Getting a writing habit isn’t just helpful — it’s foundational. Without it, your academic career can stall, or even collapse. Because without consistent output, you lose momentum. And without momentum, everything slows: your ideas, your publications, your confidence. Instead of sustainable progress, you fall into boom-and-bust writing cycles: a few good weeks followed by months of avoidance. It feels like chaos. And over time, it becomes exhausting. Unsustainable. That’s where burnout sets in.
Burnout is everywhere in academia. We point the finger at workload, toxic systems, and the culture of overwork. And all of that is real. Workloads are wild. You’re not imagining that. But here’s the hard truth: burnout doesn’t just come from having too much work. It comes from working in a way that drains you.
It comes from the story you tell yourself when you can’t keep up — the story that says you’re failing, that you’re the problem. That story is what empties the tank. And that story can change.
Your academic career doesn’t need to feel like a slow-motion collapse. There’s a better narrative — and better techniques.
A strong writing habit, paired with smart drafting systems, is the most powerful intervention I’ve seen in overworked academics’ lives. It’s not about adding more hours to your week. It’s about building a repeatable, sustainable process that fits the reality of your life.
I’ve coached hundreds of academics — from postdocs to full professors and Deans of Research, with and without learning differences, neurodivergence, caregiving demands, or heavy admin or teaching loads. And the pattern is always the same: once they have the right technique, writing becomes manageable. Even energising. The old way doesn’t work anymore. Writing notes in the margins, rereading piles of articles, highlighting until your pens run dry; those PhD-era habits are no match for today’s higher ed reality. You need methods built for speed, clarity, and confidence.
And yes, it’s hard to admit that your current system isn’t working or even that there might be another way. You’re a smart person, surely, you would have figured this out by now…and if you havn’t what is wrong with you? That can feel threatening. But it’s also liberating — because it means you’re not stuck. You’re not doomed. You just need to shift your approach.
You don’t need more time. You need better tools. Better habits. Better thinking. Ideation training.
It’s simple, but not easy. And in a moment like this — with promotions frozen, funding cuts, and colleagues leaving — it’s tempting to give up entirely. You might wonder: What’s the point?
Only you can answer that. But if you want to stay in this profession — and thrive — you need to start building the future you actually want. That starts with reclaiming your writing. Rebuilding your momentum. And remembering that you are not powerless here.
It’s not about time. It’s about technique.
And it all begins with the habit.