Avoiding A Slump

Sunday, April 1, 2018

Today we're getting back into my year's goal of releasing and not letting negative things rule my life.

Every so often, I'll hit a slump. The specifics of this change. Sometimes it's a writing slump where I'm out of blog post ideas, sometimes it's an emotional slump where I'm feeling vaguely sad for no reason, or it can be something else completely.

The gist is that it's not great, and I like to avoid it if possible. To kick it before it kicks me.

I'm focusing on it now because I can feel that it's a sensitive time for me. One big reason for it is that I spent about half of March being sick. It left me feeling cooped up, antsy, and boring. I didn't hang out with friends too much or make many plans. Half the month was spent on my couch. Even though it's normal – you're supposed to rest and take it easy when you're sick – it still doesn't feel good.

Now that I'm coming out the other side, it's time for me to get moving again. I've learned what I have to do, and not do, to avoid falling into a slump.

Get dressed every day

When the work week ends and the weekend rolls around, all I want to wear is something comfortable. I don't feel like putting too much effort into my outfit. I tend to wear one of the same two or three sweatshirts on the weekends. Sometimes I'd spend half the day in the clothes I slept in. Now, I'm trying to treat Saturday and Sunday just like any other day. Wearing normal clothes makes me feel less lethargic. Even if it's still something casual and comfy, at least it's not my pajamas.

This only applies to my outfit, though. I still enjoy my makeup-free weekends.

Leave the apartment

I'm an introvert who lives a fairly quiet life. If I've had a busy or social week, I'm happy to have a chill weekend in. But it feels weird when I realize I've been inside my apartment for an entire day. It's okay to do from time to time, but I know that it's not good for me, personally. So I try to leave my apartment every day, even if it's just returning a book to the library or going for a walk outside.

Stop worrying about what people think of me

I simultaneously don't care what people think of me while also needing everybody I interact with to like me. If I suspect a person doesn't like me, I'll fixate on it. What did I do wrong? How can I fix it? How am I so bad that this person dislikes me yet I don't even know why?

It'd be great if everyone I encountered liked me. But the hard truth is that it's not going to happen. Not everyone is going to like me, and of those people, some may not even have a solid reason. It's just something I have to accept. Aiming to please everybody all the time is an impossible mission that will only leave me feeling discouraged.

Talk to a friend

When we're feeling down, it's easy to get wrapped up in it. Talking to a friend can help for a lot of reasons. Admitting when we aren't feeling so great can be difficult, or awkward when "good" is a much easier answer to "how are you?", but our friends are there to comfort us when we need it. If I'm in a slump, reaching out to a friend makes me feel less alone.

It also gives me an opportunity to turn my focus away from my life and on to theirs, catching up on what's new with them and how they're doing.

Arrange something to look forward to

Having something to look forward to is always a nice feeling, and when I'm in a slump, I crave it. Big or small. Sometimes it's booking a trip to Florida, other times it's arranging a lunch with a friend. Whatever it is, it's the light at the end of the tunnel.

As I have a quiet weekend this weekend (and feel a little insecure about it since I feel like I should be out and about since I'm not sick anymore), I know that next weekend will be busier, including going out to a concert on Saturday.

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