How To Get Out of a Slump
There is a surprising reason that lies beneath the surface of procrastination, lack of motivation, and dimmed interest in our daily responsibilities. Can you guess what it is?
Believe it or not, it is self-punishment. When we blame, guilt, and punish ourselves for whatever we think we are falling behind on, this manifests itself on the surface as procrastination.
A couple of years ago, at a very important point of my coaching career, I found myself in a deep rut. It was so frustrating feeling like I was stuck in a hole of procrastination, lack of drive, and mental fog. I was in the middle of my coaching training, and I was struggling to keep up with my coursework.
I found myself feeling lazy with my daily self-care routine and started making excuses to avoid getting some very easy, everyday tasks done right away. I was spending a lot more time on my phone, social media, and at the end of the day I bemoaned all the time I let pass by me with getting nothing done.
After about a couple months in this uncomfortable state, I was finally fed up. As a budding coach I decided to coach myself back into feeling productive again, and I was successful.
In just one month I found myself feeling motivated again, productive, and just generally in a better mood. I felt great about myself again and began gaining positive momentum with my overall energy. Excited with my refreshed sense of empowerment due to enhanced self-trust, I felt the need to share my process with everyone else.
Here are my 4 important steps to getting yourself out of a slump and feeling great again:
Rewind
Take a moment, preferably with pen and paper (or with your Notes app), and list any behaviors of yours that you’d like to let go of. Trace back to the beginning of when you began falling into this slump, what are the things that hindered you from getting tasks done?
Perhaps you have found yourself on social media a lot more than normal or distracting yourself with other tasks than those on your priority list?
How about physical exercise? Has the need to quarantine yourself affected your normal amount of daily physical activity? Maybe your yoga mat has been rolled up and tucked away under the bed for the past month now (because mine was, lol)?
Sometimes we have to confront all the micro hindrances that we let slip by us. Clearly identifying the things that no longer serve you will help you to part ways with them for good.
2. Restructure and Start Small
One of the most important foundations of an effective self-care routine is consistency and structure.
An important part of effective self-care requires some structure of daily habits. Structure can help you build an enhanced of self-trust. Whenever we complete a task, this promotes a sense of accomplishment. Then this tells our nervous system we can take good care of us.
Feeling accomplished can deepen your self-confidence, and as a result, an increased sense of empowerment and self-worth.
Create a daily self-care checklist.
Start out simple with an easy to-do daily tasks you know you can commit to. It is important to make sure the items on your checklist are realistically attainable day to day, otherwise that sense of overwhelm may hinder you right back into procrastination (then further self-punishment).
You can add on as you go over time as your motivation increases, but start small!
Break your self-care schedule into 3 segments for morning, noon and evening. I recommend keeping this list handy such on your phone or literally on a post-it visible to you in a place you will see daily.
3. Reconnect
Humans need other humans to thrive. During the pandemic we felt the pain of isolation worldwide. We literally could no longer socialize with our loved ones, friends and folks in our communities like we used to. Human interaction is how we recharge and fulfill our basic need for connection.
Our need human connection is undeniable. It is essential for our sense of well-being. Yet sometimes we may find ourselves feeling disconnected which lowers our energy, pushing us further downwards into a slump All relationships require an effort to make time for genuine connection.
Reach out to your friends at least once a week. Make Zoom video calls the new normal. Allow yourself to be near human activity such as taking a walk in a park, making sure you are socially distancing of course.
Avoid only messaging one another through social media and pick up the phone and just give your mate a call. Texting can neutralize human expression due to us being unable to hear actual tones and human expressiveness.
Find a trusted friend who you can ask, “it would really mean so much to me if we can do this more often. Can we aim to video call one another at least once a week?” I guarantee you, this will help immensely!
3. Be Kind to Yourself
Just remember that at the root of procrastination is self-punishment, so before taking any of these steps make sure to be kind to yourself.
Forgive yourself if you are blaming yourself for not being able to get things done right now. Always be your main supporter, even when you think you don’t deserve it.
Remind yourself, you are allowed to feel this way and that this is only temporary.
I hope you find these steps helpful and that you’ll be feeling more productive in no time.
You’ve got this!
Much love, light, and shadow,
Song
