I remember standing at my desk, day after day, typing and then deleting everything.
It felt like every idea I had was useless.
The harder I tried to push through, the worse it got.
No productivity trick helped — because the real problem wasn’t what I was writing, it was how I was thinking about writing.
There are two types of strategies to overcome writer’s block:
Tactical strategies: changing your environment, setting word count goals, using prompts, doing sprints.
Mindset strategies: shifting how you think about writing so you’re not fighting yourself.
Most writers try to push through with productivity hacks alone.
But if your inner resistance is strong enough, no “tip or trick” is going to work for long.
That’s where mindset techniques come in.
Affirmations
The way you talk to yourself matters.
If your default thought is “I can’t do this,” your brain will believe you.
I used to think affirmations were lame.
But then one day, in the middle of a particular brutal writing slump, I kept muttering to myself, “I don’t have to be perfect, I just have to start.”
I started using it like a mantra — and it worked.
A few sentences, a few paragraphs… Just enough to shift the inertia.
Try something simple but believable.
Mindfulness
A racing mind fuels creative resistance.
Practicing mindfulness just means observing your thoughts, allowing them, simply being with them.
Meditating — even knowing how to meditate — is a challenge for most people.
You could try something as simple as 2 minutes of deep breathing.
You could use the guided meditation I sent you.
For me, the most effective, accessible form of mindfulness is a walking meditation.
When I’m feeling overwhelmed, I go for a long walk without technology, and I always return to the page with some benefit — an epiphany, a new idea, or just feeling less anxious.
Visualization
Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a real experience and a vividly imagined one.
Imagine yourself writing with ease.
Picture your fingers moving effortlessly across the keyboard, the words flowing.
We’re writers — we’re champion daydreamers.
It’s a super-power. Use it on yourself.
Proprioceptive Writing
Whenever I feel especially blocked, I use free-writing to have a conversation with myself about the block.
Set a timer for 15 minutes and write whatever comes to mind.
Start with, “Right now, I feel…”
Then, keep going, asking yourself, “What do I mean by that?”
This helps surface the deeper thoughts fueling your resistance so your subconscious isn’t sabotaging you.
Before your next writing session, pick one of these techniques and test it out. See if it shifts anything.
And if you have any mindset strategies that work for you, please hit Reply and tell me about them!
Slade
For more strategies on overcoming writer’s block and developing a sustainable writing practice, subscribe to The Writer’s Reboot.
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