I’m sure there are quite a few of you who are feeling the same as me – blah. With winter snow storms, Covid fears and the mass suffering going on in the country, it can be hard to feel inspired and to focus on work or our day-to-day lives. I definitely struggle with this and have been finding some new workarounds, along with some established habits to help me.
Finding Ways to Focus
I am the type of person who can focus on what could happen years down the road instead of the present. This thinking has allowed fear to keep me from moving forward with certain goals. Therapy has helped me identify this, and I have been working to keep these thoughts in check for some time. Because I know that old habits die hard, I have enlisted the help of a coach. She coaches me solely in regards to this blog. Not only is she helpful for keeping me accountable, but she also points out things I can be doing to help move my goals forward.
In addition to the coach, my good friend and I will FaceTime every week or two to discuss what we are currently working on and our goals for the upcoming weeks. There is no shame in recruiting others to help you stay accountable. We can all use some help right now to continue to move forward in challenging times.
Another bad habit is I like to have noise in the background while I’m working. The default is putting on the tv, but that is incredibly distracting. I have recently starting playing coffee shop music from youtube. Some have moving visuals, chatter in the background, or the sound of rain. None of this distracts me and allows me to keep focused while also having some background sounds.
Also incredibly distracting are social media accounts and getting caught up watching youtube videos. I am still finding a balance, since part of my blogging includes monitoring and interacting on social media. But I have started to give myself a pass when I’m feeling like I need a break. I’ll allow myself 10-15 minutes to scroll on social media or watch a youtube video. But then I make myself go right back to what I was working on. If you need to take additional breaks than you normally do, try and create a specific amount of time to do so. That way you get a much needed mental break, but hold yourself accountable to go back to what you were working on.
Finding Inspiration
Lately I’ve been spending some of my free time, or much needed mental breaks, watching chateau renovation videos. Totally random I know. Do I own or dream of owning a chateau? No. But I love the history, character and beauty of these old homes and seeing the before and after images is inspiring. We moved from an old home with so much character and charm that we loved, to a rental with decade old carpet (we loath carpet) and unappealing wall colors. I look forward to the day we can have our own home again and fill it with beautiful pieces and decor. But for now I will get inspiration from these fun videos.
Also inspiring and bringing some creativity are Instagram street style images. I find trying to recreate them is not only fun, but can make you see your wardrobe in a new light. We could all use some inspiration for the clothing we are not wearing. Even if you are just taking photos for yourself, it gets you out of your loungewear and puts your clothing to use.
If I am not officially a plant lady, I’m surely on my way to become one. One hobby I’ve picked up is plants. If our rental home got more direct light I would have so many more plants, much to my husband’s dismay. Taking care of them brings me joy, and I love having nature right in the home. Having plants around oddly inspires creativity for me. I’m not sure why exactly this is, but perhaps its having the beauty of nature around me. I’m looking forward to warmer weather when I can expand my plant collection to an herb garden and a few vegetable plants.
I hope sharing the ways I have found to help me focus and find inspiration is helpful. If you have any workarounds that have really helped you, I would love to hear them. And if you find any chateau renovation youtube channels, definitely send them my way!