How To Find Inspiration When You Just Don’t Feel Like Doing Anything

Ever get a case of the “mehs”?

It happens to the best of us (and never at a good time). Project deadlines loom as your interest wanes; you want to get started but can’t seem to find a way to get unstuck.

Though it’s usually only temporary, figuring out how to move forward can be challenging. Here are 13 ways to find inspiration and get unstuck:

1. Make sure you’re clear on what you want

Sometimes we feel stuck because we don’t have clarity on exactly what we want. As Marie Forleo says, “Ambiguity is the enemy of execution.” Figure out the one thing that’s most important right now and focus on that.

2. Pause the self-judgment

Beating yourself up is counterproductive to making progress.?Research ?shows that self-care drives success, so treat yourself the supportive way you would a treasured friend or colleague. This means being kind and caring toward yourself rather than harshly self-critical.

3. Turn that frown upside down

When you’re feeling stuck, it’s tempting to wallow in your misery. But staying in a negative headspace won’t help you move forward. Instead, shift your mindset to one of positivity and possibility where you consider what could be.

4. Help others and practice gratitude

One of the best ways to deal with feeling uninspired is getting out of your head and helping someone else. Proactively offer assistance to those struggling. Put yourself in their shoes. It’s amazing the shift that occurs when you move from a selfish position to one of service. When you help someone solve a problem, you feel better, which changes your mindset and paves the way for more good.

Another way to do this is to practice gratitude. Write a thank you letter to someone who’s had an impact on your life. Make a list of things for which you are grateful. This becomes a virtuous cycle for positivity and good and a win-win to help get you back on track.

5. Add “yet” to reframe your situation

When you feel frustrated about your lack of inspiration and progress, it’s easy to get trapped in a downward spiral. However, when you add the word “yet” after a negative statement, it transforms it into a more positive one: “I haven’t gotten started” becomes “I haven’t gotten started?yet.” “Yet” implies that there will be a future solution or resolution; the current situation is only temporary.

6. Phone a friend

Feeling stuck? The first step is acknowledging it. The next is to reach out for help. A trusted friend or mentor can offer words of encouragement in a supportive and non-judgmental voice to inspire you. Chances are, they’ve been there before and help you find your way out—and if needed, give you a gentle kick in the pants.

7. Walk away and do something completely unrelated

Have you been slaving away at your laptop for hours and have nothing to show for it? One of the best things you can do is to get up and walk away. Clean out your junk drawer. Play a video game. Take out the garbage. Whatever you do, aim for something completely unrelated to the task at hand so you can shift your focus and hit the reset button.

8. Try moving to a new location

Sometimes a change of venue can provide a much-needed boost of inspiration. If you usually work in your home office, try hitting your local coffee shop or move outside to get recharged and ready to tackle your project.

9. Sleep on it

If you have an active imagination and a brain that works overtime (even when it’s supposed to be resting), let go and allow your subconscious mind to take over while you sleep. When inspiration strikes, be ready with a pad and pen on your bedside table, so you’ll be able to jot down ideas when they occur.

10. Get your sweat on

Having your brain switch from mental to physical mode can clear the cobwebs and refill its creative juices. Plus, when you’re busy sweating, you’re not thinking about that undone project. If you’re feeling stuck, try doing something active, whether practicing yoga or hitting the gym.

11. Connect with nature

Try taking a walk in nature where the only reason you have your phone is to use its camera function. By literally focusing your attention on the beauty of your surroundings — and capturing it in photographs — you’ll allow yourself to relax and make room for inspiration to flow again.

12. Hit the showers

The next time you’ve hit a roadblock, take a shower. Science tells us there is a direct connection to creativity and showering: a whopping 72% of us get our best ideas in the shower. As Scott Barry Kaufman, a cognitive scientist and co-author of?Wired to Create , says, “the relaxing, solitary, and non-judgmental shower environment may afford creative thinking by allowing the mind to wander freely, and causing people to be more open to their inner stream of consciousness and daydreams.”

13. Think micro, not macro

Fixating on all the work you have to do can cause overwhelm and deplete your inspiration. Remember that when it comes to executing, it’s the small actions, done consistently, that matter most. Progress isn’t derived from a single bold, sweeping gesture; it’s made one step at a time. And taking action—however tiny—begets more action.

This article was first published on Forbes.com. Find it?here ,?and my other Forbes articles?here .

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