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6 In lifestyle

staying upbeat |how to drag yourself out of The Slump

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I’m talking how to drag yourself out of an ‘OMG I’m getting nowhere and have 5683 things to do and nothing’s going right and UGH life is against me,’ kind of slump.  We all have those, don’t we?   Here’s how I (attempt to) pick myself back up after mine.  (The Slump does not occur when prancing about under fancy archways on bright sunny days having fun, as the photo may suggest, btw.  The Slump days are grim and grey and indoors and boring).  Anyway…

Remember that it’s ok to cry randomly.  Said by the girl who started crying into a maths paper at 11:30pm on Friday night when she got to question 7 and still hadn’t got a question right without help.  Question 7 pushed me over the edge after a bad day, OK?  Friday was bleughhhh.  At the time I just get annoyed at myself for tearing up over nothing, but humans aren’t robots I guess.  Lesson learnt: don’t beat yourself up about it but don’t dwell on it either.  ‘Bleugh days’ or ‘bleugh weeks’ always happen when everything seems to take a downturn at once.  It’s overwhelmingly de-motivating but IT WILL PASS.  Better had anyway…

Get yourself some exercise that you can’t wimp out of halfway. A half-assed YouTube workout on your bedroom floor just won’t cut it I’m afraid.  If your motivation levels are pretty low anyway, you’re pretty likely to give up after 10 minutes then feel even worse than you did before starting.  Go for a jog, then at least you have to walk home again if you give up halfway.  Go to a gym class and have zero option to wimp out.  Guarantee you’ll feel 10x better after it.

Dress yourself properly, even if you’re not going anywhere.  Last night’s pyjamas do not give refreshed vibes.  Tie your hair out of your face, put on something comfy that isn’t pyjamas, and give your skin a really good deep cleanse and moisturise.  Need that clean fresh feeling.

Take yourself on a mini date.  Don’t bother inviting anyone along, alone time in a different location can be refreshing.  Even if it’s just taking your laptop and notebook to that new coffee shop down the road and setting up shop for a few hours.  Be one of ‘those people’.  Let people around you think you’re working on chapter 6 of your novel, even if you’re just browsing Pinterest.  Get out of the damn house and drag yourself out of The Slump; it’s far more empowering than having anybody do it for you.

Remember things that have gone well.  Things ain’t always so bad!  It’s so easy to be completely melodramatic and feel like you’re getting nowhere in life when everything seems to be going against you.  Doesn’t take much to influence a good or bad mood, does it?  This is why I sometimes write blog posts just about things that have made me happy that week.  They’re good to read back over as reminders.

Stop scrolling the same social media.  Really need to take my own advice on this one!  Don’t ban yourself from Instagram or Facebook, no, but don’t scroll through the same news feed over and over again.  It’s addictive, frustrating and useless simultaneously.  Browse something different, find different people who might inspire you.

Tell me how you get back on track when The Slump drags you down!

lily kate x

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6 Comments

  • Reply
    Eline
    20th February 2016 at 4:45 pm

    I actually was in a bit of a slump this week. I wasn’t in the mood to do anything even if I had a ton of things to do. It really helped to take myself out of the house and set up shop at a Starbucks near by. I also bought a book in the process and I can tell you that those things really really helped. Great tips.
    xx

    • Reply
      lily kate
      21st February 2016 at 8:32 am

      A new book and a Starbucks sounds like a great cure to me! Just looking at a different four walls can make all the difference, especially by yourself.
      Thank you!

  • Reply
    Sophie
    20th February 2016 at 5:14 pm

    I’m having one of these weeks right now, feeling really down and this post was right at the top of my Bloglovin feed, meant to be! Good to know that it happens to us all, thanks for cheering me up Lily!
    Sophie x
    http://www.thescientificbeauty.com

    • Reply
      lily kate
      21st February 2016 at 8:34 am

      My week started off really well and then fell into a bit of a slump too! It definitely happens to us all haha, really glad you liked my post, thank you!
      lily x
      jolihouse.com

  • Reply
    Rinica
    24th February 2016 at 3:34 pm

    Gosh I needed this! I’ve been a bit of slump over the past few weeks starting to feel a little perkier though I’ve found that starting up my running again and having a little digital detox has done the trick. Feeling way more motivated – it’s amazing how small changes really do help to lift your mood! 🙂 xx

    • Reply
      lily kate
      26th February 2016 at 6:07 pm

      February seems to be a common slump time haha! I find the tiniest things can bring my mood up or down, it almost seems silly. Exercise is always a good way though!
      Thanks for commenting!

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