I’ve suffered lately and have been trying to figure out how to re-inspire myself. I don’t know how exactly to explain it. It wasn’t writer’s block although it definitely affected my writing. Maybe a lack of passion?
I had a whole lot of passion for a project and then it just burnt out so quickly that I was left with the embers and not much else. And frankly blowing on those embers to try to get something, anything, going. That got me a whole lot of nowhere.
The more I talk to others, the more I realize a lot of people have been going through some version of the funk. Getting out of it seems absolutely impossible when you’re in the middle of it. But it is possible, so let’s talk about how to re-inspire yourself.
Lean into something else
When we are in a funk and need to get stuff done, the gut reaction is to lean into the task at hand harder. You know, like how I tried to make something out of the embers of my burnt out passion. In both cases, it’s not going to work. You’re going to get frustrated and you’ll only be able to crap work.
The best thing to do is to walk away from it. I recently did that on the project that I had no more passion on. And then I went to see my favorite author speak. I had read as much of his latest book as I could ahead of time so I could talk to him knowledgeably. Spoiler alert: I have a toddler and work so I did not have time to read all that much of it. But do you now what that forced reading coupled with hearing my favorite author speak did? I suddenly wanted to work on the project I had put aside. I had ideas and I wanted to re-write everything I had done before. Simply because I did my very favorite activity of all: Falling into lovely words as they wove together a story I could not get enough of.
Re-inspire yourself: Lean into something you still are passionate about. Throw yourself into it as much as you possibly can. Eventually that passion will leak over into where you actually need it.
Get physical
When I’m not doing well mentally and it’s become a problem for my writing, there is nothing better than going for a run. My mind has a chance to relax as I focus on what I’m doing physically. And then it moves toward creating solutions to the problems I’m currently working on.
It’s not just running that does this. From lifting weights to dancing, moving my body tends to get my brain moving. And it’s always in ways that I would never attempt if I were sitting at a desk focused solely on the task.
Re-inspire yourself: Find a way to move your body that feels good. When your brain seems to stall, put down the task and then move in that way. It will make a huge difference in your work.
Change your scenery
It’s just a fact: A change of location will help you look at a problem differently. When I spent a month writing a novel years ago, I had one full day where I had nothing to do except write. When I hit a slump, I went to a different location to work through that slump. I ended up in three locations that day, and those two times I changed location, the slump went away. Maybe it was taking a break to drive someplace else. Or maybe it was new sounds, smells, views, etc. Most likely, it was a combination of the two.
Giving yourself a slight break from what you’re doing when you’re in a funk is a great idea, but you can’t always force yourself to do that when you’re on deadline. So coupling it with something that is somewhat productive will allow you to give yourself permission to do that. And then being able to re-engage with a totally different sensory experience can help you look at the problem you’re stuck on with a brand new set of solutions. It honestly could be the best thing for any funk you might be in.
Re-inspire yourself: Have a list of places where you like to work handy. It doesn’t even have to be leaving your house. When I lived in my last apartment, it was enough to move work from my office to my living room to give me a change of scenery. Or you could just go outside. Any place that is physically different from your typical workspace is a good option for this, along with your typical cafés and other places that court remote workers.
Get around others
I’m an introvert. Throw me in a group full of people and it’s my own personal hell. I’ll avoid it at all costs.
But I know that the more I get away from being around others, the weirder I get. And I don’t feel much like myself either. So I keep things on my calendar that get me into groups in different ways, from my child’s activities to pursuing goals with other people (who most definitely have nothing to do with my daughter). Making sure I have at least a few of these on the calendar every week does wonders for how I feel about myself. In fact, all of my daughter’s activities took a break in May, and I FEEL it. I’m itching for June to get started so I get out of my house more.
Re-inspire yourself: Make it a habit to have one-on-one time with at least one person a week. This can be virtual or in-person. Just the act of conversation while staring at another person’s face will help perk you up. And add onto that at least one meeting with a group pursuing similar goals (think run club, knitting club or some other hobby). Working with others to do something in an informal way will do wonders for your mood.
Know that sometimes it’s just going to take time to re-inspire yourself
I hate that I can’t get back to normal right away sometimes. You know, whatever my definition of normal is at that moment which is probably very far from what normal actually is. I just want to feel like me again, and I think that should happen right that moment.
The fact is that when you’re in a funk, you sometimes have to wait until little acts add up. Maybe you could only read for one minute today, but tomorrow you can read for two. And you’ve had the cloud lift just a little more. Each day, it gets a little better until you are reading at your normal levels, simply because you didn’t give up on those little acts to get yourself there. But, of course, if you are finding the funk is prolonged and you can’t find relief, it’s time to see a doctor.
How are you re-inspiring yourself?