8 FUN IDEAS TO HELP YOU GET UNSTUCK
We all get stuck
sometimes.
Try one of the
following ideas the next when you are feeling drained or uninspired.
- Meet up with a friend: Re-connect with a lost friend or someone who understands you. Go out for a drink, coffee or lunch. If you typically eat lunch alone (a common occurrence for entrepreneurs), it can be refreshing and uplifting to spend that time socializing instead.
- Mine your past: We all have great ideas; the problem is accessing them when you need them. Keep a small notebook or card file — a place where you can easily jot down ideas and snippets of inspiration, questions and things to look into or explore as they occur to you. Then when you are stuck, simply flip through your idea-books until something strikes a chord. Sometimes, looking back at something that once inspired you can make you see things in a whole new light. I write every interesting thought or insight I learn in my diary. When I feel lost or when I feel like I have become a stranger to myself, I simply pick one of my diaries and read. It is amazing how settling this is. I come out feeling deeply rooted and with a tremendous zest for life. It’s always very uplifting.
- Do something different: Shake up your routine. Take a different route to work, listen to a radio station you’ve never tried before, try writing with your non-dominant hand. Pick up a few books at random and read a page or two from each one of them. Doing things that feel unusual or even a little uncomfortable can be wonderful ways to wake up the brain.
- Move your body: Exercise. Getting your blood pumping will help you think more clearly, feel less stressed and focus more readily. Don’t like the gym? Try fun cycling with a friend or young ones. Or consider leaving your car somewhere and walking to your office a few days each week. Or better still, alight your bus a little distance from your actual station and enjoy the evening walk home. This could be enough to refresh and invigorate you.
- Learn something new: Sometimes it helps to become a student again. Sign up for a continuing education course or an online class. Read a new book, or attend a conference, a lecture or a weekend workshop. Just make sure it’s something that sounds interesting to you — the point is to get inspired, invigorated and motivated, not to feel as if you’re simply adding more “have to do’s” to your schedule.
- Know when to stop tinkering: When you are working on a creative project, there isn’t often a distinct point at which you know for sure you’re done; you have to make that call. There are times when it will seem you could tinker forever. Try to notice the point at which you move from adding new, concrete ideas to doing minor tinkering, and take that as your cue to step away. Get out of the studio. Go out to dinner, watch a movie, eat some chocolate, sleep. Refuse to look at it again until the next day, at least.
- Seek out the earth colours: It has been scientifically proved that earth colours have a deep a calming effect. The earth tones draw from a colour palette of browns, tans, warm grays, yellows, red ochres and greens, mostly found in soil, moss, trees and natural stone. Create a small zen garden of your own, even if it is just of potted flowers, where you can retire at the end of the day to experience the calming effect of the earth’s splendor and meditate. There are numerous simple DIY design ideas on sites such as Pinterest that will completely transform your backyard or verandah into a spa-like resting area. Try and indulge yourself in a little flower gardening. This too can do you a lot of good.
- Take a creative field trip: And finally, my favourite. Get out of the office, into the world and experience something new. Check out on your clients, an exhibition, go hiking, take a tour, travel to the country side, go on a pilgrimage etc. Even if what you do or see is not directly related to your field, it can spark a new creative connection. I particularly enjoy mountain climbing. The changing landscapes, flora and fauna just fill you to the brim. The country is also teeming with beautiful holiday homes and condos on the cheap and in some of the most exotic places you can imagine. When was the last time you spent a weekend in a cabin in the woods or a cottage at the coast? Try it!
What else have you found to be fun and helps
you avoid burnout? Share with
us what works for you — and what doesn’t.
(Adapted from an article by Laura Gaskill on Houzz.com)
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