Time for a reset!

By Jan Gutowski, Creativity Coach

Did anyone else hit a brick wall this week? When stress levels are high, often creative block follows. In these times, we are often forced to take time out to re-evaluate, re-establish and reconnect with our creative energy. This sometimes includes taking a deep breath, letting it out, (repeat) and then working toward setting healthy boundaries which will bring us closer to our inner creative problem-solver.

This week, I had the opportunity to connect with other professionals in our local area, all from different industries. We discussed headspace in this current climate of rolling back to a semblance of “normal” from the COVID-related restrictions we’ve all experienced this past year. The common denominator with all is that although progress is being made, it is coming at a heavy cost as it relates to self-care. Nearly all had admitted that they had forgone their own mental wellness in response to having to pick up extra responsibility at work, and react to rapidly-changing situations. It was described as a feeling of always playing “catch-up” to recover from staffing issues, or from gaps in the organizational chain; since many of their business units have not yet returned to what had been in place, pre-COVID. Mental recharge activities which include family time, exercise time, creative time, and just general “me” time had fallen by the wayside. In other words, most of them felt that they were running on empty for the past year and a half.

As the focus to rebuild and get back to what we know as “normal” remains a priority, it is our duty to ourselves to remember that this is a work in progress which cannot be achieved by ignoring our mental health and well-being. If we are working for a company, it is highly likely that the business goals will be the focus; and unless we raise our hand and communicate that we are struggling, it may not get noticed as long as the work is being done. If we are self-employed, we might ignore the signs of our struggle if we are afraid of missing an unrealistic deadline which we may have set. In both scenarios, it is critical that we take ownership of setting healthy boundaries.

You know what? It is okay to say “no” once in a while. Saying “no” when you need to protect your decompression time is not being unreasonable; nor does it mean you do not have a strong work ethic. It simply means that you are ensuring that your performance will be optimum as a result of taking care of yourself. You’ve heard it said before that if you were no longer able to perform your job, your company would just backfill your position, right? Well, it is absolutely true. None of us are irreplaceable when it comes to business. Take that as your cue to drop the guilt if you need to take care of you!

Getting back to creative block… This is not just about how it impacts our ability to create things (although that certainly applies); it is also about our ability to think on our feet, absorb information, come up with creative solutions and think outside the box. Taking an hour out of your day, in the grand scheme, will not impact your productivity. If anything, incorporating an hour a day to unplug, in any way you feel is best for you, will help re-fuel the creative beast within!

If you’re not sure where to begin, an easy resource that is worth checking out is the Calm App. (Or, if you prefer something more in-person, you can Google guided meditation yoga sessions for your local area. Once you learn to get into this zone on your own, you will unlock a whole new fueling station for your creativity!

Take care, friends! No one will do it for you!

-jg