How To Get Into the Writing Flow With 6 Simple Habit Cues

Train your brain to expect flow with a ritual that works

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“In order to get that feeling of flow, a writer needs to get in the zone and stay in the zone.” — Tracy Chevalier, in

The ‘zone’ means that you write with 100% concentration. You are on peak performance. Hours might go by and you haven’t even noticed. You’re fully immersed in your topic and work with maximum focus. Writing becomes effortless. How often do you feel like that?

If you’re like me, daily writing often feels like the opposite.

You get up in the morning, read your emails, check social media — and it’s almost lunch before you notice that you’ve wasted your time. If you’ve ever felt like that, try need to establish writing cues to tell your brain that it’s flow time.

Why writing cues work

Psychologist Wendy Wood at the University of Southern California that cues, or triggers, are the best way to support habits because they provide a habit-promoting context. “If you set up your world to be constant, recurring, and unwavering, then cues can be the jet fuel to make your new habits take off with…