After the Burnout: How I Breathe Life Back Into My Creativity

My post-book recovery secrets

Mar 26, 2025

I have started writing this particular post about eleven times. Starting. Stopping. Backspacing. Thinking. Starting again. The weeks that follow a frenzied and complex book release are always a delicate time for me. Not only am I always reeling from the vulnerability hangover of "putting yourself and your creation out into the world, heart bare for the world to see and critique" but I am also exhausted in every sense of the word.

If you've ever devoted yourself wholly to a thing — be it birthing a child, writing a book, painting a scene, putting on an event, or any number of creating-something-from-nothing activities… you know. It’s good… it’s a happy and proud sort of exhaustion, but it’s bone deep after you gave “it” all you had.

This has been my reality recently after the release of The Simplified Cookbook. My creativity feels dry and uninspired, like a well that's been drawn from too many times without being replenished.

And yet, I've been here before. I know the truth: sometimes, the best way to move forward is to step away. When life feels overwhelming and creativity feels stuck, unplugging—even just for a little while—can work wonders. Whether it's a walk outside without your phone, an afternoon offline, or a weekend away from the noise, giving your brain space to breathe helps ideas resurface and clarity return. Creativity doesn't thrive in constant busyness; it needs room, quiet, and rest. Stepping back might feel unproductive to people like me, but it's often the reset button that brings our best ideas back to life.

I've been thinking a lot about this lately. Specifically, about how the constant ping of notifications, the endless scroll of social media, and the nonstop content consumption might be silently suffocating our creative potential, especially during these vulnerable post-creation periods.

Does this sound familiar? You sit down to write, create, or simply think, and before you know it, you've checked your phone fifteen times in as many minutes. That brilliant idea you were nurturing? Gone, replaced by the dopamine hit of another reel, another comment, another distraction.

I've been there too. And I've realized something important: our best ideas don't come when we’re plugged in—they emerge when we dare to disconnect.

The Science of Digital Overwhelm

It's not just in our heads. A 2022 study from King's College London found that constant digital connectivity significantly impairs our ability to sustain attention—the very thing needed for deep creative work. And according to research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology, even the mere presence of our smartphones reduces our cognitive capacity.

The numbers are striking:

The average American checks their phone 96 times per day—that's once every 10 minutes
We touch our phones an average of 2,617 times daily (I'm exhausted just typing that)
73% of people experience anxiety when separated from their devices

But here's the hopeful part: when we deliberately unplug, something magical happens.

Women Who Found Magic in the Offline World

J.K. Rowling famously wrote the first Harry Potter book in cafés without a laptop, just a pen and paper. In interviews, she's described how the absence of digital distractions allowed her imagination to roam freely, creating a world that has captivated millions.

"The idea that you can't concentrate or be creative unless everything is quiet and perfect is something I've always found to be a myth," Rowling once told a European newspaper. "I think the more chaotic your mind, the more creative you are. But that chaos needs space to breathe—not the constant intrusion of notifications."

Similarly, Maya Angelou maintained a strict analog writing routine throughout her life. She would rent a hotel room, bring only legal pads, a Bible, a deck of cards, and a bottle of sherry—deliberately creating a technology-free zone where her words could flow.

Even modern creative powerhouses recognize this need. Shonda Rhimes, creator of "Grey's Anatomy" and "Bridgerton," has spoken about her "digital Sabbath" practice. "You have to turn it all off," she shared in an interview with Fast Company. "No emails, no phone calls, no internet. Just be in the world for a period of time without any of that noise."

My Own Unplugged Journey

For many years, I practiced something that might sound counterintuitive: I would go completely offline for the entire month of January. Yes, you read that right—a full month digital detox, right at the beginning of the year.

As a woman who owns a planner brand, you'd think January would be the absolute worst time to disconnect. It's when everyone is setting goals, organizing their lives, and engaging with planning content. But I discovered something crucial: that offline time was absolutely essential for my creative spark to come back to life.

It's become even more vital after book releases. After pouring everything into a project like The Simplified Cookbook, my creative reserves are depleted. The constant connectivity only magnifies that emptiness, making it harder to refill the well.

The first few days of unplugging were always uncomfortable. I'd phantom-reach for my phone. My brain, habituated to constant stimulation, would feel restless and even anxious. But then, around day five or six, something magical would shift.

I'd find myself noticing details I'd been blind to before—the particular way sunlight filtered through leaves, conversations happening at nearby tables, subtle emotions I'd been too busy to process.

And then it would happen: ideas would begin to flow. Not just any ideas, but those rich, multilayered thoughts that had been waiting patiently beneath the surface of my digitally distracted mind. The very concepts and designs that would fuel my business for the coming year would emerge during this unplugged time.

I'd return to my work in February with a clarity and creative energy that simply wouldn't have existed had I remained tethered to my devices. Those 31 days of digital silence became the foundation for 11 months of meaningful creation—and the strength to weather the vulnerability hangover that inevitably follows each book launch. Some years I’m unable to do it, but the years I have… these years have started off beautifully.

Practical Ways to Unplug for Creativity

You don't need to disappear to a cabin in the woods (though I highly recommend it if you can). Here are some tactical approaches that have worked for me and others:

1. Create Device-Free Zones

Designate specific areas in your home as technology-free sanctuaries. Maybe it's your bedroom, your kitchen table, or a reading nook. These physical boundaries help create mental ones. I’m still working on getting better at this.

2. Schedule Unplugged Hours

Block off time—even just 1-2 hours daily—where all devices are turned off and put away. Protect this time as fiercely as you would an important meeting. I haven’t reached 1-2 hours yet, but I try and shut down my laptop, email, etc at 2pm, so that I can be fully ready for mom-mode when I pick the kids up from school about an hour later.

3. Morning Mindfulness Before Media

Challenge yourself to avoid all digital inputs until you've completed your morning routine. This might include journaling, meditation, exercise, or simply enjoying your coffee in peace.

4. Analog Creation Tools

Invest in beautiful notebooks, pens that feel good in your hand, art supplies, or whatever analog tools align with your creative interests. (Ahem, I know a great brand if you need one!). Make using them a sensory pleasure. (And people wonder if paper planners will always be around… of course they will, and this is why).

5. Nature Immersion Days

Research from the University of Utah shows that spending time in nature without technology can increase creative problem-solving abilities by up to 50%. Schedule regular hiking, beach, or park days where your phone stays behind (or deeply buried in your bag for emergencies only).

6. The "Airplane Mode" Writing Sprint

When you need to create but can't fully unplug, try this: set a timer for 25-90 minutes (whatever works for your attention span), put your devices in airplane mode, and write/create continuously until the timer goes off. I do this often and it is so helpful.

The Creativity That Awaits

What I've discovered is that unplugging isn't about fasting or deprivation—it's about making room for your creativity to stretch its legs a bit. It's about creating space for your mind to wander, wonder, and weave connections that algorithmic thinking simply cannot replicate.

I’m not able to take a step away just yet — we have some big days coming up for Simplified. But I’m looking forward to quiet days at the lake this June to release my grip on the reigns and break out pencil and paper again.

Here's my challenge to you: this week, carve out at least three hours of completely unplugged time. Notice what happens in that space. What thoughts arise? What ideas visit you? What creative impulses emerge when you're not constantly responding to external stimuli?

Then come back and tell me about it. I'd love to hear what you discover in the quiet.

xo,

Emily