🎧 43. Why Writers Need Rest with Ximena Vengoechea
“What happens when we take breaks is it’s not that we’re abandoning our project, which is what it can sometimes feel like. It is that we’re making space to allow something else to happen.”
Notes on Episode 43: In her new book, Rest Easy,
describes rest as “a state of being in which nothing is required of us. It’s a time where we can just be.” Rest can feel illusive for writers who are typing away in addition to holding down a day job and parenting, but as it turns out, rest is an essential tool for any creative practice. In our modern world, accessing restorative rest requires awareness and intention alongside a healthy spirit of experimentation, which is exactly what we’re talking about in this practical and empowering episode.Meet Ximena: Ximena Vengoechea is a user researcher, writer, and illustrator whose work on personal and professional development has been published in Inc., The Washington Post, Newsweek, Forbes, and Huffington Post. She is the author of the new book, Rest Easy: Discover Calm and Abundance through the Radical Power of Rest. Her previous book is Listen Like You Mean it: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection (Penguin Random House). Ximena is a contributor at Fast Company and The Muse, and writes
, a newsletter about staying curious, getting creative, and living well. She is also the creator of the popular project The Life Audit. Ximena is a keynote speaker on topics such as empathetic and inclusive listening, navigating difficult conversations, and preventing burnout. She previously worked at Pinterest, LinkedIn, and Twitter, and currently advises select startups and executives on user research, executive communication, and resting well.Substack:
Books:
A few highlights:
The 3 types of rest (it’s not just napping)
Undoing the relationship between productivity and self-worth
The unseen work of writing and how it informs our rest practice
The false promise of multitasking
What happens to our brain when we take breaks
How reading outside your genre can be restful
6 rest tips inspired by the writer’s life
Conversation starters:
“The thing with writing is there’s a lot of invisible work. So when eventually you do have the finished piece or words on a page, there's your output you can point to. But so much of the process is unseen and it can be easy to forget that it’s part of the work, and easy to devalue in some way.”
“We think of multitasking as doing more than one thing at once, but what we’re really doing is switching between tasks. Being good at multitasking means you’re moving back and forth. It feels good. It feels like we’re being efficient, but it’s actually wearing ourselves out and not being as productive as you could be.”
Let’s chat!
After listening to the episode I’d love to hear what kind of role rest plays in your creative life (or not).
Do you struggle to uncouple productivity from self-worth?
Are you rest-curious but don’t know how to start?
Do you have a sustainable rest practice that you love?
Add your reflections in the comments!
✍️ Nicole Gulotta is the author of WILD WORDS and the literary cookbook EAT THIS POEM. She helps sensitive writers embrace the season they're in, create at their own pace, and care for their minds and bodies along the way.
💛 Know a friend who could use some creative encouragement? I’d really appreciate you sharing this post.
I love how when something becomes a theme in others lives it also becomes a theme in mine. Thank you for sharing this resource! -from someone who is untangling productivity and my worth