I don’t know if it’s the current season or the weather, but I am finding it more of a challenge to stay inspired these days.
Let’s be honest, as small business owners, we all find ourselves in uncomfortable seasons of feeling burned out.
We all go through it. And, as long as you are working through it, you will get to the other side. But, you never want to stay there or you won’t be able to reach your goals.

As a mom, wife, and entrepreneur, there are no excuses. I have to keep moving no matter what. This is especially true in my industry. My whole job is all about being inspired and creative. but, I am no stranger to getting in a rut. through the years, I have learned to push through it when it makes sense, but also to take a break when I needed it.

Here are some things that help me rev up my creative juices and get out of the valley of despair and onto the plateau of productivity:

Take a walk to clear your head - This year has been the year of fitness for me. Whenever I get out in nature, take a walk around a track, or hit the gym I get so much creative inspiration afterward. It also allows me to let go of stress. in fact, a new study by Stanford University showed that walking indoors or outdoors may be more beneficial to your creativity and productivity than just sitting around.

Listen to creative and inspiring music - There is a lot of playlist on Spotify geared toward creativity. My favorite is a playlist called Brainfood. Stick to happy or relaxing music with upbeat tones if you are looking to spark creativity.

Journal - Whenever I find myself procrastinating, I make a list of everything that I need to do and this really helps. It’s so satisfying marking of all things off of my list. This also helps if you’re feeling overwhelmed with the number of things that you need to accomplish at the time. One thing that works for me is placing my most important or difficult tasks at the top and completing those firsts. then, I place my simpler and more enjoyable tasks toward the bottom of the list and do those lasts. This helps me get out of the rut of procrastination.

Take a break - I love what I do so much that sometimes I don’t realize when I am working myself into the ground. I am just working away from the day to do and before I know it, I look up and I am all bogged down and in the trenches of stress. I have learned over the years that the anecdote for this is simply stepping away and playing a little bit, exercising, taking a few days off, or taking an all-out vacation. When I get back, my work is more refreshing and exciting.