There’s a specific kind of exhaustion writers experience in busy seasons of life.
You’re not burned out on writing.
You’re not ready to quit.
You still want to write. Maybe even desperately.
You’re just too tired.
Too tired to concentrate the way you used to.
Too tired to sit down and “make progress.”
Too tired to hear one more piece of writing advice that boils down to just push through.
I’ve been there, believe me. And I know that your exhaustion doesn’t mean you don’t care. It just means you’re carrying a lot right now.
So if you’re looking for ways to keep writing when you’re too tired to write, this post is for you.
Why “Just Push Through” Doesn’t Work When You’re Exhausted
Most writing advice assumes you have spare mental bandwidth. (What’s that, you ask? Don’t look at me—I don’t know!)
But for busy women, especially moms, not only do we not have extra bandwidth—what we do have is over capacity and fragmenting by the moment.
We’re holding so much:
Caretaking responsibilities
Constant decisions
Emotional labor
Frequent interruptions
When writing advice ignores that reality, the insistence on “pushing through” quickly turns into a whole lot of nothing good:
Guilt when you can’t keep up
Resentment toward your writing
Avoidance that feels like failure
Here’s the truth, and I’m going to hold your hand while I say it:
Being too tired to write is not a discipline problem.
It’s a capacity problem.
So instead of forcing yourself to write the way you used to, let’s talk about ways to stay connected to writing that actually fit your energy right now.
9 Things to Do When You’re Too Tired to Write
These are not shortcuts or hacks, I swear. They’re legitimate writing practices for tired seasons.
1. Let your ideas percolate
Writing doesn’t only happen on the page.
It happens while folding laundry, driving in silence, or replaying a scene in your head before bed. When you’re exhausted, thinking about your writing still counts as writing work.
You don’t need to capture everything on paper. Letting ideas simmer and evolve is part of the process.
2. Step away from your main project
If your primary WIP feels heavy or high-stakes, give yourself permission to step sideways and try something different:
freewriting
a short vignette
character sketches
lists
labeling your page, “this will never see the light of day”
Low-pressure writing will often unlock energy that pushing never does. (And even if it doesn’t this time around, guess what? You’ve still worked out your writing muscles today.)
3. Write badly, briefly, and without a plan
Set a five-minute timer. Two rules: let it be crap, and stop before it gets hard.
No outlining, no self-editing, and most of all, no expectations.
When you’re tired, consistency comes from wrapping up before you’re depleted, not powering through.
4. Reread something you’ve already written
On days when generating new words feels impossible, reread old work.
You’re not reading to edit or to judge; you’re just reading to remind yourself what you can do.
To say, ”I made this.”
That reminder is powerful when your confidence is low—and it might inspire you to pick up the pen after all.
5. Switch formats
If sitting in front of the computer and typing into a Word document feels impossible, try something different:
handwriting
voice memos
bullet points
notes in your phone
Writing doesn’t have to look one way to “count,” and approaching it through a different medium may be the perspective shift that you need.
6. Write about writing
Journaling about what feels hard—or what you miss about your old writing life—keeps you emotionally connected to the work even when your brain isn’t capable of flipping on that creativity switch.
Connection matters more than output in tired seasons.
7. Shrink the container
Instead of asking, ”Can I write today?” try asking, ”What’s the smallest version of writing I can tolerate right now?”
Maybe it’s just one paragraph. Maybe it’s just one sentence. Hell, maybe it’s just one thought.
Small still counts, and the less friction you put between yourself and getting started, the more likely you are to at least check in with your work even when you’re exhausted.
(Learn more about micro-goals here.)
8. Do writing-adjacent work
Reading, organizing notes, or revisiting an outline can keep you engaged without demanding creative energy you don’t have.
9. Rest. Period.
Sometimes the most productive choice is rest. You’re not quitting or admitting defeat. You’re not a failure. You’re honoring your exhaustion and giving your body and brain a minute to recover.
I get it—as a type-A eldest daughter I often find it impossible to believe, myself. But I promise, rest is part of sustaining a writing life.
Wanting to Write Is Reason Enough
Many writers in tired seasons start doubting themselves.
“If I really wanted this—if I were really serious—wouldn’t I push through?”
But your desire doesn’t disappear just because your capacity has changed. If you still want to write, that matters, and you deserve a way back that doesn’t require burning yourself out.
An Exhaustion-Friendly Way to Rebuild Your Writing Habit
If you’re too tired to write the way you used to, but you still want to be a writer, I created the Two-Week Writing Challenge for you.
It’s designed to help busy women rebuild a writing habit without pressure, work with limited energy, and stay connected to writing through small, flexible practices.
One recent challenge participant even told me that she hadn’t been able to rebuild her writing habit since her toddler was born, but after the two-week challenge, she finally felt like herself again.
You can start anytime, move at your own pace, and learn to embrace the fact that your writing looks different than it has before.