Updated: January 16, 2022

I began blogging in 2010, more than a decade ago. That was long before content creators and solopreneurs hired entire teams to launch a new vision. 

You were, for the most part, on your own. 

Even blogging greats, like Leo Babauta of Zen Habits fame, achieved success almost entirely through their own efforts—at least in the early years.

Before long, however, blogger burnout became a phenomenon.

Content creators striving for visibility, readers, and success began to drop away from the web, taken by overwhelm, stress, and exhaustion. In their parting posts, they confessed to excessively late hours and long weekends of work.

Sound familiar?

The Side Hustle: Burnout by Design

The emergence of writing platforms that pay writers has, in some ways, returned us to those earlier times.

Now it’s called a “side hustle.” 

You put in your forty-hour or more work week and then write or create or build your business on evenings and weekends by design. You have a vision of freedom but it could take years of nose-to-the-grindstone to achieve it.

For example, popular online writer and YouTuber Zulie Rane wrote 383 stories her first year alongside her full time job. She made $13,000 from her writing—impressive but not exactly a living wage. She admitted to total burnout by the end of her first year.

Burnout doesn’t have a single solution. But I’ve personally found that the right work habits counteract stress and burnout and make me more productive too.

Early on in my time as a content creator, I set up 16 Zen work habits to keep me sane and serene, but still productive. 

My 16 Zen Work Habits

Some of my Zen work habits are commonplace, some are unusual. Steal whichever ones you’d like to try out.

But most importantly, take time to reflect on your own needs, desires, and circumstances and make your own list Zen work habits —ones that will fit you best.

These are my Zen work habits…

1. Remember my “why”

I feel more excitement, enthusiasm, and motivation when I touch base with my “why” every single morning. As a result, I’m less distractible and that leads to better outcomes.

2. A dose of mindfulness

I practice mindfulness meditation for 20–60 minutes before I begin writing. It helps me to calm and clear my mind, and focus it in the present moment.

If full-on mindfulness sessions are not for you, you can achieve a sense of presence by simply being mindful as you drink your first cup of coffee, eat your morning meal, or open your laptop.

3. Breathe

I’ve learned various breathing techniques over the years, some which specially energize you like the Hawaiian “ha” breath. I do a simple breathing technique in the morning to feed my brain with more oxygen and my body with more energy. 

Perhaps you know one for yoga or another modality that would serve a similar purpose.

4. Goals check-in

A quick glance at my monthly and weekly goals gives me a sense of where I’m at with my overall plan. Referring to my goals daily helps me to keep them in mind. Otherwise, I might reach the end of the month only to discover I’ve completely forgotten one of them.

According to Forbes magazine, 

“People who very vividly describe or picture their goals are anywhere from 1.2 to 1.4 times more likely to successfully accomplish their goals.”

5. Set priorities for the day

I set three priorities at the start of my work day or the night before. 

I keep a weekly task list as well. If something comes to mind, I jot it down on the weekly list or on a specific day in my planner so I’m not distracted by it while focusing on that day’s priorities.

6. Keep my priority list close

I keep my priority list beside me while working. It’s easy to forget one’s priorities and get pulled away by distractions. My solution to distraction is to keep my priorities in visual range.

7. Start with creative work

This may differ from person to person. You might be a night owl who prefers to do your creative work at night. I like mornings. 

The main point is to give your creative work priority over all that’s secondary or not important at all.

“The single most important change you can make in your working habits is to switch to creative work first, reactive work second. This means blocking off a large chunk of time every day for creative work on your own priorities, with the phone and e-mail off.” — Mark McGuinness

8. Stay in the present 

If my mind wanders, I bring it back to the here and now. This helps me keep my mind clear, relaxed, and free from distractions. If my mind is lost in the past or wandering in the future, it detracts from my productivity. 

9. Say “no” as necessary

I consciously practice saying “no” to requests and commitments that would take me away from accomplishing my priorities on any given day. That could be a lunch date, a Zoom chat, or anything else that wants to steal my creative time.

10. Pause 

If I begin to feel overwhelmed or stressed, I take a break or use a simple stress reduction technique to balance my nervous system. I have developed my own toolbox of simple stress reduction techniques I can use in any moment.

I don’t push myself to keep going. I know doing so reduces my effectiveness.

11. Spend time in nature 

Nature nourishes me.

For me, this can be as simple as looking out the window or stepping out the front door to take a breath. Even if you live in a city, you can look at the sky or observe a bird sitting in a tree. Or take a longer walk in nature.

12. Respect time off

There’s always the temptation to do more. But I know from my own experience that leads me to burn out. I’ve been there once before as a non-profit director. I don’t want to revisit that place.

I make it a habit to take evenings and the better part of the weekend off. I have set work times and I do my best to stay within those parameters.

13. Daily review

At the end of the day, I review my progress. I tick off my to-do’s and move incomplete priorities or tasks to the next day. I celebrate my accomplishments even if they were small ones. 

This gives me juice to keep going the next day.

14. Self-Kindness

I don’t always achieve my goals or have a perfectly serene day. Life sometimes gets in the way or I’m just too tired from a restless night. I make it a practice to always be gentle with myself, whether I complete my priorities for the day or not. 

15. Weekly and monthly review

I review my progress towards my goals once a month. This keeps me honest and realistic.

16. Good posture

I practice good posture at the keyboard. I have chronic pain problems and need to do this. But good posture can benefit almost everyone. 

It’s well known that poor posture at the key board can cause significant pain problems in the neck, shoulders, wrists, and hands. Slouching forward can also decrease oxygen intake, an essential ingredient for an alert brain.

Sixteen may seem like a lot. I didn’t have that many to start. Like all habits, it’s best to add one at a time. I gradually put these habits in place over a year or more. Now they’re second nature to me and have protected me from burnout.

To get a whole different flavor of effective work habits, read acclaimed author Haruki Murakami’s routine, which he first shared with the Paris Review in 2004:

“When I’m in writing mode for a novel, I get up at four a.m. and work for five to six hours. In the afternoon, I run for ten kilometers or swim for fifteen hundred meters (or do both), then I read a bit and listen to some music. I go to bed at nine p.m. I keep to this routine every day without variation. The repetition itself becomes the important thing; it’s a form of mesmerism. I mesmerize myself to reach a deeper state of mind. But to hold to such repetition for so long — six months to a year — requires a good amount of mental and physical strength. In that sense, writing a long novel is like survival training. Physical strength is as necessary as artistic sensitivity.”

His routine—you could say his own Zen habits —helps him reach a deeper state of mind and accounts for his productivity. He’s written at least 21 books that have been translated into English and more when Japanese-only books are taken into account.

Closing Thoughts

Your success or failure in work and life depends upon your daily habits. It’s that simple!

If you allow bad habits to rule your work and life, it will be difficult and maybe even impossible to manifest your dreams. 

And, if you’re not careful, you could burnout and be forced to leave all your dreams behind.

Take some time right now to map out your own Zen work habits—ones that will keep you calm and productive too.

Thank you for your presence, I know your time is precious!  Don’t forget to  sign up for Wild Arisings, my twice monthly letters from the heart filled with insights, inspiration, and ideas to help you connect with and live from your truest self. 

You might also like to check out my  Living with Ease course or visit my Self-Care Shop. May you be happy, well, and safe – always.  With love, Sandra