacted my life.

I was shocked by how quickly my seemingly stable, yet hard-earned and fragile lifestyle could unravel.

And most of my writer clients didn’t identify with being athletic at all.

I wanted to suggest a low-barrier practice that can help with creative energy, writer’s block, and burnout.

The Reboot is especially suitable for people who are unwilling or unable to invest in an intense fitness regimen that might make them feel even more like a failure.

(We’ve all begun a workout or a diet only to blow it…)

But, as writers, we know discipline — we consistently craft books and create content, day after day, week after week.

When our creative energy wanes and our minds become overwhelmed, this practice empowers us to shut down, recharge, and reignite our imaginations.

We’re not machines, but sometimes all we need is a simple yet powerful reboot.

The Reboot Practice

The Reboot consists of 3 components:

a walking meditation
a proprioceptive writing session
a gratitude practice

Every day.

For 90 days.

Specifically, each day, allocate:

30-60 minutes for a tech-free walk
15-30 minutes for free writing or journaling
5 minutes to jot down 3 things you’re grateful for

Intentionally practicing these components together creates a synergy.

And just like daily words adding up to a first draft, it’s the accumulation of small consistent actions over time that produces a big change.

How about a 1-week challenge?

If this sounds daunting, could you commit to 7 days?

After I share the benefits and research behind each component of the practice, I have a super-short challenge for you to try.

(Keep reading, or skip to the bottom of the page.)

90-Day Duration

Let’s address the time frame: 90 days.

While you might be open to the activities themselves, the duration might trigger resistance.

Why is this time frame is essential?

The 21/90 rule suggests that it takes 21 days to form a habit and 90 days to establish it as a permanent lifestyle change.

However, research shows that habit formation can vary, ranging from 18 to 254 days, with an average of 66 days for behavior to become automatic.

These numbers are all over the place.

18 days isn’t even a month, which feels insufficient.
While 254 days seems long and arbitrary.

Setting goals in alignment with seasons and quarters resonates with me.

Both the business world's quarterly planning and the natural cycles we observe make 90 days — or 3 months — a familiar and instinctive timeframe.

Completing the 90-day challenge might seem daunting, but it’s achievable.

If you're grappling with creative blocks, burnout, or struggling to maintain your usual productivity, chances are you've endured far longer periods of distress.

Embracing this timeframe will provide you with valuable insights: either reaffirming your commitment to persist indefinitely or empowering you to pivot if it doesn’t yield any results.

Walking

In 2014, a team at Stanford found that walking boosts creative inspiration.

The study, which involved 176 college students and other adults, demonstrated that creative thinking improves while a person is walking and shortly thereafter.

The research consisted of four experiments, with the participants being placed under different conditions:

walking indoors on a treadmill
walking outdoors
sitting indoors facing a blank wall
sitting outdoors while being pushed in a wheelchair

The study found that the act of walking itself, and not the environment, was the key factor contributing to the boost in creative inspiration.

So a treadmill is also an option if you have access to one.

Creative thinking improved by an average of 60 percent when a person was walking, and creativity levels were consistently and significantly higher for those walking compared to those sitting.

The researchers speculated that future studies would likely determine a complex pathway that extends from the physical act of walking to physiological changes to the cognitive control of imagination.

Walking Modifications

Clearly, this recommendation assumes you can walk, not necessarily that you love it.

In my case, walking 1.5 miles up and 1.5 miles down my street may not offer the most “breathtaking” scenery — but there are plenty of trees, a backdrop of mountains, and minimal car traffic, so I can't complain much.

However, I do feel a bit exposed at times. When I first started, neighbors and passing cars would wave, making me self-conscious. But over time, I've embraced being "that guy who's always walking," and now it seems more people wave because they're glad to see me out there.

Walking as a Ritual and an Investment

For me, walking through my neighborhood at the same time each morning is a ritual with minimal barriers to execution.

I treat it as an essential part of my job, safeguarding this time as diligently as the hours I spend at my desk.

These walking hours are an integral part of my work as a writer, an investment that's different yet equally important as word counts.

Neglecting this routine risks having to spend those hours later on feeling unmotivated, creatively stagnant, and fruitlessly hoping for change without taking action.

Overcoming Barriers

Let's be honest — you've likely considered incorporating a practice like this for various lifestyle reasons, but you’ve faced obstacles preventing you from trying it.

Setting aside the physical benefits, let's make your mental well-being the priority. While you will probably lose weight, it should be a bonus rather than the primary motivator. Instead, concentrate on boosting your creativity, longevity, and sustainability.

Take a moment to evaluate:

How severe is your anxiety?
How often do you find yourself blocked?
How close are you to burning out?
Or are you already languishing there?

I understand that you may face physical limitations that affect your ability to walk.

Although I'm not a doctor, fitness coach, or therapist, I'm confident that I can suggest some alternatives for you to discuss with a health professional.

The key factor here is increasing your heart rate and moving your body.

While there may not be a perfect substitute for walking, using a rowing machine or a stationary bike could yield similar benefits, and both are easier on your knees.

(I bought my mom a basic, inexpensive exercise bike to help her stay active despite her knee issues. I spent about $150.)

If you're interested in a gentler activity with a meditation component, yoga could be an excellent choice. YouTube offers free yoga classes that can guide you through the process. Although there are affordable yoga apps available, my goal is to keep costs and barriers to entry as low as possible.

Alternative: Pure Meditation

If physical activities aren't feasible, consider dedicating time to a meditation practice. While pure meditation may be challenging for some, it's a viable alternative if walking meditation isn't an option.

Begin with a short, manageable duration, such as 10-15 minutes. For beginners, starting with 5 minutes a day and gradually increasing by 1 minute each week can be helpful.
During meditation, you can either focus on your breath in silence or incorporate visualizations.
One popular visualization in Kundalini meditation involves picturing a stream of light ascending from the base of your spine to the top of your head, energizing and aligning the chakras along the way.
Consider repeating a mantra, like an empowering affirmation, for example, "I am creative" or "Creative thoughts flow effortlessly to me."

What I love about walking outdoors is that it's an entirely free activity requiring minimal preparation.

Don't let shopping for All the Things become an excuse to procrastinate or avoid this practice.

Don't buy new shoes first.

Don't splurge on new workout clothes.

Don't sign up for a gym membership or invest in a Peloton.

Throw on your laundry-day look and head out the door.

Save the cute workout gear as a reward for sticking with the routine.

Walking Variables

If you're already burned out or on the verge of burning out, you're likely mentally drained and in desperate need of unplugging. To speed up your recovery, take walks outside without additional noise.

Not complete silence — the natural environment provides an abundance of sounds to observe. What I mean is, avoid tech or digital distractions.

Bring your phone for emergencies, but resist the urge to use it.

For the first week, walk alone with your thoughts, then dedicate at least one weekly walk to a tech-free experience.

I'll be honest — I look forward to my music and podcasts during walks. Creating playlists or catching new episodes brings me joy and adds an extra level of excitement to my walking routine.

Incorporating music makes it easier to "quasi-meditate," as it allows your mind to wander while still enjoying the entertainment.

Maybe you're interested in making more time for audiobooks…

Listen to anything that enhances your enjoyment — with one essential rule:

Absolutely avoid work-related content.

Steer clear of webinars or any material that triggers your work mode, like audiobooks in your writing genre or marketing how-to podcasts.

Consuming an excess of writing and promotion-focused content can lead to unhealthy comparisons and potential self-doubt.

Opt for audio that’s unrelated to writing, focusing on pure pleasure and enjoyment.

Consider avoiding news. (But I do admittedly indulge in engaging political history shows.)

Research suggests that the time of day you choose to walk doesn't significantly impact its benefits.

Personally, I find it easiest to turn this practice into a daily ritual by scheduling it at the same time each day.

Prioritize fitting in a 30-minute walk whenever it works best for you.

A critical suggestion: resist the urge to dictate while walking.

This practice isn't about boosting your word count; it's an opportunity for personal reflection and mental rejuvenation.

For capturing your thoughts, utilize the proprioceptive or free writing exercises post-walk instead.

Proprioceptive Writing

Proprioceptive writing is a method that combines writing and meditation to support embodied self-reflection. It was first developed in the mid-1970s by author Linda Trichter Metcalf as a tool to bring the self into focus and clarify your life. The word "proprioception" comes from the Latin "proprio," meaning "one’s own," and in medical terminology, it refers to the sense that tells us about the location or movement of our bodies.

Proprioceptive writing can help you rediscover your dreams and creative energy, rebuild self-trust, resolve emotional conflict, and dissolve inhibitions. It involves inner listening and exploration of what you hear internally, that still small voice inside you, and it calls forth the imagination, intellect, and intuition all at once to open the heart and mind.

This practice can lead to better internal and external emotional connections, greater empathy for yourself and others, and improved confidence levels.

It’s a near perfect form of self therapy for personal and professional growth.

Free Writing

Free associative writing or free writing is the act of sitting down for a few minutes and simply writing whatever comes to mind, without worrying about punctuation, spelling, or format.

It allows the subconscious mind to express itself freely and can help bring attention to buried issues.

This practice is often used for personal reflection, creative writing, and as a therapeutic technique to access unconscious processes.

In therapy, free association is a technique originally devised by Sigmund Freud, where the client is invited to let their mind roam without censorship or structure, allowing random connections between thoughts to emerge.

It can also be used as a writing exercise to generate ideas and overcome creative blocks.

Morning Pages

Morning Pages is a practice introduced by Julia Cameron in her book The Artist's Way. It involves writing three pages of longhand, stream-of-consciousness writing every morning.

There are no strict rules, and the writing is not meant to be high art or even "writing" in the traditional sense.

The purpose of Morning Pages is to clear the mind, provoke thoughts, and provide clarity, comfort, and direction for the day ahead. The practice is a tool for creative recovery and can benefit not only artists but anyone seeking to inject clarity, focus, and creativity into their lives.

The pages are meant for the writer's eyes only, and it is recommended not to reread them until at least eight weeks into the practice.

The Morning Pages practice is designed to help individuals overcome creative blocks, silence their inner critic, and access their inner creativity.

Choose any form of proprioceptive writing you like, as long as you practice it daily.

Set a timer for 15 minutes and just write.

Type.

Write in a journal.

It doesn’t matter.

No rules.

Incorporate proprioceptive writing into your routine by dedicating the initial 15 minutes or half-hour of your writing session to this practice.

You could combine free writing with writing sprints. When sprinting with friends, we typically follow a 25-minute writing, 5-minute break pattern.

Use your first sprint to brain-dump your thoughts, allowing yourself to release any mental clutter before diving into your project.

You could write about any insights or revelations that emerged during your walking meditation.

If you’re experiencing writer’s block, try focusing your free writing on the block itself. Engage in self-dialogue about the specific areas in your manuscript where you’re stuck.

Many strategies for overcoming writer's block are abstract, like reframing negative beliefs, practicing affirmations, and visualizing success. Consider incorporating these intangible yet powerful techniques into your proprioceptive writing exercises.

If you're currently dealing with burnout, focus solely on proprioceptive writing as your primary writing practice for the time being.

And do it as little or as much of it as you want.

Gratitude Practice

Research has shown that gratitude journaling enhances emotional well-being by promoting positive shifts in neural pathways.

This practice fosters emotional resilience, stress reduction, and improved cognitive function, contributing to increased life satisfaction and overall well-being.

Positive Emotional Response:

Gratitude journaling enhances neural connections linked to positive emotions, fostering a heightened awareness of life's daily pleasures and transforming your perspective on negative events.

This practice rewires your thought patterns, promoting a more positive outlook over time.

Reduced Stress and Anxiety:

Consistent gratitude journaling reduces stress by rerouting focus from negative experiences, leading to decreased amygdala activity and increased engagement of pathways responsible for relaxation and emotional regulation.

This practice provides various benefits, including stress reduction, enhanced optimism, better sleep, improved relationships, and physical health advantages such as lower blood pressure, boosted immunity, and eased chronic pain.

Improved Cognitive Function:

Gratitude journaling has been linked to improved memory, attention, and learning ability. This is attributed to increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, an area of the brain responsible for executive functions like planning and decision-making.

Incorporate the gratitude practice element of the Reboot into your daily journaling or choose a separate time of day that best suits your schedule.

The practice involves noting down 3 things you're thankful for each day.

You could call them out while you’re walking.

Or dedicate the beginning or end of your writing session to acknowledging them.

For Planner Users:

Jot down your daily gratitude lists in your calendar or in the margins.

Digital Option:

Use your phone's notes app or a journaling app to record your gratitude lists.

Nighttime Routine:

Reflect on your gratitude list before going to sleep, reciting them to yourself as you wind down.

Public Gratitude Practice:

In one of my private Facebook groups, members shared their gratitude practice.

Typically, we'd do it for 21 days to form a habit.

As a generally sarcastic person, it wasn’t easy for me in the beginning. But I tried it, witnessed the benefits, and can confidently say it works.

Now, whenever I catch myself being chronically negative, I restart the 21-day challenge.

Let me know if you’d be interested in participating. I can make a group for us.

TL;DR

So, that’s a lot of detailed explanation for something that’s essentially simple:

a 30-minute walking meditation
a 15-minute free writing session
a 5-minute gratitude practice

Every day for 90 days.

And even though it’s simple, it may still be hard.

But it’s far easier than facing writer’s block and burnout without a clear strategy to overcome them.

1-Week Challenge

Try this short-term challenge:

Go for a 30-minute tech-free walk every day for just one week, starting today.

No music
No podcasts
No audiobooks

Simply walk with your thoughts, free of expectations.

At the end of the week, share your experience with me via email or on social media.

I didn't invent the individual components of the Reboot, but I've experienced the powerful synergy created by combining walking meditation, proprioceptive writing, and gratitude journaling.

Countless authors, artists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and athletes throughout history have shared their positive experiences with these techniques.

The intentional combination of these techniques as a practice is tailored to combat the unique challenges faced by writers, authors, and creators.

Since starting my most recent iteration of the Reboot, I've written and published a new novel, rejoined my gym, and reconnected with friends I'd lost touch with during the worst of my burnout.

I’ve written 100,000 words of new content about my recovery, and refocused my personal brand on a new mission: helping fellow authors and creators overcome writer’s block and burnout.

Most importantly, I've reconnected with an overall sense of everyday well-being that's impossible to quantify.

The Reboot has played a pivot role in my process of recovering from burnout.

I believe it could work for you, too.