Before I entered the painfully real world that is office work, I was an adjunct writing professor. This was an absolute ideal gig for lazy-bones me because its flexible schedule encouraged all sorts of napping and Hulu watching. But it didn't allow me to tackle my student loan as aggressively as I wanted, nor build a savings account. Off to the real world I went.
While I love my job for many reasons--it provides stability, structure, and is way better than my former stint in sales--it is, through no fault of its own, a little soul-crushing. What I mean is that it has become increasingly difficult for me to stay in a creative mindset after spending the day running financial reports and clawing through a pile of paperwork that just won't end.
As a result, I pretty much stopped creating. Perhaps you can relate. Maybe you're not stuck at a desk job. Maybe you are elbow-deep in diaper changing, or wrangling teens, or struggling to find your purpose. I've noticed that a large part of my day happens on autopilot. But when I'm creating, I am paying attention. So maybe that is how we kick ourselves out of autopilot? Worth a shot.
So, three things we might try this week to cultivate a stronger creative atmosphere--despite any sort of 9 to 5 drudgery:
1. Use Your Breaks--and your sick/personal/vacation days: They are yours. Use them. I have a habit of foregoing all breaks (or sick/personal/vacation days) to a) leave work earlier or b) save them for a rainy day. However, banking all this time does nothing for me. It is far kinder to indulge in more frequent--though shorter--breaks during the day and throughout the year. Use these breaks to read your favorite blogs for inspiration, do a 15 minute free write or sketch, or sew something--whatever creative act floats your boat. Even after a few minutes of doing something that I love, I find that I can attack my stack of papers with more vigor than before.
2. Set Boundaries: For instance, I do not check work email after hours. Everyone I work with knows this. It may bother them but I would much rather devote any non-work time to things that I want to do, such as dink around with HTML or Gimp. For me, that is worth the hassle of doing a massive inbox purge every morning. I know that when I leave work, I am mentally done for the day. This frees up much needed mental space to devote to creating things. Not everyone has this luxury, particularly parents, but do try to carve out some sort of boundary--however flimsy it might be--that allows you a second to breathe.
3. Strategically Slack: It is perfectly okay not to be your office's energizer bunny--you know, that person who always volunteers to do stuff, to organize birthday parties, and to be an all star team player. Value yourself and your skills by not stretching yourself too thin in the name of ambition. Saving stress in this way gives you time to either invest in what you do well at work, which also has the added benefit of increasing your confidence away from the office, or to zone out for a bit. Zoning out is underrated. This is the time your brain needs to unconsciously mull creative projects over. Strategic slacking allows you to maintain and sometimes even increase mental energy so you can use it after work to make/do something you love.
What about you? How do you battle mental autopilot in your life?
Check out more Life Tips by reading How to Deal with Failure.
________________________________________________What about you? How do you battle mental autopilot in your life?
Check out more Life Tips by reading How to Deal with Failure.
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