Slumps… When was the last time you were in a slump? For me, I am most prone to getting into a slump after long breaks. The last slump I was in was after the summer break. When I went back to school, I had an extremely hard time getting back into that routine because I just didn’t feel motivated. Also with a lot of self-doubt and negative thoughts, my mind just felt defeated. I didn’t want to do anything, and didn’t feel like doing anything. I found that it’s not really in my control whenever it comes. It’s not like I feel unmotivated on purpose, but now that I’ve gotten over it, I wanted to share with you ways that helped me get out of my slump. So how to get out of a slump? Put yourself out there and be surrounded by productive peopleReach out to people. Email random strangers on LinkedIn and ask them for coffee. Pick their brains and ask about their creative processes. The idea is to surround yourself with others so that you can be inspired to pick yourself up. Whenever I’m in a slump, I like to write emails and set appointments with people. This extends from my network to also my friends and colleagues. When I know that I have an appointment with someone, I feel a sense of purpose which sets me on track again and lets me look forward to something. Do something that makes you uncomfortable, the fear will wake you upScaring yourself is a huge confidence booster, I kid you not. Have you noticed that when you take risks, you have that sense of adrenaline and it just makes you want to keep moving? I noticed that when I do something that makes me uncomfortable — even little things like wearing a bold shade of lipstick, it gives me such a boost of confidence that I feel like I can do anything. And having confidence that you can do things will motivate you. Celebrate Small Successes (Which will lead to big results)When I’m in a slump, it seems like everything is incredibly difficult. Drafting an email to someone seems like such a chore and simple things just take forever to do… even waking up in the morning is hard. I noticed that if you celebrate small tasks throughout the day, you will feel that success and build yourself up for bigger things. Reward yourself for waking up without hitting snooze, or squeezing in those 5 minutes of exercise. It doesn’t matter how small the feat is, at least you did it! Turn negative thoughts into positiveThis is a huge one for me, because I tend to have a lot of negative thoughts when I’m in a slump. Your thoughts really shape you and your mentality, and always being overwhelmed with negativity can do you no good. A trick that I’ve done is whenever I think of something negative, I immediately try to counteract that thought with something positive. For example, when I think that I’m not good enough for something, I immediately think of 3 good qualities about myself and why I am good enough. With the right mindset, you will start to gain your momentum back again! Always start small, and work your way up. You'll forget that you've ever been in a rut! Check out my previous post about the Science of Motivation!
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Just because we like to be productive doesn’t mean that we want to do everything on our To-Do list. Agree? There are certain things that just takes too long, and are tedious to the point where we’re ready to just pay someone to do it for us. (For me, it’s laundry and writing essays). It was after I discovered the Pomodoro Technique that I realize how quickly I can get mundane things done. The Pomodoro Technique is an effective time management method that efficiently helps you focus on the task at hand with no interruptions besides your allotted breaks. I discovered this technique a couple of months ago while crying over my 8 page art history essay. I had just come home from a night of partying… and realized that my essay was due in the early morning. Being a responsible student, I never skip assignments for any reason so I decided to tackle it right then and there. Using the Pomodoro technique I was able to finish my essay with no distractions, and time flew by just like that! |
AuthorFull-time advertising student. Part-time freelance designer.. Always busy. Archives
December 2016
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