Tips for overcoming mental blocks

We all face obstacles while working and experience a dip in performance and quality. You are then inclined towards completing the task by adopting inadequate/ inappropriate ways. One should make a note if they are observing mental block, and try reasoning why is this happening and make a way out of it with an apt solution.

While this is quite normal to happen at times, it becomes a problem when you feel stressed and anxious at work on regular intervals, maybe on daily basis. This is not only a hindrance to your performance but also detrimental to one’s mental health.

What is Mental Block?

The mental block prevents one from utilizing their natural ability to be creative. When facing/ observing mental block, you feel that the task assigned to you is highly impossible to work around. Instead of feeling inspired, you feel demotivated, mentally stressed & tired, leaving you stressed and exhausted. These blocks can also occur when you have been assigned with a new task/ problem that you have never dealt with before.?

Most common causes of mental block

Some specific causes that you must look out for are:

• Mental exhaustion – a huge to-do list or too many tasks on your plate will definitely lead to mental exhaustion eventually lead to mental blocks.
• Lack of sleep – It is important to have a well-rested sleeping routine, instead of having an extra cup of coffee in the morning, try sleeping an hour/two earlier.
• Perfectionism – It is all right to be at 80% or 90% efficiency. And it is also okay to be at 99%, you are not to be put at fault. Feeling like you always have to be 100% efficient can also cause a mental block.
• Procrastination – Leaving the major decisions or tasks until the last minute will not only lead to anxiety but also cause stress and mental block.
• Self-doubt – Imposter Syndrome is another term which occurs when you are continuously afraid of your employees or colleagues or teammates to find out that you are not actually good at managing your job.

How to manage/ overcome a mental block

Facing problems is much better than running away from them. There are multiple ways to realign your thoughts and break through the mental block:

• Take a break – The easiest solution to mental block is to take time off, breaks, big and small can help you reset our mind and realign your thoughts to work with more efficiency.
• Declutter your workspace & reevaluate – A bad working environment can affect your productivity levels and your mood too. How many coffee mugs are lying on your desk? Is your afternoon snacks still lying unfinished in the plate? It’s time to reorganize your setup, be it at home, at the workplace or at the kitchen table. Once the physical space is decluttered, reorganize your priority chart of projects/ assignments, which will eventually help you set up timelines at your convenience.
• Embracing self-care & fear – Physical health is important, and in addition to eating right and exercising, don’t forget to indulge in some rest & relaxation. Consider avoiding working after you working hours, set time aside to learn/ read something new, and end your day with your favourite entertainment or with your loved ones.

And if you always have a fear of failing before or during the work/ assignment, try using the fear as motivation. If you foresee things, plan out a roadmap for the completion of an assignment. This way instead of panicking, when things go haywire, you are well equipped to handle the situation with ease.

• Work on your skills – It’s not that you are not efficient, you just need to polish the existing skills and learn a complimenting one. Eventually, you will feel the confidence resurfacing and the constant doubting will fade away.

When you are able to identify signs of mental blocks and deal with them, you are on your way to success. Taking the help of your friends or colleagues can help you see things from a different perspective that you needed to overcome the block. It’s essential to prioritize mental health and not overcommit to too much work and take breaks before hitting the mental block.

-Namrata Kaushik, Sr. Talent Acquisition Associate at Passion Connect