I sometimes feel like I am the queen of falling into slumps. I get lazy and begin to procrastinate and end up bingewatching more Netflix than is humanly possible. But I force myself to get out of these slumps. I rise to the occassion because I’m not paying for college so that I can lay around and sleep. Getting into a slump means that you are going through a period of inactivity or laziness. You also may feel like you don’t have any motivation or will to do anything but lay around.
It’s easy to fall into one of these slumps, but as long as you’re willing to work for it, it’s worth it to get out of that slump.
1. Force yourself to leave your home
Even when all I want to do is sit around my apartment and continuously eat from a bag of chips, I make myself leave and go to campus. Whether it’s sitting at the library studying or going for a quick run at the gym, as long as I’m not lazing around my apartment, I know I’m working against the slump. It may be hard at first, and it does take some practice, but if you give yourself incentives or leave in small time increments, you will be able to get yourself out there.
2. Get organized
I find that if I take the time to organize my life, I don’t focus on being in a slump. Depending on how busy I am, that could mean cleaning my apartment and bedroom or looking at all my assignments for the upcoming week and creating a homework schedule. So if you need to work on becoming more organized, spend a few hours (or even a day) getting your life together, at least in this aspect.
3. Surround yourself with positive people
Being friends with people who encourage you, inspire you and help you out is key to getting out of your slump. They’ll know when it’s okay to have a lazy day, but they’ll also know when to get you up and off the couch.
4. Find inspiration
You can find inspiration anywhere. Look up success stories. Find quotes that make you want to change the world. Go for a walk and look around you. If you find inspiration, you will want to work hard and get out of your slump.
5. Know when it’s time to get help
Sometimes it’s hard to tell the difference between being lazy and having depression (or a similar disorder). If your slump lasts longer than you think it should, or you see any other symptoms on this list, it might be time to look into getting some help.