7 Ways to get out of a slump

Life is great! Except when it’s not…

I would like to think of myself as a happy person. I’m positive and tend to be pretty productive. Yet, sometimes I find myself in a slump.

When life gets hard and the future seems overwhelming, all I want to do is hide under a blanket until someone comes to save me. It is then I remember the wise words of Dr Seuss and realise that it’s part of the journey and only I can get myself out of there.

When you’re in a slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

– Dr Seuss | Oh The Places You’ll Go

…but it can be done. So how does one go about un-slumping oneself?

Seven ways to un-slump yourself

1. Make a to-do list

When everything seems all too much, it helps to write down what needs to be done. This helps to get all those thoughts swimming in your head on a piece of paper so you can look at them one at a time.

Next, you analysis them. One at a time. You can even make a to-do list for each item on your to-do list. The key is to break everything down into basic steps until you have something relatively easy to start with.

By making something that seems complex smaller and taking it one step at a time, even the most daunting task seems more approachable.

2. Read

Reading helps your brain to let go of whatever it’s holding on to at the moment and start to relax. Just pick up any book lying around in your house. Or read any old article in a magazine. 

It doesn’t really matter what you read. More often than not, the mere act of reading allows you to find clarity on something completely unrelated. Your mind relaxes just long enough for you to forget that you’re in a slump and that brief instance can be enough to remind you that it’s not a permanent situation and you will be able to get out of it.

3. Exercise

Exercise has the same effect on this issue as reading. If you can just get your mind to wander for a little while, you will remember what it feels like to be normal again and recognise your slump as a temporary state that can be overcome.

4. Sleep

Everything is worse when you’re tired. I’m a baby when I’m tired.

Sometimes the body just needs a good rest. Take a nap. There’s nothing better than an afternoon nap to quickly reset you and give you the energy needed to take on the world again. 

5. Clean and organise

When have you ever not felt good when your apartment/house has been cleaned? No-one ever said it’s fun and even an un-slumped person needs some motivation to clean, but boy does it make you feel good.

Remember that feeling, and start to clean. Just one room. Just do the kitchen or just do the floor and see what happens from there. 

The spark of satisfaction from being in a clean environment might just be enough to give you an initial boost out of that slump.

6. Meditate

You either get it or you don’t.

Try clearing your head by imagining your mind as a vast open sky. Your thoughts are clouds drifting past. Each thought a different shape. Some are white and puffy, some are dark and stormy. Either way, they appear, they stay for a while, then they drift away. 

As clouds come and go, thoughts, feelings, worries and problems come and go. Just acknowledge them and let them be. Sometimes you just have to wait out the bad weather.

That’s how you meditate and distance yourself from your thoughts.

7. Contact another human

Calling or messaging someone when you’re down might seem like the most impossible thing to do. It’s not nice talking to people when you don’t feel nice. You like to lift people, not bring them down, so what do you do?

Just say hello. Send someone a quick hi. You don’t have to go into the fact that you’re not having the best time. You don’t even need to say anything important. Just say hello to someone and start chatting about the weather or whatever. 

That human connection will light a little fire in you that tend to go out when you’re in a slump. Hopefully, it will be enough to ignite the old you so you can take it from there.

So there you go my friends. My tips and tricks to get out of a slump. There’s no shame in being not at your best, but life sure is more fun when you are. So the next time you’re feeling a bit down and out, try these useful tips and tricks.

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