Written by Karen D. Swim
It happens to the best of us. Your get up and go gets up and well goes. You feel lethargic and uninspired. Your creative muse hides out leaving you in the lurch. You try to break through the funk but it’s like trying to climb out of quick sand with a rope slathered in Vaseline. No need to fear Batman, you can reclaim your mojo with these three quick tips.
- Shake it up. Nothing cures a case of the uninspired than shaking it up a little. Change your dull dreary routine. If you work at home, pack up that laptop and take it to a new location for the day. If you work in an office, take a different route to work, try a new coffee run along the way. Wear a different color or style of clothing. Instead of hopping on the dreadmill at the gym, take a spinning class. Try something new. Little changes in your day or routine can renew your energy and change your perspective.
- Level it out. An out of balance life is the number one killer of passion. If your flame has flickered your schedule may be to blame. Have you become all work and no play? Does your family communicate with you only through text messages? Are you sucking down lattes and red bulls to make it through long and getting longer work days? You may be in need of a time out. Block out some time to take a walk in the park, see a movie, get a massage or have a meal with friends (a real meal with real friends, not a microwave meal while you Twitter). Take a day off and play hooky with the family. Now that you’ve had some time away, take a hard look at your schedule. What can you delegate? What things can be moved to “ignore” list? Moving forward, what shifts can you make in your schedule to keep your life in a better balance?
- Exercise your gifts and talents. We gain energy by expending it. Gifts and talents that go unused drain your spirit of energy leaving you feeling unfulfilled and tired. If you are in a job that does not make use of your gifts or talents, you may find yourself bored and listless. It may not be practical to quit but you can find creative ways to put that talent to use. Take a class, volunteer, join a group or simply make time to indulge your talent during non-working hours. If your job is really out of sync, make time to work on a career transition. A career or life coach can be invaluable in helping you develop a strategy for major transitions.
From time to time we all need to recharge our batteries. Even when life is going great, breaking up the routine helps to keep us fresh and inspired. If your work and talents are in sync, exercise them in new ways to prevent burnout. Anyone can fall into a rut from time to time but the good news is you don’t have to remain there.
How do you shake off the doldrums? Have you ever discovered a new passion or hobby while trying to shake out of a rut? Share your rut busting stories or tips in the comments. If you have never commented, shake it up a little and offer your thoughts. 🙂
Footyman says
Ha yes Karen I write at night, just like right now.
And yes, I can totally empathize with what you mean by feeling guilty doing nothing! I have that guilt too. I hope we can overcome that and enjoy life as it is.
I sure hope to visit Ulla’s wonderful city and relax there someday! haha
Footymans last blog post..Time = Investment
Karen Swim says
Footyman, ah the wonders of WP! I missed your comment in the first round – sorry about that! I am impressed that you write at night! There have been times that I have had to learn how to relax again and enjoy doing nothing without feeling guilty!
Ulla, what a wonderful idea to gain a fresh perspective! I think we’re all guilty of taking the familiar for granted. I love your idea and fortunately you do live in a wonderful city. 🙂
Ulla Hennig says
Thanks for the post, Karen!
I live in Berlin, Germany, which is a city visited by quite a lot of tourists. Sometimes I decide to act as one: go on a tour by ship among the Landwehrkanal or the Spree; sit outside a café and have a latte and a croissant; go to the Gendarmenmarkt. Normally I avoid those places, but sometimes it is beautiful to mix with the tourists. It reminds me of the fact that I live in a wonderful city!
Ulla Hennigs last blog post..Looking across the Water
Karen Swim says
Robert, ROFL! I tell ya everytime I pull up the picture it cracks me up too. LOL! Mrs. MZM is right! I for one would love to hear about your orchid growing experience. You may be onto something and at the very least you could get a good post out of the experience. 🙂
Ellen, I love your idea. I am currently running a sales contest. Yes, I know I am the only sales person but these kinds of wacky things keep me motivated. I am hoping to win myself a Mac and then I can go hang out in the wifi places. 🙂
Ellen Wilson says
Oh, I’m feeling it right now!
I like all of your ideas, and have tried them all at various points in time.
Going to a wifi coffee shop is good.
I have a few other ideas stirring in the pot that I will attend to to make life juicy. Something I have been thinking of is giving yourself assignments to make your work interesting. Something that will pull you out of a rut and make you see things with fresh eyes.
Take care!
Ellen Wilsons last blog post..Spontaneous Memoir Meme
Robert Hruzek says
Looks like you win the Booby prize today for best picture, Karen! Photos like this make it dangerous to drink milk while using the Internet…
I’ve always been a big fan of the “do something completely different” philosophy (no surprise there, right?) When things start getting in a rut for me, inevitably something new comes along that gets my attention.
For instance, Mrs. MZM and I were in Smith & Hawkins the other day, and for some strange reason, I was suddenly taken by the urge to – grow an orchid! Go figure. Now, whether or not I actually do such a whacky thing is beside the point. The thought certainly made me think differently, though.
Not to mention Mrs. MZM’s standard response these days to anything unusual: “You should blog about that.” 😀
Robert Hruzeks last blog post..Out of Order
Karen Swim says
Friar, I fell over laughing at your second comment. In fact I was laughing so hard I had to walk away from the computer. I then got busy with client work and just made my way back today. You never fail to make me laugh!
Wendi, one of the things I learned about you is your joy for life and ability to keep things balanced. I know that the wisdom has been hard won. I love that you have shared with us the road you traveled. It helps us all to learn and grow. Those mini-breaks are so perfect, aren’t they? Now, throw in a massage.. lol!
Melissa, ooh great advice! Starting a new hobby is an awesome way to mix it up. I have not been great about that and am going to take your suggestion. Massage? You are truly a woman after my own heart! I am a total and complete spa junkie! 🙂
Melissa Donovan says
When this happens to me, I almost always start a new hobby. Sometimes it’s a game, other times I tackle a major organization project. It definitely mixes things up but I’d actually rather go get a massage 😉 haheh.
Wendi Kelly says
I had one of those morning this morning as a matter of fact. So…..I got out a good book, read for awhile and then took a nap. I was overtired and worn down. Once I was able to get the rest I needed and a little quiet time and mini-break…I was good to go and get back in the groove. Sometimes for me the thing to do is to not fight it.
Friar says
@Barbara
You said “booby”
Huh-huh-huh-huh. 🙂
Friars last blog post..I tried, but couldn’t eat this candy…
Friar says
I think one important thing is to know when to bail out.
If you’re in a toxic environment, it’s always good to try to fix it. But it eventually it might get to a certain point that you’ve given it 100%, and there’s nothing left to give.
At ths point, no ammount of self-help or effort or hobbies or distractions will cure the doldrums. That’s when it’s time to GET OUT.
I’ve done this with a few bad jobs and/or relationships. Best move I ever did.
And it helped me get my mojo back.
Friars last blog post..I tried, but couldn’t eat this candy…
Footyman says
For me, one way to get the groove back is to do something totally different or relaxing.
Writing blogs, while interesting, can be quite tiring for me as I do it at the end of the day after work, and after everyone has slept. Sometimes I really need to get the groove back to write meaningfully.
Having the courage to put everything the pen down (yes it needs courage!) and just sit down on the couch and relax and “do nothing” can be totally rejuvenating for me.
Footymans last blog post..Teaching Children to Express Their Anger
Karen Swim says
Hi and Happy Monday Barbara! The picture made me laugh and I wanted to share that, so I am so glad it made you smile too! Whoo hoo,hooky day, I love it! Enjoy and then come back and tell us all about it! 🙂
Hi Joanna! No need for apologies, but it is good to see you back. 🙂 You are so right Joanna! I have a little stick to remind me to say I choose to or I get to rather than should. Shoulds only make us feel weighed down (and guilty when we don’t fulfill them) whereas choices make us free (hat tip to your theme of the month). Thanks Joanna for that incredible bit of wisdom. You rock!
Joanna Young says
Hi Karen, well I have commented before but not for a wee while, sorry!
Changing routines helps (shaking it up), and looking out for “shoulds”. Normally I find that when I’m feeling down or lethargic it’s because I’m drowning under a burden of self-imposed shoulds. Sometimes you need to let go of them, but sometimes it’s enough to change the language (I’d like to, I want to, I choose not to and so on)
I love the pic by the way – that made me smile. Oh I guess that’s another – seek out things that will make you smile or laugh
Joanna
Joanna Youngs last blog post..Quotes on Writing and Freedom #3: The Permission Slip
Barbara Ling, Virtual Coach says
A blue-footed booby! What a cool picture!
And I really agree with “Take a day off and play hooky with the family.” – I’m going to do that right now and take the kids to look for sharks teeth in our local rivers.
Smart idea!
Happy Monday, Barbara