I don’t talk a lot about productivity very often because I don’t feel that it’s an end-goal in and of itself. However, there is something that I’ve learned over the past year that has really helped with my productivity and the way I feel about my writing. That trick is a transition task.
What is a transition task?
A transition task is something that helps you shift your focus from one task to another, often used when coaching for executive function, which is how our brain decides when, how, and for how long to do something. Executive functioning can be difficult for those of us who are neurodivergent, and is often the cause of a lot of the stigma people place on those who are neurodivergent, especially with Autism or ADHD. It’s the “I want to do a task” that you feel, and yet somehow, you can’t seem to get started on it.
How I use transition tasks
My favorite transition task is a game on my tablet. I have a “match 3” jewel game that I’ve played for many years, and more recently a “match 3” screw game (see a pattern here)? But that one has a lot of ads in it and seems deliberately set up to make me watch them, so lately I’ve been playing a Mahjong game (Vita Mahjong) which is still matching tiles, but feels a bit more cerebral and offers more variety of patterns rather than just five main colors.
I use transition tasks in two ways. First is to get started, like getting out of bed in the morning. I’ll play one to three “games” on the tablet just to get my brain “working” and focused before getting up in the morning. My routine also includes deleting out spam/newsletters from my main inbox (also on my tablet) so I can reach the office with a fresh inbox and a focused mind.
The second way is that I’ll use it to take a break, and that’s the focus of this blog post. With the way my brain works, although I used to be able to sit down and write 2000+ words in one “setting” or at least before moving onto a different task (barring bio breaks and such), I really can’t do that anymore due to changes in my health. Instead, as I wrote in this post on my author site, I tend to write in short increments, like 250 words, especially in the evenings which is when I work on my young adult works.
I’ll see if I can’t reach 250 words, then I’ll pause, play one to three games on my tablet, and then return to writing another 250 words. I’ll cycle through this until either I reach my goal (1000 words) or my brain says NOPE and I’m done for the night. I’ve found that by taking these short breaks and giving myself the completion (aka dopamine) of not just hitting the word count goal, but also winning a few games, is enough to allow me to go back to writing.
How I chose my transition task
I chose the game on my tablet for two reasons. First, my tablet is not my laptop so I feel like I’m “taking a break”. Secondly, it usually takes anywhere from one to three minutes to play a game of Mahjong with this game (or play a level in the color matching screw game). That gives me about a ten minute break or transition period, which seems to be enough for me. You’ll want to experiment and see what works for you.
How transition tasks work with our creative nervous systems
The other reason why I chose a matching game is that playing a game like tetris or a matching jewel game, something that engages the mind (which is why I like Mahjong) has been shown to decrease the trauma response. Since that, and regulating my nervous system, is something that I’m really cognoscente of, I find that this practice helps me to stay calm and keep the anxiety down. It also can help by giving us short term “wins” even when we’re having one of those days when the words just aren’t coming. In short, I’ve found that transition tasks help me stay more calm and more focused than before I started using them.
Do you know what your creative nervous system type is? When you know how your brain works, you can write with it rather than fighting against it, and that reduces stress and burnout. Take our quick, 5-question quiz to discover what your creative nervous system type is and download a free gift to get you started writing more and feeling better about what you write.
Take our quiz today!