Getting Unstuck

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Welcome to our 2nd weekly tip in this series!  This week we’re going to explore ways to get “unstuck”. 

If you’re like me, these blah grey days make getting anything done feel like swimming through peanut butter.  (Ok, I don’t actually know what that feels like, but I’m pretty sure we all can imagine it.) And, despite a lack of any sort of motivation, my to-do list just seems to keep growing. In fact, it’s getting to the point where just thinking about what I need to do feels overwhelming and makes me want to shut down completely. So, what’s the trick to finding your motivation again?

That’s a good question!  There are several ways to overcome this feeling of stagnation and to start making progress again.   

1)     Work smarter – not harder.

If you’re stuck in a rut, then whatever got you there isn’t going to help you get out of it. So, it’s time to try something different. Yes, social norms say things should be done a certain way. But, there’s no harm in breaking the so-called rules and doing something that makes sense at the time. As the Upworthy article below discusses, doing something in an unconventional way (like running the dishwasher twice instead of rinsing dishes before loading the dishwasher) can accomplish the same goal while making the task less daunting.  So, “Run the dishwasher twice!”

2)     Ask for help.

If my students learn nothing else from me, I hope they learn to use their resources. It’s all about working smarter, not harder. Don’t assume you have to do everything yourself. If you’re stuck on an assignment, reach out to your professor for help. If your dorm is a mess, divide up chores with your roommates. Ask family members to help you with errands or for ideas for quick, easy meals. You don’t have to do everything on your own. One benefit of being part of a community is having other people to go to for help. Asking for help isn’t a failure. It actually takes strength to admit that you’re stuck or don’t know something.  

3)     Baby steps!

Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Start with the small things first. I usually try to pick off the quick things on my to-do list first. Then after doing a few small things, I can tell myself the list is half done already. That makes finishing the list a bit easier. So, clean off one counter in the kitchen. Put 5 cups in the dishwasher. Take that 30-minute quiz. Read 3 pages of this week’s chapter. Any progress is progress.

4)     Do something you enjoy

It’s really easy to let life become nothing but an endless loop of things that we don’t enjoy. When this happens, we tend to turn to the comfort of our favorite tv shows, go to bed early, or simply lose hours scrolling through social media. When was the last time you took time to do something that you truly enjoy? Yes, it’s harder to do this in a pandemic; but, it’s not impossible. Schedule a video call with a friend, get outside for a walk, finally get around to watching that movie that you’ve been waiting to see, or even take time to make your favorite meal. When we find time for the things we enjoy and want in life, all of the things we have to do seem like a much smaller hill to climb.

 

If these still aren’t helping you find your way back to blissful productivity, try checking out some of the resources below.  

-Dr. M

 

Resources:

“Woman Shares Her Therapist’s Surprisingly Helpful Mental Health Tip: Run the Dishwasher Twice”
https://www.upworthy.com/woman-shares-therapists-mental-health-tip-for-doing-dishes  
 
“When Motivation Plummets:  What Kind of Deflated Doer Are You?”
https://unstuckcommunity.tumblr.com/post/76653928844/when-motivation-plummets-what-kind-of-deflated/amp
 
“Motivation Boosters (for Deflated Doers) Worksheet”
https://sypstore.wpengine.com/project/motivation-boosters/
 
“How to Get Unstuck and Get Back On Track to Achieving Your Goals”
https://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/how-get-unstuck.html
 
“Get Off Your Butt: 16 Ways to Get Motivated When You’re in a Slump”
https://zenhabits.net/get-off-your-butt-16-ways-to-get-motivated-when-youre-in-a-slump/
 
“47 Goal Setting Exercises, Tools, & Games (Incl. PDF Worksheets)”
https://positivepsychology.com/goal-setting-exercises/
 


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