How to Get Back Into the Writing Zone After the Holidays

The holidays are over. The decorations are coming down, the last cookie crumbs have been swept away, and the house feels strangely quiet. You sit at your desk, open your manuscript... and nothing happens.

The words that flowed so easily in November feel stuck. Your characters are silent. The story that excited you seems distant, like it belongs to someone else.

If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone—and you’re definitely not broken.

The post-holiday slump is real. Your brain has been in celebration mode: family, food, travel, late nights, endless to-do lists. Creativity took a backseat to survival. Now you’re asking it to sprint again after weeks of lounging.

The good news? Getting back into the writing zone isn’t about forcing yourself or waiting for mysterious inspiration. It’s about gentle, intentional steps that rebuild momentum.

Here’s how to ease back in—without guilt, without pressure, and with strategies that actually work.

Give Yourself Permission to Be Rusty

First, stop beating yourself up.

Your creative muscle got a break. That’s okay. Muscles atrophy when they rest, but they rebuild faster than they built the first time.

Think of it like exercise: you don’t go from couch to marathon. You start with a walk.

Tell yourself: “It’s normal to feel off. I’m allowed to write badly for a while. The only goal is to show up.”

This mindset shift alone removes half the resistance.

Start With Zero-Stakes Writing

Don’t open your manuscript on day one.

Instead, spend 10-15 minutes freewriting anything: what you ate for Christmas dinner, how you felt watching your kid open gifts, a rant about holiday traffic.

No plot, no pressure, no judgment. Just words on the page.

This warms up your writing brain like stretching before a run. It reminds you that putting words down is safe and familiar.

Many authors swear by morning pages (Julia Cameron’s Artist’s Way technique)—three pages of stream-of-consciousness writing. It clears mental clutter and makes “real” writing feel easier.

Reconnect With Your Story’s Joy

Remember why you loved this project in the first place.

Read your favorite scene. Flip through your Pinterest board or playlist. Revisit notes from when the idea first sparked.

Ask: “What excited me most about this story?” Write it down.

One author I know prints her outline and highlights the parts that still make her grin. Another listens to her story playlist on a walk. These small rituals reignite the emotional connection that holidays can dull.

Lower the Bar—Dramatically

Your pre-holiday word count was 1,000 words a day? Aim for 100 now.

Wrote for two hours? Aim for 20 minutes.

The goal isn’t productivity—it’s consistency. Tiny sessions rebuild the habit without overwhelming you.

Use a timer. When it dings, you’re done. No guilt if it’s messy. You showed up. That’s the win.

Create a “Return Ritual”

Rituals signal your brain: “It’s writing time.”

Light a specific candle. Play the same playlist. Make the same tea. Sit in the same spot.

One author wears a “writing sweater” only when drafting. Another opens her document with a specific emoji in the margin each day.

These cues make returning to the zone feel automatic, not forced.

Read Something Inspiring

Fill the well.

Read a book that makes you think, “This is why I write.” For me, it’s often Terry Pratchett or Becky Chambers—authors who blend humor, heart, and wonder effortlessly.

Reading great work reminds you what’s possible and quietly motivates you to create your own.

Move Your Body

Writing is cerebral, but motivation is physical.

A walk, yoga, dance party—anything that gets blood flowing helps shake off lethargy.

Exercise releases endorphins and reduces cortisol (stress hormone that kills creativity). Even 10 minutes works.

One author does a “plot walk”—no phone, just thinking about her story while moving. Ideas flow better outdoors.

Be Kind to Your Future Self

Set up tiny wins for tomorrow-you.

End today’s session mid-sentence (Hemingway trick). Leave a note: “Next: Evelyn enters the burrow...”

Future-you opens the file already knowing what to write. Resistance drops.

Forgive the Slow Start

It might take a week—or two—to feel “normal” again.

That’s okay. Progress compounds.

The authors who “make it” aren’t the ones who never slump. They’re the ones who return anyway.

You took a break. You rested. You lived life.

Now you’re coming back stronger, with new experiences to weave into your stories.

The zone isn’t gone—it’s waiting.

Open the file. Write one sentence. Then another.

You’ve got this.

Welcome back to your story.