One day, you can be in perfect flow and feel completely out of sync the next day. You may find yourself sitting at your computer unable to write, code, design or produce anything of value. If this sounds familiar, you may be experiencing a mental block.
Mental blocks can happen when you are engaging in long periods of mental stimulation, experiencing prolonged stress, or are in a demanding, highly creative environment. Here are some signs that you need to watch out for:
• Feeling frustrated or overwhelmed
• Trying to push through to finish a task but feel stuck
• Have difficulty completing any tasks that required you to think, strategize or create
• Feel like you’re having trouble producing anything of the quality you expect from yourself
• Finding it hard to describe how you’re feeling and what you’re experiencing The hardest thing about experiencing a mental block is that it cannot be seen, which makes it hard to identify. A mental block can happen to anyone, they vary in duration, and can happen at the worst times.
“There are many ways to enhance feelings of clarity and de-escalate negative talk within your own mind when you are stuck. They key is being gentle with yourself.”
Several factors can contribute to the onset of a mental block:
Lack of Sleep: It can feel exhilarating to work on projects, side hustles and other interests. But most people also have families and non-work, day-to-day responsibilities to fit into their waking hours. It can be tempting to shave off sleep time to feel like you’re getting everything done and meeting deadlines that you set for yourself.
What is essential is to prioritize your sleep – anywhere for 6 to 8 hours. This will give your brain the time it needs to rest and recuperate from the metabolism products that build up when you are mentally active throughout the day. Prioritizing sleep will make you feel fresher, more alert and leave you able to be more efficient at what you do.
Increasing your physical activity during the day can promote a much deeper and restful sleep. Physical activity pumps more blood to the brain, too, so you can feel more refreshed during the day, while helping foster a sense of calm.
Disorganization: If you are so busy that you don’t have time to keep your work area tidy and organized, you may end up having difficulty focusing on tasks. Your workspace should reflect the clarity you want to be able to approach your activities with.
Schedule breaks in your day where you shift gears from one task to another and use those breaks to do small bursts of organizing. This will go a long way to feeling less overwhelmed that if you let disorganization get out of hand.
Impostor Syndrome: People can often find themselves doubting their abilities at various points in their careers. High expectations of your own performance or comparing yourself to others can lead to a headspace where you feel like you are a fraud that has no business doing what your career requires you to do. There is often a fear that high-achieving individuals experience where they think they will be found incompetent or be unable to replicate past successes.
One of the best ways to overcome this issue is to step back and look at the bigger picture. As yourself about what facts support that you deserve to be in your role and why you are competent doing what you do.
Watch your internal dialogue. We can be very hard on ourselves yet more understanding of others who may be experiencing the same things. Picture yourself giving advice to a friend of colleague who is experiencing the same sort of impostor syndrome as you in order to find a kinder voice that you can address yourself with.
Talk with people outside of your immediate career circle for a broader perspective. Being able to share successes with others and help them celebrate their successes can reinforce positive feelings that will go a long way to conquering the agonizing feeling of self-doubt.
Remember that stepping away from what you are working on is always an option when you feel stuck. Continuing to work will only frustrate you. Set aside some time to relax and shift your focus. Listening to some music is a powerful way reset your mind. You can also use meditation as a way to enhance feelings of clarity and de-escalate negative talk within your own mind when you are stuck.
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