A few weeks ago I was dealing with a major creative slump, y'all! I was trying to get myself together after a death in my family and dealing with all the freelance work I was fortunate enough to do, and The Happy Arkansan honestly fell by the wayside. It took a while for me to feel comfortable getting back into regularly scheduled blog events.
I have been posting regularly for the past few weeks, even though I recently decided only to promise two posts a week. I have been feeling more inspired lately, and I wanted to share some ways to get realigned after you have fallen into a slump.
1. Pray About It
Sometimes you just gotta spend some time with God (however you choose to address Him/Her.)
I know that praying isn't for everyone, but it helps me to spend some time praying and thinking about my next move.
Often we worry so much about things, but that doesn't help in the long haul. Work hard, pray, and then let it go.
Pray about it and wait for a response.
When God answers, don't ask for a different answer. Often we get a million signs pointing us in one direction, but we still choose to defy it.
If you are gonna pray about it, don't fight about it later.
2. Journal
Another thing I love to do when I am in a slump is journal.
I am not all woo-woo, but I do believe what you put out there, you get back.
With that being said, don't forget to journal about the positive things happening in your life.
At the end of the day, I am all about putting out more positive energy than you do negative energy. You can journal about your problems, but don't forget to journal about your not problems.
3. Get Outside
A few weeks ago I started sitting outside in the afternoon.
I am usually one to spend all day cooped up inside, but a few times a week I like to spend about an hour and just sit outside in a lawn chair close to sunset.
Part of the time I just sit with my own thoughts and sing songs to myself.
The other part of that time I take my laptop outside, and I write.
Sometimes when you are getting out of a slump, you just need to do whatever you do in a different location.
That might be outside, that might be in a coffee shop, that might be in a different country, etc.
Changing up your scenery does wonders for your realignment.
It may not be the most permanent solution, of course, but some new scenery never hurt anyone.
4. Take Your Time
Life is dandy when the stars all align, and you can walk confidently in your purpose, but sometimes that takes time.
You can't force yourself back into alignment, so don't be afraid to take your time.
Now, this doesn't mean that you sit around, do nothing, and mope around all day.
Quite the opposite.
It means you take your time while doing.
All these activities can be done over time.
Don't rush or try to force alignment. You will know when you are properly aligned.
Do something to get you closer to that alignment every day, and give those activities time to work.
5. Think About The Bigger Picture
So often, we are out of alignment with our purpose because we get stuck in the day to day grind.
You need to give yourself some inspiration.
Create a mood board or poster board with your why on it.
Then you can make sure that at least some of the activities you do every day get you to that why.
Also, think about your activities in a different way.
Yes, babysitting in and of itself might not get you closer to your why. BUT: babysitting leads to income that you can save that will allow you to feel comfortable pursuing your why later on.
So, those small tasks that you find yourself doing may not be directly related to your purpose and passion, but they will make walking in your purpose that much easier.
6. Seek Some Guidance
Sometimes, you just need some help.
Whether that's hiring someone to coach you, listening to a podcast, crying to your sister, or anything in between––that's up to you.
We cannot go through this world alone.
It's okay to lean on and get help from others.
Humans are social creatures, and God made us this way for a reason.
So, instead of holding all your thoughts in and suffering through this time alone, reach out to other people who are here to help you.
See that counselor, hire that coach, reach out to friends online and in person.
7. Read Motivational Books
No, I am not talking about the sappy motivational books.
I am talking about the ones that will make you feel like a total badass.
The ones that will tell you the truth instead of sugarcoating it and giving you awful advice.
Get an Audible subscription and listen to some audiobooks. Or simply take some time to read a chapter a night.
I really enjoyed “The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A Fuck” by Mark Manson and “You're A Badass” by Jen Sincero.
8. Start Before You Get Aligned
As I talked about in the Take Your Time section, I want you to take the time, but I want you to do so actively.
Sometimes you just need to dive headfirst into your work.
Even when the ground is shaky.
Even when you aren't sure what your next move should be.
Even when taking the next step feels like it might actually make you vomit.
Sometimes you just need to do something that will take your life to the next level.
Take it from Nike and Just Do It!
9. Rethink What Aligned Means To You
We often get so caught up in what aligned means to other people that we don't think about what aligned means to us.
Maybe you are aligned, just not the cookie-cutter definition of what aligned usually looks like.
This doesn't mean that you can't work to better yourself or work to focus your life.
It does mean that you may want to reconsider where you got your definition of aligned from.
Determine if this definition is serving or hurting you.
10. Refocus On What's Important
It's so easy to get out of whack with what's actually important in your life.
Think back to your bigger picture, then look at what you are currently spending your time on.
If those don't align, get back to the basics.
For me, this required that I scale back the promised blogs on The Happy Arkansan and my other site Amanda Cross Co. I wanted to offer both audiences the best of me, and I couldn't do that while posting 5 times a week.
Look at your personal commitments. What fat could you trim? Likely, quite a bit of random responsibilities you have gathered over the years.
11. Support Yourself
You gotta support yourself because no one else is gonna support you like you.
This means:
- Updating your sleeping routine
- Eating right on a daily basis
- Getting a bit of outside and/or exercise time in
- Investing in your mental health
These are things I am working on the most as I try to make sure that I am more aligned and in tune with myself.
Don't be afraid to take all aspects of yourself more seriously.
12. Get Your Space Together
It's the perfect time for a little spring cleaning.
I have been slowly cleaning the random spaces in my life. I gotta lot to do because I am a messy person by nature.
Mess clogs up your natural alignment, though, as much as I think most creatives would hate to admit it.
Don't be afraid to throw some stuff away so you can get back in alignment!
Conclusion
A slump (creative or otherwise) is never fun, but you don't have to wallow in it.
I hope that today's article helped you think of slumps differently.
You don't have to be helpless when a slump heads in your direction!
Have you ever experienced a slump? How did you get out of it?
The Comments
Lizzy
Great article! I myself am in a bit of a creative slump right now, and I am definitely going to try some of these! Sometimes it’s just nice to know you’re not the only one – lol! Journaling and physically writing out my goals with pen and paper always helps me.