Writing from a Well Mind, Body, and Spirit: Why Rest Is Your Secret Weapon
I once had a coaching client who couldn't understand why her writing had stalled.
She had the time—she'd carved out two hours every morning. She had the idea—a powerful message about healing from trauma. She had the skill—her early chapters were beautiful. But somewhere around chapter five, the words stopped coming. She'd sit at her desk, stare at the screen, and feel... nothing. No inspiration. No energy. Just exhaustion.
"I don't know what's wrong with me," she said. "I should be able to do this."
I asked her about her life outside of writing. Full-time job. Three kids. Aging parent she was caring for. Church commitments. A marriage that needed attention. She was running on five hours or less of sleep, eating whatever was fastest, and hadn't taken a real break in months.
"When's the last time you rested?" I asked.
She laughed. "Rest? I'll rest when the book is done."
That's when I told her: The book will never be done if you don't rest first.
Your Body Is Not Separate from Your Writing
We like to think of writing as purely intellectual and spiritual work. It happens in the mind and the soul, right? The body is just the vehicle that sits in the chair and types.
But that's not how human beings work.
You are an integrated whole being—mind, body, and spirit. When one part suffers, all parts suffer. When your body is depleted, your mind can't focus. When your spirit is dry, your words lack life. When your emotions are unprocessed, they bleed onto the page in ways you didn't intend.
If you want to write well—truly well—you must care for the whole person God created you to be.
Rest as an Underutilized Spiritual Weapon
Let me say something that might sound counterintuitive: Rest is not the absence of productivity. Rest is the foundation of it.
Sometimes as believers, we think punishing ourselves when we haven't met a goal gets us extra points somewhere. We push through when we're depleted. We skip meals, miss sleep, ignore the signals our bodies are sending.
But Jesus RESTED. He withdrew to solitary places. He slept in boats during storms. He told His disciples, "Come away by yourselves to a desolate place and rest a while" (Mark 6:31).
He set aside rest for us. Not as a luxury, but as a necessity.
Here's what I've learned coaching hundreds of writers: When we don't rest, we become more susceptible to:
Depression and anxiety (which make it nearly impossible to focus or generate ideas)
Temptation (we make poor decisions when we're exhausted)
Negative thoughts and fear (exhaustion amplifies every doubt)
Procrastination (when you're depleted, even small tasks feel insurmountable)
Difficulty hearing God (spiritual discernment requires a rested spirit)
Rest is not weakness. Rest is warfare.
When you rest, you're saying: "I trust that God is in control. I trust that my worth is not tied to my productivity. I trust that taking care of this body, mind, and spirit will actually serve my writing better than grinding myself into the ground."
What Happens When You're Depleted
Let me tell you what I've observed in my own writing and in the writers I coach.
When you're running on empty:
Your words lack life. They're technically correct but spiritually flat.
You can't access your deeper voice. You write from the surface because you don't have energy to go deep.
You lose perspective. Small problems feel huge. Rejection devastates you.
You stop being able to discern. You can't tell which ideas are good and which should be cut.
Your relationships suffer. You're irritable, unavailable, resentful.
And here's the cruel irony: You convince yourself you're too busy to rest, but busyness without rest makes you less effective, not more.
How to Care for Your Whole Self
So what does it look like to write from a well mind, body, and spirit?
1. Prioritize Sleep
I know, I know. You've heard this before. But I mean it: Sleep is not optional.
Your brain processes information and consolidates memories during sleep. Your creativity needs rest to integrate what you've been learning and experiencing. If you're chronically sleep-deprived, you're writing with one hand tied behind your back.
Aim for seven to eight hours. Protect your sleep like you protect your writing time.
(And if you have difficulty setting boundaries around your writing time, you may have some deeper things to unpack—people-pleasing vs. God pleasing, saying no guilt-free, ordering your day around what’s most important, asking for help, discerning your season... You should check out Essentialism by Greg McKeown. It’s helping me apply deeper discernment and more intentional order to life. Also, meditate on Psalm 90:12.)
2. Eat to Fuel Your Brain
What you eat directly affects your cognitive function. Your brain is an organ. It needs nutrients.
Writers should pay attention to foods that enhance cognition and brain function:
Omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, walnuts, flaxseeds)
Antioxidants (berries, dark chocolate, green tea)
Whole grains (stable blood sugar = stable focus)
Leafy greens (folate supports cognitive function)
Hydration (even mild dehydration impairs concentration)
During intense creative or productive seasons, I’ve done a Daniel fast and recommend it to the writers I coach. Consider it, seriously. Cut out rich, heavy foods and focus on simple, nourishing meals. This is not about punishment. It's about giving your body what it needs to support the mental and spiritual work you're doing.
3. Move Your Body
Sitting at a desk for hours is terrible for your body—and it's not great for your writing either.
Movement increases blood flow to the brain. It reduces anxiety. It often unlocks creative solutions that eluded you while you were staring at the screen.
You don't need to run marathons. Walk. Stretch. Do yoga. Dance in your living room. Just move.
4. Build a Positive Emotional Well
Keep a log of good things that happen in your writing journey:
Compliments from readers
Opportunities that come your way
Moments of breakthrough
Days when the words flow
On hard days—and there will be hard days—pull out this log. Remind yourself: This work matters. I'm making progress. God is with me in this.
5. Tend Your Spirit
Your spiritual life is not separate from your writing life.
Pray. Worship. Read Scripture. Sit in silence and listen. Let God remind you why you're doing this and who you're doing it for.
When your spirit is well-fed, your writing flows from abundance instead of striving.
Permission to Stop
Here's what I told my client: "You don't need to push harder. You need to rest first."
She didn't believe me at first. But she was desperate, so she tried it. She took a week off. No writing, no thinking about writing. She slept. She spent time with her family. She went to the beach and just breathed.
When she came back to her manuscript, something had shifted. The words came. The energy returned. She finished the book.
Rest didn't delay her book. Rest saved her book.
The Invitation
What goes in is what comes out.
If you're pouring into your work from a depleted place, your work will feel depleted. But if you write from a well of rest, nourishment, movement, emotional health, and spiritual vitality, your words will carry that life to your readers.
God didn't call you to burn yourself out for His Kingdom. He called you to steward the gift He gave you—and that gift includes your body, your mind, your emotions, your spirit.
All of it matters. All of it is part of your writing life.
So here's my challenge for you this week: Choose one way to rest.
Take a nap. Go to bed early. Eat a nourishing meal without your phone. Take a walk without listening to a podcast. Sit in silence for ten minutes.
See what it does for your writing.
How do you care for your whole self as a writer? I'd love to hear what works for you. Leave a comment below.
Need more? Creating sustainable writing rhythms is exactly what we do in Write Your Book. If you're tired of burning out, join us January 27. Grab your spot before doors close January 26 → jevonbolden.com/write-your-book.