Understanding Overwhelm, Survival Mode, and How to Find Steadiness Again
There are seasons of life where writing doesn’t feel difficult because of craft, confidence, or commitment. It feels difficult because life itself feels full. You might still care deeply about your book and think about it often, yet when you finally get a moment to write, something inside you feels tight, scattered, or shut down. And the harder you try to push through that feeling, the harder writing seems to become.
This experience is far more common than most writers realise, and it has very little to do with discipline or motivation.
When Life Feels Full, Writing Is Often the First Thing to Go
Overwhelm doesn’t always arrive dramatically. Very often, it builds quietly over time through too many responsibilities, too many decisions, too many emotional demands, and too many things being held internally. You might still be functioning and coping, and from the outside everything may look fine. But inside, your system is working constantly just to keep up.
When life reaches that point, writing — which requires presence, emotional availability, and a tolerance for uncertainty — often slips away. Not because it doesn’t matter, but because your nervous system is already carrying more than it comfortably can.
Overwhelm Is a Capacity Issue, Not a Personal Failure
One of the most painful parts of this experience is the story writers often tell themselves about it. Thoughts like I should be able to handle this, other people manage more than I do, or why can’t I just sit down and write can quietly take hold. But overwhelm is not a character flaw, a lack of willpower, or proof that you’re failing as a writer.
Overwhelm is a capacity issue. When too many things remain open — even small things — the nervous system stays alert. That constant alertness is exhausting, and creativity does not thrive in exhaustion.
Why Writing Feels Especially Hard in Overwhelming Seasons
Writing asks for something very specific from you. It asks you to slow down, to focus without immediate payoff, to stay with uncertainty, and to listen inwardly. When life feels full, the nervous system naturally prioritises safety and completion. It gently pulls you away from anything open-ended.
That’s why writing can suddenly feel heavier than it used to. That’s why resistance can appear even when you want to write. And that’s why sitting down at the page can feel uncomfortable in your body, not just in your mind. This response is protective, and it makes sense.
The Experience of Treading Water
Many writers describe this season as feeling like they’re just keeping their head above water. They’re moving constantly, breathing, surviving, but there’s no spare energy to swim anywhere new. In this state, trying to push harder or be more disciplined often backfires. Pressure increases, and the system tightens further.
The goal in moments like this is not momentum. The goal is steadiness.
From Treading Water to Floating
When you’re treading water, your body is working constantly just to stay upright. Floating is different. Floating happens when you stop fighting the water and allow it to support you. From a nervous-system perspective, floating looks like reducing internal pressure, releasing the need to fix everything immediately, and allowing yourself to stabilise before making decisions.
This shift creates the conditions where clarity can return without force.
A Gentle Way to Steady Yourself
Before routines, productivity, or trying to write again, steadiness comes first. A simple stabilisation approach involves containment, reduction, and restoration.
Containment means naming what you’re carrying instead of bracing against it. Reduction means softening one point of pressure — letting one thing wait or redefining what “enough” looks like today. Restoration means signalling safety to your nervous system through something small and grounding, such as a slow breath, a moment of stillness, or stepping outside.
Nothing in this process asks you to write, and that is intentional. When steadiness comes first, writing becomes possible again later, without forcing.
Writing Returns When the System Feels Supported
If writing has felt impossible lately, it doesn’t mean your creativity has gone anywhere. It means your system has been prioritising survival. When you offer yourself steadiness instead of self-criticism, something begins to shift. Clarity returns, resistance softens, and writing starts to feel safer again.
🎧 Listen to the Podcast Episode
If you’d like to explore this conversation more deeply, including a guided visualisation to help your nervous system settle, you can listen to the full podcast episode here:
👉 Listen on Apple Podcasts
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/write-the-darn-book-beat-writers-block/id1858775581
💗 Ready for Deeper Support?
If this article resonated and you’re ready to understand why writing feels the way it does for you — and how to work with your mind, nervous system, and natural wiring rather than against it — I’m hosting a free live masterclass for writers:
✍️ Write the Darn Book™ — Unlock Your Writing Personality
In this masterclass, you’ll discover:
• Why consistency struggles aren’t discipline problems
• How different writers respond to pressure, structure, and change
• How to work with your natural writing personality to build momentum
• Why understanding your wiring can make writing feel safer and more sustainable
You can find all the details and register here:
👉 https://maddisonmichaels.com/masterclass
There’s absolutely no pressure to join — follow what feels aligned for you.
