A slump can go on for days. We feel sluggish, unfocused, and sometimes overwhelmed with feelings we can’t sort out.
What is going on with us?
Even our attempts to practice recovery behaviors may not appear to work. We still don’t feel emotionally, mentally, and spiritually as good as we would like.
Sometimes we revert instinctively to old patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, even when we know better. Perhaps we find ourselves obsessing, even when we know that what we’re doing is obsessing and that it doesn’t work.
We find ourselves looking for other people to make us feel better, the whole time knowing our happiness and well being does not lay with others.
We may begin taking things personally that are not our issues, and reacting in ways we’ve learned all to well do not work. We’re in a slump. It won’t last forever. These periods are normal, even necessary. These are the days to get through. These are the days to focus on recovery behaviors, whether or not the rewards occur immediately.
These are sometimes the days to let ourselves be, and love ourselves as much as we can.
We don’t have to be ashamed, no matter how long we’ve been recovering. We don’t have to unreasonably expect “more” from ourselves. We don’t ever have to expect ourselves to live life perfectly.
Get through the slump. It will end. Sometimes, a slump can go on for days and then, in the course of an hour, we see ourselves pull out of it and feel better. Sometimes it can last a little longer.
Practice one recovery behavior in one small area, and begin to climb uphill. Soon, the slump will disappear. We can never judge where we will be tomorrow by where we are today.
13 ways to help you be more Positive and Motivated.
Acknowledge it
Admit that you feel really low right now. Acknowledge that there is a problem.
Accept it
This is how you feel right now. There is no getting around it. Accept it. Say a couple of things like this to yourself:
- This won’t last forever.
- I feel like a failure but I know I will get better.
- This too shall pass.
Be open to letting it go
If you want to get out of your slump, you have to be willing to let it go. Don’t look for sympathy, look for solutions.
Talk about it
Once you start to talk to people and really open up, you begin to realize that everyone has been there at different points in their lives.
Don’t throw a “Pity Party.”
You feel down, you feel like a failure, you feel like things are never going to get better. So what do you do? You throw a Pity Party.
But this only has the effect of prolonging it. When you’re in this mode, you’re not looking for any solutions, you’re just looking for people to feel sorry for you.
Cancel your Pity Party. Focus on getting out of it instead.
Go on a Positive Mental Diet.
We have to be very careful about what we allow into our minds on a consistent basis. The news, negative people, darkness–it can all make us feel worse. It leads to fear and aggression, and hinders your creativity and ability to think deeply.
Read, watch, and listen to things that are going to uplift you, not depress you.
Raise your energy level.
Go for a walk. Do a quick workout. Do a few pushups. Do anything that is going to get you out of yourself for a few minutes and get your blood flowing.
Thank it.
Everything in life is a lesson; it’s just up to you to see it that way. Be thankful for the lessons it is teaching you.
Surround yourself with positive people.
Are you spending most of your time with negative people? Take a close look at whom you are with the most and what their attitudes are like.
Shock your system.
Sometimes it’s a matter of changing everything up. Many time slumps come from getting in a rut and then they slowly get worse as you get more and more comfortable in that rut. So you need to do something to shock your system into action.
Help someone else.
One of the best ways to change your entire mood is to help someone else. It’s quite possibly the most effective (and gratitfying) way to truly get out of yourself and give back.
Be grateful.
When you are stuck in a slump, it’s easy to feel like there is nothing good in your life, but I’ve found that this couldn’t be further from the truth. All you have to do is think about one thing that is good in your life. And now add another one to the list. And another. Soon you will see how blessed you really are.
Take action.
It’s now time to take action. Decide on one step that you can take to pull yourself out of this slump.
What are you going to do right now? Start really small. The whole point is to just do something. Something that will make you feel better
Treatment & Support options
ALPHA offers a Free Assessment to determine which treatment option is best suited for you. We assess your unique situation to point you to the most effective solutions for your specific needs.
It’s time for you to Live your Best Life. With our help, you can kick the habit!
“Today, I will focus on practicing one recovery behavior on one of my issues, trusting that this practice will move me forward. I will remember that acceptance, gratitude, and detachment are a good place to begin.” ~ Melodie Beattie
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