From the Productive Indie Fiction Writer:
You’ve heard this before: Take breaks. Rest is important. Self-care, yadda yadda.
If you’re like me, you’ve probably scanned past that advice about 300 times, nodding vaguely while scheduling another four-hour work block and eating over your keyboard. Because you already know rest matters. You just don’t have time for it.
But here’s the thing. This past weekend, I had it hammered into me (again) that downtime isn’t optional. It’s critical. And not just in a “mental health matters” way. I’m talking energy, motivation, and better work. The kind of payoff that makes it worth squeezing downtime into your overloaded schedule.
Let me explain.
“No work. Just play.” (Cue panic.)
Last week was a dumpster fire of stress. Too much work, not enough patience, and temper levels high enough to grill cheese on. So Mark, in his infinite, calmly exasperated wisdom, said: “Clear off everything this weekend. Make things. No work. Just play.”
Now, I’m a reasonably creative person, but I realized something awkward: I had no idea how to start playing.
It had been so long since I made anything just for fun that I couldn’t even remember where I kept the tools. I wandered around the house like someone had asked me to perform a musical on command. But I tried.
I ended up hot-gluing my fingers (a true sign of craft-in-progress), made a surprisingly passable picture frame for a document I need for the market next week, and pulled out a coat I’ve been “working on” — which, until then, meant letting it gather dust through multiple winters.
It was messy, awkward, and deeply imperfect.
And by Monday? I was relaxed. I wanted to work again. Not just “I guess I have to.” But a real, energized, ready-to-go feeling.
This Isn’t a One-Off. There’s Science Here.
Turns out, this isn’t just a personal quirk or anecdotal wisdom. There’s actual data to back this up.
Micro-breaks (yes, even tiny ones) reset your brain
Studies show that micro-breaks, as short as 5–10 minutes, can improve your mood, reduce fatigue, and increase alertness. Some research even found benefits from breaks under a minute, like walking to a window or standing up to stretch.
What you do matters
Breaks are more restorative when you actually disconnect. That means no doomscrolling or email. A walk, a short hobby, a bit of creative noodling, or staring at a tree. That’s where the magic happens.
Downtime builds resilience and sparks ideas
Regular leisure activities (hobbies, creative play, even low-key crafting) are linked to better long-term mental health, more emotional resilience, and—big one here—increased creativity. Your brain needs downtime to make unexpected connections and have those “aha” moments that make fiction sparkle.
You Don’t Need a Weekend
I know what you’re thinking: “Must be nice to have time for a hobby weekend.”
Fair. But that’s not what I’m suggesting.
What I learned (again) is that you don’t need hours. You don’t even need a full afternoon. What you need is intention, and five to ten minutes you don’t try to multitask away.
Just a little space to not be working. And not be consuming, either. To make, muck about, or mentally wander.
Even a small amount of downtime changes the game. And if you build that in regularly? You might actually start feeling energized instead of just…less tired.
The Payoff? You Want to Work Harder
This is the kicker that productivity gurus often miss.
When you build downtime into your life, even if it’s awkward or brief, you don’t just recover. You want to work again. You have energy to focus. You’re excited to build things.
Downtime doesn’t make you lazy. It makes you sustainable.
Don’t Just Noddingly Agree. Try It.
Look, I know this sounds like yet another “prioritize rest” post. But I’m not here to be soothing. I’m here to poke you gently in the productivity gland and say:
Stop scrolling. Take five minutes today. No screens. No multitasking. Just pause. Make something. Do nothing. Doodle. Stare out the window.
It’s not fluff. It’s not a luxury.
Downtime is a creative tool. It’s a business asset.
It’s fuel.
And if you don’t build it in? The work, the important work, starts to crack around the edges.
Want to share how you “do nothing” when you actually let yourself? Drop it in the comments. Awkward restarts welcome.
Tracy Cooper-Posey
SRP Author and owner of The Productive Indie Fiction Writer
