Table of Contents
- Rethinking Productivity (And Letting Go of the 5 AM Ideal)
- What Is Protective Productivity?
- How I Practice Protective Productivity (And How You Can Too)
- Why Protective Productivity Works (And Keeps Working)
- Protective Productivity in Different Seasons
- A Kinder Way to Work and Live
- What Are You Protecting Right Now?
For a long time, I believed productivity was about doing more.
More tasks. More hours. More output.
I told myself that if I could just get through my to-do list, I’d feel calmer. In control. Maybe even accomplished.
But instead, I was tired.
Not the kind of tired a nap fixes—the deep, soul-tired that comes from working in ways that leave no space for yourself.
And yet, I kept going. Because that’s what we’re taught to do.
What I needed wasn’t another productivity system.
I needed protection.
Protection from over-scheduling, over-committing, and the quiet belief that rest was something I had to earn.
That’s when I started practicing what I now call protective productivity.
A kinder, more sustainable way to work that makes space for what matters:
Work that fulfills you.
Creativity that lights you up.
Rest that restores you.
Because you can’t build the life you want if you’re too tired to live it.
Rethinking Productivity (And Letting Go of the 5 AM Ideal)
I was convinced that waking up at 5 AM was the answer.
I read the books. Followed the routines. Tried the “miracle mornings” that promised me more clarity, more time, more life.
What I got instead was exhaustion.
By mid-afternoon, I was running on empty, dragging myself through meetings and wondering how people did this every day.
Even with a full-time remote job and a flexible start time, I couldn’t make it work.
Here’s what I learned:
It’s not about waking up early.
It’s about protecting your energy, because productivity isn’t just about time. It’s about capacity.
Protect your energy like it’s a limited resource—because it is.
What Is Protective Productivity?
Protective productivity isn’t about cramming more into your day.
It’s about making space for what matters most—your energy, your creativity, and your peace of mind.
For me, that includes:
• Doing my work well, with focus
• Honoring my creative practice as a writer and poet
• Making time for quiet rest, even when the to-do list isn’t finished
This is a season of balancing full-time work and creative ambition.
While my job pays the bills, my writing gives me life.
It’s how I process the world.
When I don’t make time for it, I feel disconnected from myself.
Creativity isn’t a luxury. It’s the part of you that makes sense of everything else.
Protective productivity means guarding that creative time as fiercely as I guard my working hours.
It’s about giving myself permission to be, not just to do.
How I Practice Protective Productivity (And How You Can Too)
No matter what season you’re in—whether you’re working remotely, parenting, freelancing, or juggling all three—protective productivity can help you create space for what matters.
1. Start With Your Energy, Not the Clock
I tracked my energy for two weeks.
I paid attention to when I felt most focused, creative, or calm.
For me, it’s late mornings and early evenings.
That’s when I protect time for deeper work and creative writing.
For you, it might be early mornings or lunch breaks.
It’s not about the time of day.
It’s about when you have the capacity, and protecting it.
You don’t have to wake up at sunrise to build a life you love. You just need to be awake to yourself.
2. Redefine “Enough”
Protective productivity invites us to measure our days differently.
I no longer ask, “How much did I do?”
I ask, “Did I give energy to what matters?”
I focus on one to three priorities per day.
Some days, that’s an important deadline.
Other days, it’s sitting quietly with a notebook and writing something that may never be shared.
The life you’re building matters more than the list you’re completing.
3. Protect Time for Creativity (Even in Small Doses)
I block 30-minute windows in the evening, after work, when the house is quiet.
That time belongs to my writing.
Sometimes it’s poetry. Sometimes it’s reading. Sometimes it’s staring at the ceiling, letting thoughts untangle.
I protect it like any other meeting—because it is a meeting. With myself. With what matters.
4. Rest on Purpose, Not by Accident
Rest is no longer a reward for doing enough.
It’s a necessary rhythm of being human.
Sometimes I log off early.
Sometimes I take a walk between meetings.
Sometimes I do nothing at all, and it’s exactly what I need.
You don’t have to earn your rest.
Why Protective Productivity Works (And Keeps Working)
Since I made this shift, I’ve noticed I end my days with more energy.
I don’t feel as drained.
I don’t resent my work.
And I no longer feel like I’m trading one part of myself for another.
I write more, read more, and—perhaps most importantly—rest more.
And I do it without guilt.
You are not lazy for needing rest. You are human.
The best part?
I’m actually more productive.
But now, it’s sustainable.
It lasts.
Protective Productivity in Different Seasons
This isn’t just for people with flexible schedules.
If you’re working multiple jobs, parenting young children, or caring for others, protective productivity is still possible.
It can be:
• Ten minutes of journaling before the house wakes
• A quiet moment in the car after school pickup
• Choosing not to say yes to one more thing you don’t have energy for
It’s about protecting yourself from depletion.
And building a life where your energy isn’t constantly spent on survival.
A Kinder Way to Work and Live
Productivity isn’t about doing more.
It’s about protecting what matters so you have something left for yourself.
You don’t have to run on empty.
You don’t have to prove your worth through exhaustion.
You don’t need to do more.
You need to protect what matters—your energy, your focus, your peace—like your life depends on it. Because it does.
What Are You Protecting Right Now?
I’d love to hear how you’re making space for what matters in your life.
Whimsical Connotations 