I’ve been dragging the last couple of weeks. I had gotten into a good routine of waking up early, being productive with work, and spending quality time with the kids. Then a cold took me out for a week and put a stop 🛑 to my momentum.

 

Since then I’ve been tired and uninspired to do the tough things, like blogging, social media posts, and sticking to my cleaning routine. I’ve slept in until 9 am or later every morning, and on Sunday I took a nap that lasted 20 hours (not exaggerating!!). As I write this, dishes are piled in the sink, my bathrooms need a good wipe down, and the litter boxes need to be changed.

 

So how do you snap out of a funk like this? I'll share what's worked for me to get un-stuck when life's left me in a slump.

Tip #1: Understand the Root Cause

It’s crucial to understand what's really driving your low energy phase. Are you battling seasonal affective disorder in winter months? Still recovering physically from an illness or injury? Coping with a major life event that took an emotional toll?

Taking some time for self-reflection can provide important clues. Your lack of motivation may be a temporary side effect needing only positive self-talk to work through. But your body could also be signaling that what it needs most is genuine rest before restarting your routines at a sustainable pace.

 

Rather than viewing yourself as "lazy" or lacking discipline, approach this as an opportunity for self-awareness. Dig deep to recognize any underlying issues you may be unconsciously suppressing or dismissing. Acknowledging emotional needs and honoring physical limits sets the stage for healthy, long-term solutions customized to your specific situation.

 

With compassion for yourself, gain insight into your root causes. This informs the best path forward - whether that's allowing extra recovery time, seeking support, making lifestyle adjustments or practicing self-care. Developing authentic understanding prevents band aid fixes and sets the foundation for truly meeting your needs.

Tip #2: Prepare Yourself Mentally

For the past few days, I’ve been giving myself internal pep talks. I knew my post-sickness recovery time was way past due. Last week I could blame the eclipse for my unusually low energy, but I’m officially out of excuses.

 

Sometimes you just gotta give yourself permission to recover and not beat yourself up. But don't wallow forever either. Set a deadline and pump yourself up with positive self-talk until game day arrives.

 

For me, this means being aware of my internal dialogue and shifting it toward optimism. Motivational videos on YouTube really inspire me too. There may be some false starts, and that’s okay. I’ve set my alarm for 5 am every morning since Tuesday, and today (Thursday) I managed to get up at 6 am. And I’m calling that a win. That brings me to tip #3.

Tip #3: Go At Your Own Pace

When trying to establish a new routine or habit, is it wiser to dive headfirst into the deep end or ease in more gradually? Through trial and error, I've found it's better for my personality and lifestyle to take the slow-and-steady approach of achieving little wins.

 

When I set out to wake up earlier this week, my goal was 5am. But waking at 6am today still felt like an accomplishment rather than a failure. I celebrated that small victory as motivation to incrementally increase my rising time in the coming days. Constantly comparing myself to an unrealistic "0 to 60 overnight" standard would likely have backfired and led to burnout.

 

Going gradual allows me to sustain progress long-term in a low-pressure way. Rushing a huge change often causes relapse since it's not a lifestyle I can reasonably maintain. Instead, by happily embracing little boosts each day, I build momentum and muscle memory over weeks or months until the new routine fully sticks.

 

Of course, jumping right in with both feet is highly effective motivation for some personalities. If you thrive on challenge and have the discipline to adhere 100% from day one, by all means go for the explosive method! But reflecting on what energizes you is key to choosing the approach that fits your needs. Successful habits are a journey, not a single event - take it at your own pace.

Tip #4: Mindset Is Everything

Having the right attitude is the real game-changer. Keeping your end goal in mind while accepting bumps in the road as natural parts of the journey is key. Dan Sullivan talks about this in his book "The Gap and the Gain." We often compare where we are to where we want to be and see only the gap, feeling discouraged. But if we compare to where we started, we see how far we've come - the gain.

 

For example, I try to write a blog post each Wednesday. Yesterday came and went, but instead of beating myself up, I decided to tackle it this morning. I’m celebrating this as a victory in accomplishing the task, even if it wasn’t by the original deadline. None of us reaches every goal exactly as planned. Life happens and we hit snags. But as long as we're consistently moving in a direction that aligns with our values, we're succeeding.

 

Seeing life as a learning experience full of opportunities to improve ourselves a little bit more each day, rather than a series of tasks to complete perfectly, makes the journey much more fulfilling. We're in control not by achieving some final destination without exception, but by choosing every day to keep walking down the path that lights us up. If we can learn to celebrate how far we've come rather than stressing over unfinished business, we open ourselves up to a lot more happiness.

 

Getting past a slump is a personalized journey that requires patience. Whether gradually or with gusto, choosing strategies aligned with your needs is key. Focusing on small wins, maintaining a growth mindset, and allowing imperfection keeps momentum going. Slumps and setbacks happen - what matters most is continuous progress, not perfection.

 

Compare your situation now to where you began, not some ideal endpoint, to stay motivated. Celebrate any gains made. With this empowering mindset, you have the power to rise from any rut or restart routines when ready. Your home may look like mine did writing this - that's okay. Taking care of yourself comes first. The rest will fall into place as your energy and habits regain their flow once more. Stay positive - you've got this 💖.