5 Tips to Get Yourself Unstuck So You Can Win the Day
Looking out my office window, the sight is less than motivating. The sky is overcast and it is a bit cool. For me this is more of a recipe for a good nap rather than knocking it out of the park in my business. To be honest, I’m writing this blog for you as much as I am writing it for myself.
So what do we do when we are stuck? Here are a few quick tips for you to try to give you a kick start:
1- Get away from your desk (or wherever you are working)
One of my favorite ways to get unstuck is to go take a walk or workout. A change of scenery and a little physical exertion go a long way to get the mind and body back on track. Since I work from home, most of my workouts take place right in my own bedroom or office. I love to pull up a yoga or barre workout from Honey Bee Sweat (use code GRACESVIP when signing up from a 20 percent discount on the first month’s membership).
2- Change Your Atmosphere
I’ve heard it said that a change of place can bring about a change of pace. While most of the time this refers to taking a vacation, it can also hold true to changing your setting during the work day. If you work from home, can you work in another room or work outside? If what you are working on requires you to stay anchored to one place, simply lighting a candle can change the feel of the room thereby relieving stress and anxiety and improving concentration.
3- Read A Book or Listen to a Podcast
It’s so easy when we don’t feel like doing anything to “buffer”. You know like when your mouse turns into spinning circle and you can’t do anything of value till the computer catches up? We can be the same way figuratively spinning and not doing anything that moves us forward. Such activities can be scrolling on social media (or your favorite website), watching television, or recreationally eating (ie- the Grinch when he starts eating glass because he is bored).
It’s during such times that instead of buffering, we switch to an activity like reading or listening to a podcast that will fill and grow us. During the work day I recommend reading or listening to something that will grow you personally or in your business.
There are sometimes that you do want to buffer and that is okay as long as you do it mindfully. If you want to scroll on social media recreationally, set a timer for how long you will scroll. It can be super easy to lose track of time when buffer scrolling so make sure to be intentional about it.
4- Take the Nap
Yup I said it. As taboo as it can be, sometimes the best way to get back to being productive is to allow the body to rest. NASA actually recently released a study that found pilots who slept in the cockpit for 26 minutes showed alertness improvements of up to 54% and job-performance improvements by 34%, compared to pilots who didn't nap. (https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-research-found-the-perfect-length-for-a-power-nap-2019-3)
The goal is to reset the body’s energies without feeling groggy. If grogginess kicks in, then that means you are napping for too long. If that is the case and you feel groggy after 26 minutes, then NASA recommends napping for anywhere between 10-20 minutes. Who’s up for a little napping experimentation? I know I am
5- Do something creative
Many times for me, when don’t feel up to doing a task, doing something creative helps spark the necessary motivation to get back to what needs to be done. For me today, it is writing to you. Writing to help you ignites my passion for helping you to be the very best version of yourself. Other days, simply going outside to pick a few flowers and arrange them in a vase helps me to feel more motivated. Creative activities allow us to use our brains in different ways, to view things from a different perspective, thereby changing our current drab state of mind.
I hope these tips help you out of the slump you may be feeling. Let me know in the comments which one(s) you tried and how helpful they were for you.
If you would like more personalized tips, I’d love to schedule a time to chat with you. Click here to schedule a time to chat!
