Take a Quick Break

You do not need to be productive for every waking hour of the day in order to be considered a success. And if you *literally* need to be working every hour of every day to make ends meet, we need to re-assess. Your life has to come with some “give” – space weaved in and out of your day that can be taken if needed.

Taking breaks can reset your whole vibe.

Take a quick walk around the block to get some energy out. Switch modes and do something else. Pick up a book and read for a bit. Just don’t FORCE yourself to feel inspired when you don’t. It will not work. Instead, listen to your body and listen to your mind. Give it the stretch they both need so you can stop feeling stuck and start feeling anything else.

 

Help Someone Else

Whenever I’m feeling totally stuck and don’t have any answers, I’ve found it to be incredibly inspiring to help someone else.

It may not even be on the same related subject. I might be experiencing writer’s block, and my friend might be in a fight with her mom. But no matter what, every time I decide to lend my time to someone else, I usually leave feeling a lot less stuck.

Perhaps it’s because my brain was just extremely tired concentrating on my own stupid problems and it needed a mental break from myself. Maybe it’s because helping someone else forces me to see the world through a different lens. I could also see a compelling argument for offering good advice to someone else and realizing it could be applied to myself.

Whatever the reason it works — I highly recommend using this tactic to get unstuck yourself.

 

Change Up Your Environment

This could be as simple as playing music.

My Spotify membership has got to be one of the most effective catalysts I have in my toolbox. Anytime I keep going round and round in circles about the same damn thing – I play some music to get me out of my head.

It really does work.

But music isn’t all you can do. I’ve seen people take a break to clean up their space and BEWM, they stop feeling stuck immediately. I’ve also seen the power of lighting some candles (may I kindly recommend this non-toxic brand?), moving to another room, changing the lighting, petting their kitty or pup, playing TV in the background…

Whatever you can do to adjust your environment in the moment, I highly recommend. Our brains need cues to stop feeling stuck and get back into flow – and sometimes we can trick it by adjusting our environment to make it seem like we are ready for action.

 

Find Some Perspective

I truly believe that creativity requires a level of psychological safety. Meaning, when you put SO much pressure on yourself to deliver THE perfect whatchamacallit, I find that it usually doesn’t turn out that way.

That’s because creativity is meant to bring joy.

It’s a roadmap to expression, identity, authenticity, productivity…the works. So if you feel like you have a gun to your head while you’re trying to be creative, good luck.

Some might say they work under pressure – but is that work creative in nature? Maybe you are a freak – and I wish to be you if that’s the case – but otherwise you’re probably not being creative when you feel the world on your shoulders.

So in order to stop feeling stuck – try to find perspective.

If you are someone that gets very overwhelmed with the big picture, zoom in. “You eat the elephant one bite at a time” as they say. Break down your goals into extremely small steps, and realize you don’t have to get everything done *today.* You can take your time. The smaller the steps, the easier it will be to move forward.

If you are someone that gets very overwhelmed with the day to day, try zooming out. Is this particular stretch of time going to be the dealbreaker for you in five years? Will you even remember this drought of stimulation? Do you trust yourself to be okay years from now? Do you think the future has the potential to be bright?

(The answer to the last question should always be “yes” no matter how shitty things feel.)

Find the perspective you need to shift gears. Whether it’s zooming in or zooming out, you’ll be looking at things through a different perspective. That’s something we can all use from time to time.

 

Talk to Someone Else

Talking things to others can be a huge help when you’re feeling absolutely stuck. Plenty of my clients just talk things out and then realize halfway through that they have the answer sitting right in front of them.

But that’s because talking things out can shed new light on issues.

Thinking about something internally and speaking things into existence are two very different processes.

And sometimes, both need to happen to reach the magic solution.

Just be careful about who you share your thoughts and feelings with. I encourage you to rely on friends and family members that uplift you. Sharing your feelings with someone who is quick to judge or criticize could cause you to end up feeling stuck for much longer than necessary.

Hell, that’s why Blush is here. We’re your confidential, cheerleading, enthusiastic, problem-solving coaches that help you figure out your shit while making you feel good about it along the way.

Win-win.

 

Get Physical

This one is easy.

Focus on your body. What does it need?

Water?
Sleep?
Exercise?
Meditation?
Stretching?
Bathing?
Food?

Seriously. Talk to your body. Why is she betraying you right now? What is she trying to tell you? She’s clearly holding out on inspiration to get unstuck – so maybe you should listen to her for once and ask her what she needs in order to move forward.

I have personally found that exercise – as much as I hate it sometimes – does wonders for my brain. Those endorphins come in and tell me if I can sweat it out for 30 minutes on a bike, I can figure out that stupid problem later.

I hope these tips help you stop feeling stuck.

I know I have had many, many battles with feeling stuck this entire year – and I’m sure I’m not alone.

If you need a bit of an extra push – you’re in the right place. Blush life coaching offers unlimited chat or video sessions starting at $99/mo.

Girl – admit it. That’s less than your coffee budget.

So let’s do this together. Sign up today to talk with a life coach about what’s keeping you stuck, and find a tailored path to get you out of your funk.

See you soon.