How to Have a Super Productive Essay Writing Session (Without Getting Stuck)
If you're currently in the hell hole of assignment season, you probably can't even remember what it feels like to have a productive essay writing session
This is a very normal struggle.
I’m constantly asked:
– How do I get my ideas from my head onto the page?
– How do I get past writer’s block?
– How do I know if what I’ve written is actually any good?
– Why does essay writing feel like absolute torture?
And underneath all of that, there’s often a quieter thought:
“Is it just me? Am I the problem?”
So first things first – no, you’re not.
These are really normal struggles. You just haven’t been shown better ways to approach the process yet.
In this post (based on the podcast episode), I’m going to walk you through five simple things you can do to have a really productive essay writing session, so it feels easier to start, easier to stay focused, and easier to actually get words on the page.
Ways to listen:
Listen in the player above
Click to listen on Apple Podcasts.
Click to listen on Spotify.
How to have a super productive writing session
1. Separate your thinking zone from your studying zone
Let me describe something I’ve noticed in my own work recently.
I sit down at my desk, open my laptop…
check emails…
close tabs…
open new tabs…
find something to listen to…
check my phone…
start a task…
get distracted…
And suddenly, 30 minutes or an hour has gone by and I haven’t actually done anything.
Sound familiar?
The problem is that we’ve confused ourselves about when a study session actually starts.
It doesn’t start when you sit down.
It doesn’t start when you open your laptop.
It starts when you begin a specific, intentional task.
The fix: create two zones
Thinking zone → where you decide what you’re going to do
Studying zone → where you actually do it
What we don’t want is that weird in-between “I’m about to study but actually just faffing about” zone.
Because nothing gets done there.
What to do instead
Before you start, decide:
how long you’re going to study
what your work/break ratio is
what you’re listening to
and most importantly…what specific task you’re doing
For example:
“Draft my introduction”
“Write paragraph 3 on X argument”
“Edit paragraphs to check they answer the question”
Get clear in your thinking zone.
Then move into your studying zone and just get on with it.
You’ll:
feel less resistance to starting
waste less time
and get your work done quicker
2. Unload your cognitive load
Essay writing takes a lot of brain power.
You’re holding:
the question
your argument
theory and evidence
sentence structure
All at the same time.
That’s your working memory...and it has limits.
Why writing can feel so hard
If your brain is already full of:
distractions
notifications
background noise
discomfort
random thoughts
…you’ve got very little capacity left for writing.
Which is why:
you feel overwhelmed
you freeze
or it takes an hour to write 50 words
What to do before you start
Unload as much as possible:
clear your physical space
get comfortable (food, drink, bathroom, lighting, clothes)
reduce distractions (phone away, headphones, boundaries)
minimise tab-switching (split screen or second monitor if possible)
And importantly:
clear your brain
If thoughts are bouncing around:
write them down
record a quick voice note
get them out of your head
You’re basically giving your brain a fighting chance to focus.
3. The first thing you write will be shite
Let’s talk about the blinking cursor.
You sit there, ready to write…
and nothing happens.
Or you start a sentence, doubt it, delete it…
and repeat.
This happens for a few reasons:
your brain doesn’t want to work
you’re trying to sound “academic” straight away
you’re trying to hold too much in your head
So here’s the reframe:
The first thing you write will be shite.
Or, if you want the polite version:
You can’t edit a blank page.
Why this works
It removes the pressure.
Instead of trying to write something perfect, you:
get something down
even if it’s messy
even if it barely makes sense
Because once it’s on the page, you can improve it.
You can’t improve something that only exists in your head.
4. Don’t write and edit at the same time
This is a big one.
If you’re:
writing half a sentence
editing it
rearranging it
swapping words
checking phrasing
…you’re constantly switching tasks.
And your brain hates that.
Think of it as two separate modes
Writing mode → messy, fast, get ideas down
Editing mode → refine, improve, polish
Trying to do both at once slows you down and kills your flow.
What this looks like in practice
Before writing:
jot down your key points for the paragraph
Then:
turn each point into a rough sentence
don’t worry about grammar or wording
use placeholders (X, ???, …)
jump around if needed
Stay in flow.
Then afterwards:
switch into editing mode
clean it up
improve clarity and structure
You’ll end up writing faster and better.
5. Leave loose ends
The hardest part of writing isn’t writing.
It’s starting.
Every time you come back to your work, you have to:
remember where you were
re-read what you wrote
figure out what to do next
That takes effort.
And your brain remembers that effort, so it resists starting next time.
The solution: set up your future self
Instead of finishing when you complete a paragraph…
Finish by preparing the next step.
For example:
write 2–3 bullet points for the next paragraph
map out your next argument
note down references or examples
leave yourself instructions
Something like:
“Explain theory X → show limitation using case study Y → mini conclusion about weakness”
So when you come back:
you don’t have to think
you just follow the plan
And starting becomes much easier.
Final thoughts
If essay writing feels hard, it’s not because you’re bad at it.
It’s usually because:
your process is making it harder than it needs to be
your brain is overloaded
or you’re putting too much pressure on yourself
Try one of these ideas in your next writing session.
Not all five. Just one.
That’s how writing starts to feel easier.