Inspiration can be a tricky thing. We’ve all been there. Riding high on life, feeling inspired for days on end. This feeds directly into your work – when you have inspiration, everything seems to flow perfectly. Your productivity skyrockets. Everything you produce seems to be just perfect. Your clients are raving on about how good your work is.

Then… All of a sudden, it feels like the carpet has been pulled from underneath your feet. “What’s wrong with me? I can’t get motivated. I don’t feel inspired at all.” The wave of inspiration you once had just completely dropped off. You become stuck for ideas. You find yourself restarting tasks over and over, feeling like your work isn’t good enough. Passion is at an all-time low.

If this sounds like you, don’t worry. We know your pain. Rest assured that this is a completely normal thing that happens to people, no matter your background or profession. As you’ll see in this article, it’s an entirely natural process, and something you can turn to your advantage to come back feeling even more inspired than before.

Stay focused, in this article we’re going to be discussing the top 8 tips on how to rekindle your all-important inspirational fire.

 

#1 Accept Where You Are

I’m sure a lack of inspiration is causing you to feel frustrated. But you must let go, and accept your current state. Getting annoyed at the fact your drive and passion is low will only add to the issue.

To do this, you must make yourself fully aware that feeling the way you do is completely natural! A lack of inspiration is your body’s way of telling you that you’re working too much or trying too hard to force out amazing work – give yourself a break!

Accepting your uninspired state and realizing that it’s a completely normal way to feel will eliminate your frustration and will fast track your recovery.

#2 Take A Break

This ties into the previous point. You must give yourself a break!

When you’re not feeling inspired, don’t fight it, just step away from whatever work you’re doing. This way you’ll give yourself some much-deserved breathing space and some time to clear the mental clutter that may have built up from working too many hours.

As we’ll discuss in this article, there’s a multitude of different things you can do when taking a break to reignite your passion. First, you must decide to take a break!

#3 Breathe

Deep breathing has been shown to have innumerable benefits for human health, both mentally and physically.

Let’s be frank – why wouldn’t it?! Oxygen is the most crucial element for our survival, and it’s safe to suggest that most people aren’t getting enough due to improper breathing habits. Why would people discreetly starve themselves of this vital component to health?

Deep breathing exercises have been shown to have dramatic effects on our physical health, as well as our mental health. Studies show that deep breathing can significantly reduce stress and anxiety levels, and overall contribute to that feel-good factor required to be inspired.

Chances are that you’ve formed bad breathing habits due to putting yourself under immense pressure with your work. It’s time to bury these habits and start taking in all the oxygen your body and mind needs to function at its best.

 

#4 Check Your Nutrition

Been smashing down those coffees to keep you going? Fuelling yourself on sugar and carbs?

Maybe you feel that you’re eating an adequate diet, however, it’s definitely worth tracking what you’re eating. As the old adage goes “You are what you eat” so it’s important to make sure you’re eating enough of the right foods that properly fuel your body and mind.

Tracking your daily nutritional intake has never been easier. Try apps such as Cronometer or MyFitnessPal to keep a diary of what you’ve eaten. Look at the results; are you eating enough? Are you getting all the essential nutrients your body needs?

In a previous post, we’ve discussed how certain vitamins have been directly linked to improved cognition and productivity, so be sure you’re diet is nutritionally dense so you can perform at your best.

 

#5 Change Your Routine

Change is as good as a rest. You’re most likely in a cycle of doing the same things, in the same way, at the same time, every single day. You wake up at 6 AM, have breakfast at 7 AM, brush your teeth at 8 AM, start work at 9 AM, take a break at 1 PM, go to the gym at 5P…..*snoreeee* – BORING!

It’s no wonder your inspiration has been dwindling. Don’t mistake what I’m saying here – there is nothing wrong with having a solid routine. But your routine mustn’t overtake your livelihood.

Switch things up every few weeks. Instead of working from your home office every week, trying working down the library or the local coffee shop. Stop going to the gym in the evenings, instead, go before work. Enjoy yoga on a Wednesday at 4 PM sharp? Fantastic. Now try pilates on a Monday morning.

Changing your routine regularly will keep your mind from becoming stagnant, and will help keep you feeling energized and inspired by new experiences.

 

#6 Tidy Up!

You don’t necessarily have to go all Feng Shui here, but tidying your desk or reorganizing your living space can have a profound effect on your productivity.

“Tidy room, tidy mind.” as the saying goes, so take some time to organize your space, vacuum the floor, dust down your chair, file those documents, make your bed, reposition that waving cat. All of these things will help you boost your mental clarity, thus leading you to feel even more creative, motivated, and inspired.

 

#7 Reading

Reading is probably one of the best ways to rekindle your inspiration. Certain books have the ability to give you a brand new perspective on certain situations.

Try books such as the legendary Think & Grow Rich, How To Win Friends & Influence People, or The Slight Edge.

The book you choose is entirely up to you. It doesn’t necessarily need to be a self-help guide, just something that captures your imagination enough that you want to keep exploring what the book has to say. Reading is the perfect way to generate new ideas, so find a book that will float your boat and start reading.

Check out our guide on the Top 10 Entrepreneur Must Reads that will help to inject that much-needed inspiration back into your life.

 

#8 Spend Time Socializing

Humans are social beings. There’s no denying that. In fact, many studies have shown that people who socialize more have a better chance of living longer.

If you’re an entrepreneur, you may be susceptible to isolating yourself for most of the day, not speaking to anyone in person. Even if you do end up speaking to people, it can usually be strictly business. What sort of lifestyle is that?

Make sure you spend time with your family or friends daily, not only to break away from your work routine but to improve your overall wellbeing. This will inevitably help boost creative inspiration.

 

Remember, you’re a human being, not a robot. Feeling unmotivated is completely natural and not something you should beat yourself up over. Multitasking, overworking, and sticking to the same routine can tire you out and diminish your inspiration.

We hope this guide has helped you to get back on track to feeling the inspiration you once felt. If you have any thoughts on the tips we’ve provided or have other techniques that you use to keep yourself feeling inspired then let us know in the comments section below! 

 

Written by Lewis James