Even if you are generally an upbeat, happy type of person that enjoys being around people and being a participant in life rather than standing on the sidelines, you can still experience down times. It happens to us all. Maybe the long winter weather is getting you down, you feel bored and stuck in a rut, your creativity has fizzled, or you simply lack the motivation to do anything. Well, regardless of the cause of the trouble, you don’t have to just endure it and wait for those feelings to go away. Here are some suggestions as to how you can lift your spirits and get the inspiration you need to tackle life with enthusiasm again:
1. Don’t Give Up On Yourself
When your feeling down it’s easy to fall into the trap of blaming yourself. You can call yourself lazy, question your creative abilities, etc., and just determine that a good kick in the butt is all you need to set you on the right path. Don’t do that. Be kind to yourself. All it takes is the right circumstances and you will be feeling like your old self in no time.
2. Give Your Mind a Rest
We all need to replenish our mental energies every once in a while. It’s not a sign of failure on our part. One thing that might help is thinking about what is meaningful in your life. What you are really doing all of this to achieve. Sometimes remembering our goals and allowing our minds to just be calm and receptive to the fact that it’s okay to just sit back and ponder life can be a soothing experience. And guess what? It’s okay to actually do nothing. Just sit around and watch TV or email your friends, talk on the phone, or take a walk or drive. You don’t have to be productive every minute of the day.
3. Take Inspiration From The World Around You
The world is a beautiful place, and if you just take the time to look for that beauty, you will find many sources of inspiration are nearby. Sometimes as close as your own backyard. Go sit outside in the sun and enjoy the sights and sounds around you. The birds twittering, the bright blue sky, play fetch with your dog.
Take a walk to town and study the buildings the creative thought and effort put into making them all just right. Watch the people strolling about or rushing to and from their jobs. Harness that energy that’s all around you.
4. Accept Small Doses of Inspiration
You don’t have to be seized by that one fabulous idea, but maybe a few smaller ideas will come along. Accept them, consider them, and you just might find that you can put them all together and create something wonderful.
5. Watch Nature
Go for a walk in the woods or your nearest park. Concentrate on the natural beauty you see around you. Embrace the full experience of being outdoors and forget about anything else. Better yet, take your dog along and let them run loose. Observe how your furry friend can get lost in chasing a squirrel or tracking some interesting scent. For that moment what he’s doing is all that matters to your pet. He’s simply living in the moment and enjoying the heck out of it too.
6. Surf Online For Inspirational Sayings
Just put the words Inspirational Sayings into your browser and see what comes up. Take the time to really read them and meditate upon them. Also, you can search for and read blogs that are written by people who are either in the process of overcoming or have overcome challenges in life. Reading about other people’s trials can make your own look a lot smaller and more manageable.
7. Learn Something New
If you want inspiration to engulf you, just try to learn something new. Choose a new hobby, or perhaps a skill you’ve wanted to learn for a long time. Read a book about history or some other subject you’ve been wanting to learn more about for a while now. Just involve your thought processes with the task at hand, give it your full concentration and forget about everything else.
8. Look Within Yourself
Take up writing in a journal. You don’t have to say something profound. This exercise isn’t about being clever but exploring your thoughts and feelings. If you want to write a short story or a poem, by all means, go ahead. Do whatever comes naturally and above all enjoy it. If you view writing as a chore, then don’t do it. This is a way to clear your mind and help you relax from tensions, a way you can gain perspective on what’s going on in your life, and from that should come inspiration.
9. Revisit the Past
Go back to something that you have successfully created previously. Perhaps a drawing, or a blog post. It doesn’t matter what it is, the point is to remind yourself that you did this creative thing and the potential still lies within you. It’s also to remind of your past accomplishments and that you have it within you to succeed.
10. Let Go of Negativity
If you’ve failed in the past and can’t stop ruminating over it, determine to let it go once and for all and do just that. If you feel that you’re being too hard on yourself, demanding too much, let that go. Reflect on your negative thoughts and actions and begin to gradually release the ones that are holding you back from accomplishing what you want.
All of these suggestions revolve around concentrating on the positive and letting go of any uncertainty or negativity you may be currently experiencing. The goal is to inspire you to believe in yourself again and your ability to take on any task successfully. Needing a break from life, in general, happens to everyone from time to time. Don’t hold that against yourself or see it as a failure. Instead, take the time you need and don’t let a creative slump or a burnout on life lead to depression and more self-doubt.