How to Get Out of a Slump

Are you in a slump?

Do your batteries feel flat, focus is elusive and you are drawn to your couch like a moth to a flame? Symptoms may vary, but you know you are not operating at your best, and you find yourself asking, "how to get out of this slump?"

But wait!

Having been in slumps myself, there is a surprising benefit to slumps.

The Secret Slump Benefit

As a motivational leadership speaker and author on the topic of self-leadership, there is an expectation that I wouldn't experience a slump. Nothing is further from the truth.  You see, when I hit a slump, I'm like a man who is happy at the bottom of a hole. Why? Because I both know the way out and, know the benefit of being in the hole.

Life can be fast-paced and we can miss the subtle things. A slump is often your body or mind signaling you something. It's only when you accept the slump that you can get the message.

Too often we force ourselves to push through such periods of low energy, but if it really is a slump, the best strategy is to 'call it'. By naming and owning your slump, ultimately you put yourself back in control.

Everything in life has cycles, the weather, the stock market, and your energy levels. The secret of success is to ride the cycle and benefit from downtime.

It’s time to reflect, regroup, and decide on what’s important and what’s not. Use your slump to nurture yourself and become aware of what really matters to you. When you have answered this question, and given your body some rest, then do the following 'Slump Busters'.

1. Laugh and have some fun

Laughter changes your outlook by releasing ‘feel-good’ chemicals in your brain. Recently I discovered a big foam pit at a local trampoline park. I go and jump in this thing, and it cracks me up.

 "It’s not that your troubles went away and you laughed, It’s that you laughed and your troubles seemed manageable"

2. Move!

This may have been taken care of by #1, but it’s essential to get off the couch and stand up straight. In the dictionary slump and slouch have pretty much the same definition. When you change your posture you change your outlook. Stand confidently and you will become confident.

 3. Do something that scares you

Another way to kick-start your way out of a slump is to do something that scares you. Bungee jump, hold a snake, ask your boss for a raise, or call that prospect who intimidates you.

4. Remove distractions and overwhelm

Is your inbox out of control? Do you have a to-do list a mile long? To begin to get out of a slump, you need to do just one thing and get it done. What's the one thing you can do today?

5. Celebrate even the smallest victory

Depending on how bad your slump is, just getting out of bed and taking a shower could be a victory. Often we got into a slump by overwhelming ourselves with so much to do. If you took step #4. You can now have a little celebration and perhaps give yourself a reward.

6. Get inspired

Everyone has hit a slump at some time, read about others who have faced adversity and come out the other side. Watch a ‘feel-good’ movie, go to a seminar, or just hang out with people with a positive attitude.

 7. Do something for someone else

Slumps take us into ourselves and properly handled they provide introspection, but they can make us a bit self-centered for a while. To overcome this, do something nice for someone else with little thought of how this will benefit you – the results will be surprising.

 You can Get Out of a Slump

Slumps are normal, and slumps are temporary, but if you find that you have been in the same slump for a prolonged time and you have tried the strategies suggested here, it's time to get some help.

Nowhere is it written that we have to do everything ourselves. Call a friend, visit your Doctor, or talk to a therapist, because you might be experiencing more than a slump.

Remember, if you try to force yourself out of a slump without doing the requisite resting and reflection, the slump will likely return only worse. 

"Remember, life is a roller-coaster,
it has ups and downs!”

Develop Self-leadership

The definition of self-leadership is the practice of intentionally influencing your thinking, feeling, and actions, toward your objectives (Bryant & Kazan 2012). If you need some help to develop your self-leadership, here is an on-demand, online coaching program.