How To Get Out Of A Slump
So, you keep setting goals and adding items on your vision board yet the follow through just isn’t there. Things aren’t going as planned and door after door is being slammed in your face. You are drowning in work, pressure on your shoulders feels heavier than ever and you feel like you have FAILURE stamped across your forehead.
You my friend, you are in a slump.
Before the vicious defeated cycle consumes you entirely, let’s pull up our big girl pants and turn this all around - step by step.
6 Steps To Take To Get Out Of A Slump:
1. Admit It
A slump is not different than any other problem therefore, the first step in fixing it is admitting it. Look yourself in the mirror or say it out loud to your counterpart and make the acknowledgment that there is in fact a problem and you are going to make a valid effort to get back on track.
2. Seek A Solution
Alright, it’s off your chest and out in the open. You screamed I AM IN A SLUMP at the top of your lungs which brings us to the next phase; it’s time to troubleshoot and find a solution. For some, speaking words of affirmation such as “This too shall pass” may do the trick. For others, it may be a physical act of seeing your slump written out. Grab a pen and paper and make a list of personal things that are causing you to feel icky (for lack of a better term) next to each item then write a potential salutation. Do the exact same thing for problems in your work environment. Seeing the issues smack dab in front of your face will force you to acknowledge the issue at hand and not scoot around them.
3. Talk It Out
Sometimes, when feeling down and out we tend to trick our minds to believe that we are the only ones who have ever felt this way. That couldn’t be more false and when you begin to talk to others about it you will quickly realize that, to some extent, others have been in your exact shoes before! By playing the victim card you are simply putting your slump directly under a microscope and prjecting negative energy. Talk it out and most importantly, be open to let it go. The willingness to wash away your slump starts and ends with YOU.
4. Party Of One
You feel lower than the dirt you walk on and convince yourself that dog poop holds more value than you do. You walk around with an unapproachable chip on your shoulder complaining to everyone that comes into your breathing space. PITY PARTY OF ONE COMING RIGHT UP. Ya’ll, here’s the flat out truth. Some day’s suck and some days you may feel like the world is out to get you. You will stub your toe so hard on life and you will not get the job that you went through 6 rounds of interviews for. IT HAPPENS. But guess what should not happen? Your pity party. Cancel that sh*t and cancel it ASAP. Instead of focusing on your lame party that no one wants to attend put your energy towards how to get OUT of your slump.
5. Express Gratitude
You better believe we are going to discuss how gratitude is the best attitude. If you think you are going to crawl out of your slump without showing appreciation for your hardships, then you have another thing coming for you. Every single experience, good or bad, is a life lesson. Reflect on that. You may be so far down in the dumps but what can you learn from this? How can you ensure you won’t end up back here? What takeaways will you bring with you? Express gratitude for the bumps because those bumps are what shape you to be the person you are becoming.
6. Ready, Set, Go!
It’s now time to prove that you can walk the walk and talk the talk. You ready? Let’s go. By this point you should be fully suited up and ready to take action. What is something positive that you can do RIGHT NOW that will bring you one step closer to getting out of your slump? Take that baby step or even crawl if you have to! The first step may be the hardest but once you get steady you will be jogging to a positive place in no time.
