8 Teeny-Tiny Things I Do To Make Writing Less Insufferable

Tips and trinkets to help you get through the writing muck.

Fine. I’ll admit it. The eye-raising title is clickbait—I wouldn’t call the writing I do as a ghostwriter and writing coach “insufferable.” I quite enjoy it! But before you grumpily delete my email, hear me out.🧎‍♀️

See, I’ve never had a 9-5 (I’m 28). I’ve never had a manager breathing down my nape or co-workers counting on me. That means I’ve been solely responsible for getting shit done.

I brainstorm from my bedroom. I write from my bedroom. I doomscroll post on LinkedIn from my bedroom.

But that’s the problem. Writing from the room you doze, dream, and drool isn’t exactly #grindsetmindset. (I can hear the siren call of my Serena & Lily sheets as I type.)

Anyways. What I’m trying to tell you is that I’ve had to be really disciplined these past 4.5 years (I started freelancing in October 2020) to get anything published. While I don’t have the Magic Productivity Formula,™ I do have a few trinkets and habits to recommend to get you in the flow zone.

1. Deep Work Mode on Slack

I am a Grade A Worrier. I am also a recovering people-pleaser. Pair these and you get a person who is incapable of letting a Slack message go unanswered for longer than 5.7 seconds.

Constantly checking Slack made it impossible for me to get into a flow state (it takes nearly 30 minutes to refocus after being distracted). But it wasn’t until I read Stolen Focus by Johann Hari that I realized the cost of distraction goes way beyond just our time.

Basically, when you’re bouncing between Slack, social media, and to-dos your brain goes in “damage control mode.” It spends a shitton of time recalibrating, backpedaling, and correcting errors instead of doing deep and critical thinking.

What a waste of our brain power and potential! Hence Deep Work Mode on Slack:

This status setter helps me actually close the cursed app and prevent anxiety-spirals from not answering my clients. I usually set it for 2-3 hours which is enough to get in the writing zone.

2. Silly Putty

Since I was 6, I’ve ripped apart my nails. It’s how I deal with anxiety (TMI.) But picking my cuticles on calls isn’t exactly cute. Cue: Silly Putty.

I stretch this thing during my client calls to prevent any nail biting and hair twirling (another unconscious tick that can make you seem nervous or distracted). It’s also great as a stress reliever when an article is driving me up the wall.

Which literally all of them do.

Lol.

Anyway! If you’re a fidgeter, you’re going to ♥️ this blob.

My go-to brand (Crazy Aarons, if you’re looking for a sponsor–hit me up)

3. Background Sand Color on Google Docs

I haven’t written on a white background on Google Docs since 2023. I switched the background color from blinding white to a pleasant soft yellow (#FFFCF2). Shout-out to Nate Kadlac for this tip (would highly recommend you read his article ‘How to Turn Google Docs into a Zen Experience’).

It’s actually insane how unnecessarily intense the black-and-white combo is. It’s also literally the color scheme of luxury brands priming you to spend thousands of dollars on Chinese electronics and Italian leather. (*cough* Apple *cough* Prada)

4. Creamy Keyboard and Mouse

Being an adult is awesome because it means you can spend your money on shit like a Logitech G175 Keyboard and G705 Mouse. It’s a little expensive at $219 but I rationalized it by slotting it as a tax write off. (Girl! Math!).

Featuring my XEBEC Portable Monitor–love her. It’s especially handy for working remotely/travels

This keyboard is the creamiest of all keyboards. The clacking sound is freaking divine (and if I have a fresh cherry-red manicure my typing game is unstoppable). It comes with this cloud wrist rest which couldn’t be any cuter and it has LED lights. My color combo right now is cotton-candy pink and raspberry blue. 🍬

5. Airpod Maxes

I got Airpod Maxes in Sky Blue for my 26 birthday and life was never the same. I wear these things all the time when writing. It actually kind of backfired because I now struggle to write if I don’t have these noise-canceling clunkers on me.

That said, these things are testy. My Airpod Maxes suddenly just died a few Fridays ago after 3 faithful years. I rushed to the Apple Store desperate to resuscitate them. This is pretty much what went down:

Me: “What could’ve caused them to die?”

Apple Employee: “It could be a lot of reasons. I don’t know.”

Me: “Okay. What are my options?”

Apple Employee: “Because you don’t have Apple insurance, you can either pay $300 to get them fixed or buy new ones.”

Me: “Really? There’s nothing else you can do?”

Apple Employee: *shrugs* “No.” :/

I need you to imagine the grown-up baby in Broad City because that’s exaclty the vibe I was getting from this store associate.

Why am I telling you this anecdote? Because despite this tomfoolery I was still willing to cough up the money. That’s how much I love these stupid headphones.

Luckily, because my sister is an angel, she gave me hers. What did I do to deserve her?

6. Palo Santo

I got this Palo Santo while in Mexico City. I don’t know what kind of sorcery goes into this scent but it is an instant anxiety reliever.

It’s a big part of my “Pre-Writing Ritual:” I’ll smudge my entire room with it and swirl it around my body while taking three deep breaths. I’ll visualize “letting go” of the negative shit that comes with the writing process—doubt, imposter syndrome, blah blah blah.

Afterwards my room smells like the scented chambers of a reiki practitioner but I’m not mad about it.

7. Photo Booth

Not as much of a writing tip but still great for work: Whenever I have a discovery call with a potential client, I record myself practicing on Photo Booth. It’s super helpful to hear the parts of the script where I stumble—it tells me exactly where I need to practice more.

Feat my sister’s dog, the iconic SOJU

“Can you just watch yourself speak in the mirror instead of recording?” No. The video has to be recording. The stakes just feel higher and it’s important you re-watch (no matter how cringe) to see how you come off.

“How many times should you practice?” That depends. I usually refer to this quote from Kobe to gauge how many recordings I have left:

8. New Brew

Let me tell you: These beverages have single-handedly destroyed the 3 PM slump. I don’t know what the hell they’re putting in these things—the label says it’s alcohol, THC, and CBD free (but you have to be 21+ to purchase?) yet the energy it delivers is unmatched. I am locked in after having just half a can.

Ft. the ripped-off nails I was telling you about <3

However.

I did some research (because nothing that good comes without a price) and found out that the long-term consumption of one of New Brew’s core ingredients–kava root—is linked to weight loss, liver damage, and…apathy?

And that’s why these beverages are a once-a-week treat.

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That’s it (for now). I hope this list helped! I wanted to write something cute and unserious after spending 57 days on my last article, 3 Ways to Increase Your Creator Gravity (For Creators With 5,000 Followers).

Have any trinkets or tips you use to get in the zone? I’d love to hear ‘em.

Stay Creative,

Alice 💌