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Everyone gets stuck in a rut from time to time. Here are 55 tips to help you get out of a slump and get motivated.
You could also be interested in these:
- Productivity Tips
- Personal Growth Ideas
1. Don’t beat yourself up; accept it for what it is
Getting stuck in a slump now and then is normal. It happens to the most energetic and motivated people.
Therefore there is absolutely no sense in beating yourself up over it.
Yes, it would be great to be more productive, but this slump you’re in gives you the necessary energy for your next phase of hustling.
So accept it for what it is, be kind to yourself and try out the following ideas to slowly get out of a slump.
2. Rearrange furniture
There is something weirdly powerful to moving your furniture around.
I know some people do it regularly, but I barely ever move something into a different place.
All the more powerful it is, once I do.
Just a small change can make the room feel different and fresh. It gives me the feeling of a new start.
And that’s perfect for getting out of a slump!
3. Put plants into your room
Aside from plants cleaning the air, they also make your room feel the more alive and high vibe.
They provide beauty and bring a part of mother nature into daily hustle without you having to go out.
Furthermore, it can be incredibly rewarding to take care of plants.
I’m always very happy when my orchids bloom anew.
4. Put flowers on your desk
Aside from potted plants, it can also be great to put a vase with flowers on your desk.
Since they don’t last that long, you can create variety in your life by purchasing different kinds of flowers every time.
5. Discover new music
Discovering new music that you are listening to day in and day out is one of the most beautiful feelings.
Go and watch some edits on YouTube or research the songs of TikTok clips. You could also listen to the soundtrack of your favorite series.
6. Rediscover old favorites
Rediscovering an old favorite can transport you back in time and make you suddenly feel all the things you felt back then.
So maybe go and read Harry Potter again or watch Winx Club.
7. Break out of your routine
One of the things that get me stuck in a slump the most is doing the same thing day in and day out for weeks or even months.
To some extent, we all need variety in our life. So make sure to get yours.
This could be by switching your workout and reading time in your morning routine.
You could also sleep in longer or wake up much earlier.
Maybe go and sit in a different room of your house when you work at home.
There are infinite ways to break out of your routine.
8. Wear a more stylish outfit at home
Clothes can heavily impact our mood. If we love what we wear, it makes us feel ready to take on the world.
Don’t let the home office keep you from wearing nice things.
Start dressing up, even if it is just for yourself and the mailman.
9. Take a walk somewhere new
How about some exploring?
When was the last time you walked around the neighborhood without a goal in mind?
Why not try out a few of the scenic tracks that the internet recommends for your area.
10. Have a day off
Take one day off entirely.
Don’t plan anything for it – no appointments, no work, no studying.
Say awake longer the night before, sleep in during the morning, chill in bed, watch Netflix, or read Fanficitons all day.
Give yourself one day to do all the things you always wanted to do but couldn’t because of your busy schedule.
11. Buy new stationery
Ah stationary!
Who doesn’t love stationery?
Getting new folders, pens, and notebooks at the beginning of a school year always felt like a brand new beginning.
Why not use that feeling to get out of a slump?
12. Create a vision board
If you do it right, a vision board can be the epitome of inspiration and motivation for you.
One look at it, and you remember what you are doing this all for. It gives you a sense of purpose and direction.
13. Change your lock screen/background
I don’t know about you, but I don’t change my lock screen or background image very often.
Every time I do change it, it feels very special and exciting to see the new image.
It brings a fresh breeze into my life.
14. Create an inspirational board on Pinterest
I LOVE Pinterest!
I love pinning aesthetic and motivating images.
You can also use Pinterest as your digital vision board.
15. Start a side project
To get out of a slump, a new goal in the form of a project can help you.
Find a project that excites you. Perhaps even a project that in the long-term can change your life – like starting a blog.
16. Finish things you’ve started
I love it to finally finish a book or a series I’ve been procrastinating on. It makes me feel accomplished and as if there is room in my life for something new.
17. Abandon things you procrastinate to finish
Sometimes, though, it is not worth wasting time to finish something you don’t like.
In that case, abandon it officially instead of half-heartedly clinging to it.
18. Clear out your wardrobe
Depending on how many clothes you buy, you should clear out your wardrobe once a year or so.
Get rid of the things that don’t spark joy whenever you see and wear them.
Your clothes should make you feel beautiful, cozy, sexy, powerful, and ready to hustle.
19. Clear out your digital devices
Get rid of those apps that you never use and delete the screenshots and blurry selfies you never look at anyway.
20. Try out new recipes
Introduce a new recipe into your life now, and then create the variety that will get you out of a slump.
Or perhaps buy a different bread or fruit or sweets the next time you go shopping.
Try out something new.
21. Try out new restaurants & Cafés
You don’t have to abandon your favorite café or restaurant. But to get out of a slump, it can be immensely helpful to discover a new favorite.
So go out there and explore your options!
22. Talk to someone new
Easier said than done, I know. But if the opportunity presents itself, talk to that stranger instead of giving a clipped answer and running for the hills.
23. Pour out your heart to a friend
When did you have the last heart-to-heart with a friend?
If you want to get out of a slump, this is the perfect time to do so.
Learn what’s going on in their life. Chances are they are also stuck in a rut, and this talk will help you both.
24. Go through old pictures and organize them
Taking pictures is easy. Finding old pictures not so much.
Use your slump to organize the mess that is your photograph library.
Afterward, you will not only feel accomplished, but you will have discovered lots of awesome moments from the past that can spark motivation in you.
25. Do something that scares you
Stepping outside your comfort zone helps you to level up.
So do something that scares you. Maybe traveling alone or speaking up in class.
26. Join a challenge
Let’s activate the competitive streak in you. Joining a challenge will give you a short-term goal to focus on .
Read also: 9 Personal Growth Challenges You Have To Try
27. Create a past milestones list
I LOVE doing this. It gives me a real feeling of accomplishment and motivation every time I look at it.
Take out a journal or the notes app on your phone and write down all the milestones you’ve already had in a certain area of life.
I’ve written down the exams I passed for my law studies, the internships I did, and more.
I love seeing the list grow longer and longer.
28. Create a future milestones list
Similarly, it can be very motivating to see the next milestones you have to tackle written out.
It gives you a sense of direction desperately needed during a slump.
29. Watch Day in the Life Vlogs
If your own life is not exciting enough, how about checking in on what others do.
It might spark some new ideas in you and motivate you to get productive again.
30. Watch reality shows
Same idea here. Reality shows also have the bonus of being a bit more entertaining than vlogs.
31. Keep track of the times you get into a slump
Figure out if there is a common trigger that gets you into a slump. If there is, it will be easier to avoid slumps in the future.
32. Keep track of the things that get you out of the slump
Just as important as knowing a potential trigger knows the solution that works for you.
Figure out what motivates and inspires you, and make sure to use it regularly.
33. Play Animal Crossing/Sims/ANNO
If your real life is in a slump, it can be great to escape into virtual life.
How about spending some time playing animal crossing or Sims or ANNO?
34. Create a secret Instagram Account purely for inspiration
Sometimes it is great to be a little less social and a bit more private.
You can create a secret Instagram account without telling anyone about it. That way you can follow all the accounts and like all the pins you want without your followers noticing.
Go and subscribe purely to inspirational and motivational accounts. Nothing that makes you feel in any shape or form negative.
35. Use affirmations
While stuck in a slump, it’s easy to fall into negative self-talk. Make sure to combat this toxic habit by using positive affirmations often.
Read also: 44 Affirmations for A-students | Mantras to Ace Your Exam
36. Start a gratitude list
You can’t be grateful and at the same time feel bored, lost, or unmotivated.
If you manage to feel truly grateful, these other emotions can’t exist at the same time.
37. Take a different route to and from work/school
Variety is key to get out of a slump. So how about changing something small, like the route you take to and from work or school?
Driving back from uni, I always take a more fun route which is still about the same length as the quickest option. I truly live for those few minutes of more fun.
38. Create a bucket list
Getting excited about your future is perhaps the most powerful way to get out of a slump.
Create a bucket list of the things you want to do in your life, in your 20s, or after your degree.
39. Choose pleasure over productivity/efficiency more often
You are not a machine; you are human. We are meant to experience pleasure in our lives.
This can mean studying in the sunshine for a while even though you can’t focus your best there.
Allow yourself to feel good even if it isn’t the most efficient option.
40. Find new hair products
I love discovering a new hair care product. Using a product with a fresh scent, texture and color gives my life a tiny bit more variety and excitement.
41. Find new skincare products
The same goes for a new skincare product.
42. Have a pamper day
How about some face masks and a bath with candles?
Or you could even go out and get a massage!
Treat yourself! It’s the perfect time to do so while stuck in a slump.
43. Hire a coach/Get a discovery coaching session
A coach or mentor is there to kick you in your butt and get you moving when you feel stuck, unmotivated, or make excuses.
Therefore they can be a powerful ally in helping you to get out of a slump.
44. Watch a documentation about someone’s journey
Last year I watched the Black Pink documentary on Netflix. Let me tell you, it got me so fired up!
For days afterward, I was inspired and felt ready to hustle.
Seeing people working passionately just makes you want to follow along.
45. Start listening to a (new) Podcast while doing chores/working out
Podcasts have been such a powerful source of inspiration for me ever since I discovered them.
They make me want to be a better person and introduce me to new books and courses.
46. Keep a habit tracker
Nothing motivates quite as much as keeping a streak alive.
So start tracking your daily habits and fight to keep the stream going.
47. Take tiny steps
It’s ok to be in a slump and unmotivated once in a while. You don’t need to do great and life-changing things if you are unmotivated.
But try to take the first tiny step of this project or task, and after that, see if you have it in you to take another small step.
Read also: Atomic Habits Book Review | 15 Lessons + Actionable Ideas + Quotes
48. Visualize your dream life
If you do it right, visualizing yourself living your dream life will make excitement bloom in your chest.
A smile will start to spread across your face as you feel the feelings you will be feeling in that dream life.
Having that vision before your eyes will motivate you to start hustling again.
49. Script about your dream life
Take out your journal and write in the present tense about your day or your thoughts as if you were already living your dream life.
If done right, this should have the same effect as visualizing your dream life.
50. Create playlists for different chores/seasons/moods
There is so much great music out there for every mood and situation.
Take some time to sort your favorite songs into different playlists that you can listen to at the right time to get motivated and inspired.
51. Discover Spotify playlists for your favorite fictional character
I love the feeling of becoming obsessed with a new song.
I sometimes look through Spotify for public playlists that are themed according to a fictional character to discover new music. (e. g. Tommy Shelby, the Marauders)
52. Get scented candles/sticks or a diffusor with essential oils
You can also bring variety into your life through pleasant scents.
Get yourself deliciously scented candles, aroma sticks, or essential oils.
53. Get a new planner
Usually, new planners always go hand in hand with a new year or new school year.
This feeling of a new start is very much needed during a slump, so why not get yourself a new gorgeous planner right now?
54. Get a new haircut/color
A new haircut or color can make you feel like a whole new person.
What tool could help you better to get out of a slump?
55. Try out non-permanent tattoos
And lastly, something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I discovered Inkbox.
Semi-permanent tattoos are a fun way to experiment and make you happy every time you look at the tattoo.
Let that black ink help you to get out of a slump!
That’s it!
What is your favorite idea to get out of a slump?
Do you have any additional ideas to share?
Until next time!
Sophie
