Getting out of your slump

When life gets overwhelming, it feels like you’re snowed under with tasks, the mundane routines we so often get stuck in and the feelings and emotion that can infiltrate our mind and bodies. The mist sets in, the haze starts to descend and before we know it we’re driving down a foggy highway with no street lights, minimal vision with the capability of only seeing a few meters ahead of us. (By mist/haze/fog I mean confusion, the highway is life and minimal vision is our inability to be able to find clarity and hope beyond our current state of emotion).

We find ourselves in a horrible slump without the knowledge of how to get out of it and no one wants to prolong their time in that slump, its human nature to want to fix and rectify. I too find myself getting overwhelmed with life and I’ve become quite good at identifying the sources, usually related to how isolating work can be or I forget about how good life is because of how focused I become on the annoyances that send me spiraling. Only recently have I thought of (with the help of a book called “The Secret” written by Rhonda Byrne) a little fix that gives me perspective and the boost to blast me out of a slump.

Often all it takes is a reminder of all that we have to be grateful for. So the technique I use because I’m a visual processor is a “Gratitude Web”, same concept as a “Mind Map” or a “Brain Storm”. I simply use a piece of paper, write “Gratitude Web” in the middle, and every single thing that I associate with gratefulness goes on the page. From the smallest of things like, having a book shelf full of books I love to read to larger things like being able to travel the world for a living (include people, places, events and memories). Anything you can possibly think of that evokes feelings of gratefulness and joy goes on the paper. Upon completion nothing more needs to take place. This simply provides me with perspective that although I may be feeling down at that moment in time I have a tonne of things in this life that make whatever put me in a slump insignificant.

If you’re looking for a way to combat slumps, try this. No one has to know, it’s just an exercise for you to do. You can even adjust to suit your processing style. I prefer visual processing so I write mine out. You could so easily just say or list the things as thoughts in your mind, or alternatively if you’re a kinaesthetic learner you could be an active participant in the things you’re grateful for like your ability to draw so spend some time drawing or you’re grateful for the friends and family you have so take a moment out to surround yourself with them.

When something so simple can create such a positive change why wouldn’t you take a moment to try something new and see what it can do for you.

7 Replies to “Getting out of your slump”

  1. I bet Obama’s act will wear a little thin in the next six months. There are only so many ways to say change and hope, hope and change. Evltunaley somebody will ask him for specifics, it won’t be anyone in the press of course, but it could happen.


  2. Lovely post, Ellie. There is much research in positive psychology that demonstrates the emotional benefits of gratitude. I’m grateful for all the connections I’ve made through my blog and reading other people’s writing.


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