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Author: Dr Fiona Morrison

Programme Director for Childhood Practice / Lecturer in Childhood Studies

Remember that paper you’ve been avoiding for months? The one that makes you suddenly discover a burning desire to reorganise your sock drawer? Well, what if I told you that two days of “structured procrastination prevention” could transform it – from a cloud that is following you around – to an almost conquered challenge?

I recently joined a group of academics at Edinburgh’s Children and Young People Hub for what I’d call an academic writer’s boot camp – but with homemade rocky road and considerably more laughing. Under the gentle-yet-firm guidance of Dr. Maureen K. Michael, we surrendered our phones to metaphorical lead-lined boxes and our emails to blessed silence.

The magic? It’s in the structure. Fixed writing slots create a rhythm that your brain can’t help but dance to. No “just one quick email check” to derail your flow. No guilt about ignoring colleagues because everyone’s doing it. Just you, your laptop, and the surprisingly motivating presence of other academics all typing away like caffeinated pianists.

And the results? One participant hammered out 14 pages of pure academic gold. Another finally escaped a paper-writing hole they’d been stuck in for months. As for me? I discovered that my brain actually can focus for more than 10 minutes when it’s not being pinged by notifications every 30 seconds.

The secret sauce? It’s not just the structured time – it’s the permission to prioritize writing. It’s having someone else hold the space, keep time, and remind you that yes, this is actually part of your job. As one participant put it, it’s about “radical care” for your academic self.

So next time you’re drowning in emails while your writing deadline looms, consider this: sometimes the most productive thing you can do is lock yourself in a room with other academics, turn off your notifications, and just write. Rocky road optional, but highly recommended.