Bent, Crooked, and Timeless

When I'm writing - If it helps my creativity flow, I’ll stay in a bad physical position intentionally. I’ll take the hit, take the pain, if that’s what it takes to keep the momentum. There are days when this list is not only ignored but deliberately avoided.

Before you read some of my go-to tricks for increaing stamina when I’m writing, I want to stress one important thing: everything below is just what I do when I remember it. And even then, sometimes when I do remember it, I still choose not to follow it. On purpose.

• Frame into timelessness This is the most important one for me. Before starting, I take a moment to let go of the clock. The goal is to remove the mental pressure of minutes and hours, so the only thing in front of me is the work. That shift changes the whole tone of the session.
• But how do I take that moment? - I don't do anything actually, I just wait a bit, and try to find it, most of the time, I don't find it. But looking for this 'timeless' thing does something.
• If it helps my creativity flow, I’ll stay in a bad physical position. I’ll take the hit, take the pain, if that’s what it takes to keep the momentum. There are days when this list below is not only ignored but deliberately avoided.

That said, here are a few of my go-tos that nobody asked for, haha - for staying in the chair for two or three hours without falling apart.

• Micro-movements Every few minutes, I make small adjustments that don’t break my concentration: rolling a shoulder once forward and back, shifting my hips to keep my lower back loose, tilting my head slightly to loosen my neck, or gently lifting my heels to wake up my calves. They’re subtle enough to do while reading or typing.
• How would it look like if it was fun? I ask myself this mid-session. Sometimes it means adjusting the light, changing the chair angle, switching to a pen that feels better, or removing something awkward from the space. It’s just a gentle way to keep the environment and process lighter.

These run quietly in the background when I work. I don’t track them, I don’t set alarms, and I don’t expect myself to follow them perfectly. Some days I use them all, some days none. The point isn’t to stick to rules—it’s to have a few ways of keeping both body and mind in a place where they can last the whole session.