5 Ways To Clear Your Head And Get Inspired

It's the middle of summer, about the time where I start to get in a bit of a funk. Have I spent my summer wisely? Why haven't I traveled more? Should I be sleeping in this late every day? You know what I mean, right? This summertime blues gets me seemingly every year and I always feel like I need to clear the cache on my life, if only that were a really thing! This time always makes me feel slightly uninspired and just out of wack, so I thought maybe some of you were feeling the same way. Here are a few ways that I jumpstart the end of summer with a clear head.

1. Clear Your Inbox

I'm one of those people who ALWAYS has a 0 inbox. I routinely check my email at all times of the day and night, probably an unhealthy amount. But in times of stress I let some emails slide, push some to the back of my mind, and let emails that should get a fast reply sit a little too long. My inbox is both a pain and a joy, seeing as I love getting collaboration emails but at times it can be difficult to sift through hundreds of emails a week, especially if you have more than a few spammy ones cluttering it up.

I assure you that once you reply to all your necessary emails, save all important info, and get to inbox zero you'll feel just a little better. For me it keeps me from worrying about things I CAN control, and frees up my brain for more creative and productive thoughts.

2. Clean Up Your Space

Similar to clearing out your inbox, cleaning up your physical space will also help you maintain a better mental space. It creates less stress (see what I'm saying with similar to numero uno?) and it kills two birds with one stone! Clean living space and better well-being. Don't quote me on this, but I believe that having a clean environment makes for better productivity as well, so there's really nothing to lose on this one! I know sometimes it can be a lot to clean your whole house or apartment, so if you're just in a minimal funk try cleaning up your most used space. This can be a bedroom, living room, or even just your desk to clear the way for happier and more inspirational thoughts!

3. Set Some Goals

Normally when I get in this summer funk it's because I feel like I'm lacking ambition. Whether it's in my personal life (ex: Am I spending too much time watching tv instead of trying to meet new friends?) or for work (ex: What am I not prioritizing that I should?) I like to periodically set a list of three goals, not too big, but just enough to set off a little more effort on my part. For each goal I also set a small reward like getting dessert or a manicure, just so I have a little more of a reason to put in that effort. Sometimes, I add extra photos or sayings to my vision board to help give me that extra boost each time I look at it! My current goals are:

Personal: 1. Make one new friend this month. 2. Go to the gym 4x a week. 3. Only eat out 2x a week max.
Work: 1. Respond to all emails within one day (2 max). 2. Send out 3 pitch emails per week 3. Respond to Instagram comments in a timely manner.

I would love to know your goals! (P.S. Check out my new 101 in 1001 goals list here!)

4. Sweat It Out

I've got a newfound love for the gym recently. I've been going almost every single day, and after my workouts I feel refreshed and level headed. Yeah I'm a bit gross and disgusting too, but I honestly feel like I can take on anything after a good sweat session. Not only do I gain confidence in my appearance the more I go to the gym, but I gain mental confidence too. I push through barriers at the gym and it makes me more motivated to push through life's other barriers as well. I've had a few bouts of writer's block this summer and since I've been consistently hitting the gym I've had fewer and fewer of those moments. In fact I've started using my gym time as a way of being extra productive! I've started watching blogging, instagram, marketing, etc youtube videos to help me gain a new perspective on my work and test out new strategies. Working out both keeps my inspired, but also allows me an outlet of "me time" because I'm forced to do nothing but pay attention to myself and something specific I put my mind to.

5. Find New Ways To Get Creative

One of my favorite ways to get out of a funk is to set myself up for something a little out of my creative comfort zone. It gets my train of thought moving and makes me think of things in new ways, this works best if it's something you either haven't done in a while or have never done before! Since I'm a writer I obviously express myself creatively through written word, but opening your mind up to another form of creativity can lead you to being creative in other ways as well! I like to paint (something I used to do more often than I do now), or just take a day and blast music and sing to my heart's content. Anyone else love a good singing session? Lately I've been obsessed with the Mamma Mia 2 soundtrack, it's SO good! The next thing on my creative list is one of those paint and wine classes, I've been seeing them everywhere and they look so fun! Have you ever tried one?

Do you get in a funk during the middle of summer? What do you do when you're stuck in a rut or can't get out of your own thoughts?