Surviving Those Sloggy Days
Today is one of them. I went to bed last night and wrote down before bed a list of blog ideas. My mind was spinning with things I wanted to write about today and I probably still will at some point. My biggest problem is the idea thing. I come up with ideas faster than I can put out content. Some may never come to fruition, or something will seem like a great idea and then I actually experience something new and shift gears. When I woke up, I felt like I was under water. I usually wake up with a burst of energy, then due to my medication, slow down around mid-morning and maybe take a short nap. Not today.
Today my brain feels like the image in the title of this article. Saturated and oozing blech. I took a short nap already but that didn't help much. I did eat something high in protein, some sliced chicken. That helped a lot if I'm honest. My diet isn't always ideal and I know that is an easy part to forget in daily self care. Days like today are less frequent than they used to be, but they still happen. Its all part of the mental health journey.
Before I was diagnosed with bipolar, I was much more productive. I was much more obnoxious too, and the products of my output weren't always great. Moving 1000mph and creating in that stretch doesn't produce the best things. Its usually a chaotic mess. While I still like to create chaos, I'm more about controlled chaos now vs. just unbridled madness. I think to anyone who reads or views my art or blogs would agree, they'd much rather see something with some semblance of order or pattern than just something crazy barfed into existence.
So what do we do on these days? I don't have a real solution. I just fight through it. Like writing this blog right now. I feel better than I did earlier, but not great. But I figured forcing my mind to focus now, may help things. I may also write this blog in sections, doing a few hundred words at first and then taking a break and coming back to it. One nice thing about being self employed is that I'm not on any deadlines. Though it feels like I give myself a lot of self imposed deadlines. I'm usually harder on myself than my worst critic could possibly be.
I do have a few suggestions on getting through days like today.
Lots of Rest
I can't emphasize this enough. We are often told we have to be productive to be valuable or to earn our right to exist. And we do need to earn money and eat and those things. But in those times when you are able, take a break, tune out if you need to and just let your mind and body recharge. Sometimes its all that you need to continue being the badass that you are.
I'm guilty of this myself though. I often want to write another blog, paint another painting or some combination of the two, even on days I have nothing else going on. I do enjoy it, so it doesn't always feel like work. But I know I can't burn myself out or push myself into an unhealthy place. So like this morning, I just let myself rest instead of blogging first thing like I usually do. Its almost noon and I just got started. Do what you need to do to rest your mind and body.
Take in Art and Media
When we are always working and creating, we are giving output and giving of ourselves. All those things take from us and drain us. Yes, we love and enjoy it, but it is still giving up a part of ourselves. There is nothing wrong with taking a few hours or a whole day to just consume. Watch some movies, read a book or go for a walk. Even guided meditation helps. Something to just let your mind take things in
When we absorb art and music it is healing to our mind and spirit. We rest and let it consume us. It doesn't have to be an all day thing, it could just be an hour or two. Watch a show or comfort movie or just read for a bit. Once you return to your project, you'll be recharged and ready to go.
Don't Force It
Some of the worst thing I ever created happened when I was tired or exhausted and just pushing myself through. I remember some nights barely being awake and looking back at my article or art the next day and having no recollection of what I had done or what I was thinking when I made it. Needless to say it never saw the light of day. Of course who knows? I'm my own worst critic, it could have been something brilliant form the depths of my subconscious. I doubt it, but no telling these days.\
Whatever you do and whatever your process is, its ok to deviate from that from time to time to recharge your batteries. I know with things like AI the temptation is there to force yourself through, but that isn't going to help you for the long term. I think of creating as a marathon and not a sprint. Content factories and prompt jockeys can go and go and go, but slow and steady wins the race. I saw in a Facebook group one guy said he has seven different blogs and newsletters. He uses ChatGPT for all his content and cranks them out daily. For one, I don't know what kind of quality that is and second even doing it that way at that rate still has to be tiring as there is no passion or heart behind what you are doing.
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