This post could also be called: 5 ways to get a clear head or 5 ways to distract yourself from your worries.
I’ve been feeling in a little bit of a slump lately with blog writing. I did so much writing over the summer and then as soon as I started my full time job inspiration for posts just fizzled out despite having previously had so many ideas. Each weekend I’ve opened my draft posts only to re-close them not feeling inspired to put the ideas already there into sentences. I think in part this is due to my head being in what feels like another world for my day job but equally I need to learn to relax at the weekend and be able to do the things I enjoy. In an attempt to be able to do this I have been trying to spend my time doing things that might inspire me to be creative and get back to blog writing.
Read
I find reading really helps to free the mind of the worries and stresses that go on inside my head. Reading allows me to take myself to another world and forget about this one for a while. That process then frees up my mind to think about something more than my day job and potentially start being creative. It’s not always the book itself which inspires me sometimes just the act of reading. I find fiction books are best for inspiring me as they just free my mind. However, the right non-fiction book can also inspire me especially if it is something like Big Magic by Liz Gilbert.
Listen to a podcast
This one has really helped me all summer and is one of the reasons I got so much blogging work done during that time. My favourite podcast at the moment is What She Said by Lucy, a podcast for bloggers and creatives. In each episode she interviews a blogger about their creative processes and gets as many tips out of them as possible. Just listening to these episodes has me inspired to do exciting things with my blog even if it isn’t actually sitting down to write a post. I’ve also set myself a rule that I can only listen to these podcasts while running so double inspiration.
Run or Exercise
A side from my podcast rule, I find running to be a great inspiration when I’m feeling in a slump. Some people do their best thinking and idea brainstorming in the shower and that totally works for me too. However, my brain is definitely even more active and creative on a run. I have the time and space to delve into an idea while running because I have nothing else to do and it’s a great distraction when the run is tough. Other expertise like yoga, doesn’t necessarily lead to my brain thinking of ideas but it does help to free up my mind of the week’s stresses which is essential if you wanna get the creative juices flowing.
Read other blogs
Or whatever it is you wish you were inspired to create.
Sometimes the best way to start feeling inspired again is to look at what other people are creating. If I’m stuck in a slump with writing then I tend to read bloggers work I love to inspire me. If I need inspiration for filming a video then I’ll spend time bingeing on YouTube videos. Whatever it is, I find looking at what other people have created can help to get me in the right mood to create something as equally as awesome. I’m always careful to make sure other people’s work is inspiring me to create something new not just copy what they have done.
And if all of the above doesn’t work then I get myself away from the laptop and outside.
Get outdoors
Be it heading on a walk, a road trip or to explore somewhere new, trying to inject a little bit of adventure into my life can really help. I try and give my outing a focus so that I don’t just aimlessly wander and wallow in my lack of inspiration. If I’m taking a road trip I might make a playlist of tunes I know will put me in a good mood. Or I’ll visit somewhere I’ve been meaning to check out for ages. Sometimes that change of scenery is enough to get me
out of the slump and feel a glimmer of inspiration.
And a glimmer is all you need.
I’d love to hear what you do when your feeling uninspired and in a slump. Let me know in the comments below.
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