5 WAYS TO GET OUT OF A SLUMP
Staying consistently inspired is definitely not one of the easiest things in the world, be you a creative or not. There are days where regardless the fine ideas stuck in our heads, they just can't be translated to something tangible. And on worse days, the ideas don't even form, at all.
This was me in the early days of June. I literally watched the hours pass right before my eyes without being able to account for them. For one who finds it hard to just sit still without being occupied, this was a tough one for me. I had tons of pending and prospective projects eagerly awaiting my attention but my mind and body were out of touch. I was in a slump. This wasn't my first instance of being stuck in a slump (I get into writing slumps from time to time all year round) but this was definitely different. Imagine being uninspired to do anything aside the mundane routine of life. Yes, that was me.
The good thing is, I'm finally out of that slump (for long). But you may wonder, if you've ever been in a similar place, how I managed to wriggle out. Well, that, I've come to share from my wealth of slump experiences with you. Getting out of a slump is akin to a process, though on some occasions, lightning bolts of inspiration come, sending the slump packing without you being actively aware.
First, I had to realise and actually acknowledge I was experiencing a slump. It is quite easy to dismiss a slump as just one of those time you are out of touch but when it lingers for days unend, affecting next to every regular activity you partake in, it is beyond being out of touch.
After accepting the slump I had found myself in, the next point of action was to get out of it. As earlier said, I can't bear to go through days doing next to nothing when I have pending projects (either long term or those requiring consistent build up) sitting pretty, waiting for me. Most times I find myself in any sort of slump, I pull myself together from within before looking externally. So, yeah, I have highlighted some of the techniques that got me right out of the slump.
Monologues: I talk to myself a lot. I have come to realise it is a healthy habit. Most times, I offer myself pep talks to get through the day. This little habit of mine was very much needed throughout the slump period. Me, having to remind myself of the commitments I had prior to the slump and all the right reasons why I shouldn't be slipping up, even if involuntarily sure aided the process.
Meditation: I had begun testing waters with calming music and being consciously present prior to the slump episode. When the slump turned up, meditating helped me remember to be consciously present, not just float through the day. It helped remind myself of who I am at the core regardless the unproductive times I happened to be stuck in.
It essentially helped me create self awareness, building me up when I could have been beating myself down for being unproductive.
Searching the slump away: for creative slumps or what could also be referred to as ruts or blocks, searching for ideas related to what you normally create would go a way in jolting one out of an uninspiring situation.
Talk to someone: a couple of times, we don't fully acknowledge what goes on within until we say them. Telling someone isn't necessarily because you seek a solution from them but to the full realization of the slump you've been caught in.
Wholesome distractions: by wholesome, I mean things that won't make the slump comfortable for you to linger in for longer than necessary. For me, the wholesome distractions were books. Me finding myself reading novels and novellas when I could be getting ahead with pending works went a way to guilt trip me out of the slump. For you, it might be something else.
Stay buzzed,
'Mina
This was me in the early days of June. I literally watched the hours pass right before my eyes without being able to account for them. For one who finds it hard to just sit still without being occupied, this was a tough one for me. I had tons of pending and prospective projects eagerly awaiting my attention but my mind and body were out of touch. I was in a slump. This wasn't my first instance of being stuck in a slump (I get into writing slumps from time to time all year round) but this was definitely different. Imagine being uninspired to do anything aside the mundane routine of life. Yes, that was me.
The good thing is, I'm finally out of that slump (for long). But you may wonder, if you've ever been in a similar place, how I managed to wriggle out. Well, that, I've come to share from my wealth of slump experiences with you. Getting out of a slump is akin to a process, though on some occasions, lightning bolts of inspiration come, sending the slump packing without you being actively aware.
First, I had to realise and actually acknowledge I was experiencing a slump. It is quite easy to dismiss a slump as just one of those time you are out of touch but when it lingers for days unend, affecting next to every regular activity you partake in, it is beyond being out of touch.
After accepting the slump I had found myself in, the next point of action was to get out of it. As earlier said, I can't bear to go through days doing next to nothing when I have pending projects (either long term or those requiring consistent build up) sitting pretty, waiting for me. Most times I find myself in any sort of slump, I pull myself together from within before looking externally. So, yeah, I have highlighted some of the techniques that got me right out of the slump.
Monologues: I talk to myself a lot. I have come to realise it is a healthy habit. Most times, I offer myself pep talks to get through the day. This little habit of mine was very much needed throughout the slump period. Me, having to remind myself of the commitments I had prior to the slump and all the right reasons why I shouldn't be slipping up, even if involuntarily sure aided the process.
Meditation: I had begun testing waters with calming music and being consciously present prior to the slump episode. When the slump turned up, meditating helped me remember to be consciously present, not just float through the day. It helped remind myself of who I am at the core regardless the unproductive times I happened to be stuck in.
It essentially helped me create self awareness, building me up when I could have been beating myself down for being unproductive.
Searching the slump away: for creative slumps or what could also be referred to as ruts or blocks, searching for ideas related to what you normally create would go a way in jolting one out of an uninspiring situation.
Talk to someone: a couple of times, we don't fully acknowledge what goes on within until we say them. Telling someone isn't necessarily because you seek a solution from them but to the full realization of the slump you've been caught in.
Wholesome distractions: by wholesome, I mean things that won't make the slump comfortable for you to linger in for longer than necessary. For me, the wholesome distractions were books. Me finding myself reading novels and novellas when I could be getting ahead with pending works went a way to guilt trip me out of the slump. For you, it might be something else.
Stay buzzed,
'Mina
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