Competing in National Novel Writing Month is no joke. Even if you’re a fairly fast writer, writing an average of 1,667 words per day requires significant time and effort. Especially if you’re also working, caregiving, or finishing a school semester, it can feel almost impossible to carve out enough time and energy to hit your daily word count. If you want to prevent NaNoWriMo burnout, it’s imperative to examine your life and decide what areas can be simplified. Here are some ideas to get you started:
Labor-intensive meals: During NaNoWriMo, go for simple meals that can be prepared in twenty minutes or less. Alternatively, you can prepare several batches of a meal at once and eat leftovers a few times during the week. Focus on fresh fruits, veggies, carbohydrates, and protein that require little to no preparation. If possible, consider allocating a bit more money to your takeout budget for the month. You can even use paper plates and cups to reduce clean-up time.
Exercise routines: While it’s certainly important to prioritize movement to keep your energy and mood up and counteract the long periods of sitting which NaNo requires, it might not be the best idea to be involved in extensive amounts of training during this time. If exercise is an important part of your daily life (as it should be), consider fitting it in around your writing goals and other responsibilities. Rather than exercising for a full thirty minutes or an hour per session, consider fitting in several five-minute bursts of activity when you need to take a short break from your work in progress. You can also add movement into other activities during the day—perform squats while you brush your teeth or do a few jumping jacks while waiting for a meal to heat up.
Cleaning: Now is the time to stop worrying about the floors that need vacuuming and the laundry that needs folding. Give yourself permission to drastically simplify your cleaning routines and just focus on the very basics. If possible, temporarily delegate some of your responsibilities to your partner, older children, or roommates.
Kids’ screen time rules: If you’re a parent, you know how hard it is to get anything done with young kids in the house. If your climate gets chilly or snowy in November, constantly coming up with indoor activities can especially drain your time and energy. Take it from a person who earned her degree largely thanks to the power of Disney+ and PBS Kids: the kids will be okay if the amount of screen time they consume is a bit (or maybe even a lot) higher for one month. They will still be imaginative, energetic, playful, smart—all the things that kids should be.
Your own screen time and other entertainment: On the other hand, NaNo probably isn’t the best time for you to be bingeing The Office for the third time, flying through the latest Sarah J Maas, or doom-scrolling. You might be surprised at how much more time you suddenly find in your day by staying off social media and keeping the television off.
Lower-priority family and friend commitments: Before NaNo starts, let your family and friends know that you will have less time than usual for social activities. While you should still definitely prioritize important events like birthdays, weddings, and Thanksgiving, you should probably put lower-level commitments on hold this month. Skip this month’s book club, ask for a rain check on lunch with your mom, and bow out of after-hours work commitments whenever possible.
While NaNo is an important time to simplify and de-prioritize all unnecessary tasks, don’t sacrifice the things that will keep your energy and spirits up. Connect regularly with your NaNo writing community for support. Get enough sleep. Don’t forget to eat. Schedule downtime and use it for activities that will help you decompress and recharge. By simplifying your priorities to the absolute essentials, you will hopefully avoid NaNoWriMo burnout and get those 50,000 words on the page by November 30.
Happy writing!
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