every morning I get up, make breakfast, eat and caffeinate while I check my email and log reading from the night before, then write--whatever that looks like, drafting, planning, editing, reading a craft book, etc. I don't open twitter or do anything else until at least noon. https://twitter.com/NaNoWriMo/status/1318678756375121924

I've been doing this since NaNo last year and it's an ingrained routine now. Most days it's only a couple of hours of work, because that's all I can handle. I take two days off each week to give my brain a break (and bc I'll usually have a doctor appt somewhere to interrupt)

it seems hyperbolic to say that this routine saved my life, but in a lot of ways it really did. winning NaNo last year gave me confidence and momentum that I desperately needed after those surgeries in 2017 left me sick and ruined my life. it let me see myself having a future.

apparently I had more feelings about this than I expected when I started this thread, but in closing: habits and routines are what get you through the worst times. they can take time to stick, but once they do they'll be your rock even on days you don't feel like showing up.