How Time Affects your Writing Capabilities

Have you ever wondered why you’re more motivated or productive at certain times of the day?

Why sometimes it seems you can sit there and write for days, the inspiration is flowing, you can get a lot of work accomplished and yet other days you just sit there, and nothing comes to you.

Your page is blank. Your mind is blank and you just can’t seem to get any words out. There are many reasons why this could be happening to you, but one of the many reasons that people tend to overlook is time.

We were born into a world where the traditional working hours are held between 9am and 5pm. With school and most jobs being done during these hours… but what if I told you that that, is not how your mind works, not everyone was born to be conditioned to these specific hours.

You probably knew that already and know that every person is different. But did you know it actually stems back to our ancestors and evolution.

Scientists believe that our chronotypes (preferred sleeping patterns) are genetically determined at birth - as a part of the evolutionary survival instinct. We are each born with ‘clock’ genes, that affect our circadian rhythms (sleep-wake cycle), and this is why we all function better at certain times of the day.

Think back to the early days of mankind and you will find, humans were generally categorised as hunters, protectors or gathers. Hunters traditionally were awake before daybreak; they would head out hunt food and be back by noon. The gatherers worked all day and rested by night (our traditional 9-5 workers). And the protectors were the ones who stayed up during the night to protect the rest of the clan.

You will probably have a pretty good idea of where you fall into these categories based on when your brain functions the best and if this sounds familiar it’s probably because you’ve heard it referred to - as being an early bird(lark), hummingbird or night owl.

Well, I for one am an early bird, although somedays I find are much harder to get out of bed then others. I find I am the most productive before noon. I also have a sweet spot at about 4am, ugh I know… it’s so early. But it works for me. The rest of my world is asleep, so therefore I am free from external distractions. I set an alarm to wake up, I make a coffee and head for my study. It may take me half an hour or so to fully wake up but then it’s go time. I can usually get a significant amount of work done before the sun rises, making it perfect for those days with deadlines. When the sun rises I head outside and soak in some morning rays before heading back to my study to get some more work done, or if the weather is nice, I take my work outside.

I’m fortunate to be able to work when I’m inspired to, you however may be confined to another’s hours, such as a day job. Do you find you often get the bulk of your inspiration when your busy doing other things? When you can’t just sit there and write it all out? And by the time you finally get to write it all down… it’s gone. You’ve forgotten or you’ve lost motivation. I know this use to happen to me… a lot.

In these times I find it best, if possible, to write when inspiration strikes. It may not be easy, but it works. Grab a notepad and get writing, if you don’t have time to write it all, use dot points to refer back to later. Pull out your phone and record voice memos. Whatever it is that will help you get your ideas down when they strike, do it.

If your inspiration comes to you at an off time - record it and refer back to it during your chronotype “go time”. Trust me your productivity will tenfold.

This applies to all kinds of writing and content creating, whether you are a student who’s studying, an author, a content writer, a blogger, a marketer, a business owner or maybe even an influencer.

If you want to be productive with your writing, work out what chronotype you are and embrace it. Find the best time for you and use it to your advantage, don’t wait until you’re mentally drained or exhausted. Strike while the inspiration is hot, and you will find it much easier to get your ideas out there.

Happy Writing!

Hey there! I’m Kaeleigh, a Creative Content & Copywriter who helps business owners and entrepreneurs generate leads, increase traffic and build their brands through engaging creative content.