What I do is never work unless I’m in the right state.

I assess my state by checking whether my body feels light and upright or heavy and slouched – or where between those I feel. I check what my mind feels like, clear or foggy. Am I having ideas? The breath is also a good signal – is it deep or shallow, tight or at ease. And do I feel pull to work or resistance? Do I feel that I can focus effortlessly or would it require effort?

If I’m on the edge, I might do some light work, review my plans, write a little to myself.

But if too many indicators are off, I’ll do what I think of as a reset.

Take a walk around the block. Do some yoga. Meditate. Clear up the kitchen. Go for a brisk walk in the woods. Do NSDR, breathwork. Take a shower.

Which reset fits is a bit of a learned skill. A calm walk or light chores works in most situations. Meditation or NSDR is bit tricky as they can pull you down further.

When I work I check in with myself after about 30–45 minutes to see if I can proceed.

Doing this seems to make the instances where I struggle to work more rare. They still happen on most days but doesn’t require as much in the way of resets as before.