Do you ever feel like you’ve just lost your mojo? No matter what you do, things aren’t going right for you. You’re uninspired, unproductive, and upset with the direction your life seems to be taking.
But why does this happen? How can you stop it? Is there any way to get your spark back? Don’t panic!
Here Are 10 Things To Remember When You Lose Your Spark
1. Remember To Keep Going
This is a little easier said than done, but it’s an important factor to remember. The first thing you need to do to keep your thoughts organized when you lose your spark is to keep going.
The motivation to keep moving can be elusive when you feel stuck and like your light has gone out. But stopping is the true death sentence to your spark. You have to push through the difficult times and keep going. It’s tough, but it’s possible with some positive thinking. Tell yourself:
- “I have been through bad times before and have always come out again.”
- “Things have always gotten better before; I just have to keep going until it does.”
- “Everyone has bad times, and this is just one of mine. Good times will come again soon.”
- “I should just get started; a tiny amount of progress is better than none.”
2. Remember Who You Are
No, we’re not quoting Lion King here! Often, when you lose your spark, it’s because you’ve also lost a part of yourself. The truth of who you are deep down inside may have become obscured.
This is not unusual because, in life, many different things may begin to throw you off balance, affecting your sense of self. You are met with distractions, struggles, opinions of varying individuals, influences from those you love, and more.
But all is not lost! The person you are is comprised of building blocks, all set upon the foundation of your core values. As such, who you always remain within you, even if the wrong coat of paint goes over them from the wrong sources.
Take the time to reflect on your values and the things you hold dear. Do you feel that you are following those values and doing justice to them? Or have your recent actions contradicted the person that you know you are?
3. Remember To Stay Curious
People like to say that curiosity killed the cat – but that’s because they’ve forgotten the true meaning of the full phrase: “curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back.” So, even though you’ve lost your spark, you should never stop being curious.
Think of it this way. Curiosity opens the door to a new place. If that new situation turns out not to be to your liking, the “cat” is “killed” – which sounds bad but just means your interest in the thing in question has “died.” It does cost you time and some effort, but it’s not much to lose, and it’s part of your self-discovery.
But then, when your curiosity opens the door to something you love and are satisfied by, it makes all your other efforts worth it. And there’s scientific truth to this, too. Research indicates that curiosity has positive effects on creativity! So don’t lose that curiosity! You can keep it alive by:
- Watching videos on new topics
- Going somewhere new
- Trying a new cooking recipe
- Taking an interesting class
- Attempting to learn a new hobby
4. Remember To Fight Negative Thoughts
Negative thoughts and negative self-talk are easy to fall into when you feel like you’ve lost a part of yourself. You may feel like a failure and like you’re letting yourself down. But giving in to these thoughts is an almost guaranteed way to keep your spark down and away.
Tangled and messed up thoughts can cause your self-esteem and positive thinking to plummet quickly. You obsess over all the wrong things and cannot move past them, further dulling your shine.
You can try using positive affirmations to boost your confidence and deflect negative thoughts. These are scientifically proven to help mental and even physical health!
You can also opt to set aside a specific time of day – around 10 minutes – dedicated just to negative thinking. So, for the whole day, whenever you feel a negative thought begin to form, push it away and save it for your Bad Thought Time. You may even have forgotten about it by then!
5. Remember To Rest
Someone who has lost their spark may push themselves extra hard to regain that spark through a project or new venture. It’s not a bad idea, but you must also remember that resting is important.
Forcing yourself to continue working non-stop, or even harder, can harm you more than it helps. You’ll be subjecting yourself to burnout and making it even harder to get back up again. Sometimes, all your spark needs is a little time to recharge. You can:
- Treat yourself to a spa day
- Go exploring on your own to a new place
- Binge-watch shows all-day
- Curl up with a good book
- Spend all day lying around doing nothing
Resting can help get your spirits back up again, and you may find that when you wake up tomorrow, you’ll be back to your more energized, inspired self.
6. Remember To Make Yourself Happy
Losing your spark can make you beat yourself up, but the spark will never return if you don’t have positive thinking. To make yourself happy, you need to be aware of the following three “f”s:
· Freedom
This involves your ability to do whatever you want (to an extent in life). To feel freedom, you have to feel in control of your situation. Why not do something out of the ordinary today to take back your life’s freedom?
· Fun
We all know that happiness often stems from fun. What can you do to have fun today? Treat yourself to a day dedicated to happiness!
· Fulfillment
This refers to satisfaction, typically at the end of your goals. What smaller thing can you do to help you feel satisfied today? It can be as simple as successfully making a craft or as complex as doing a task you’ve been putting off.
7. Remember To Switch Things Up
If a spark dies under certain circumstances, it will not come back to life. That’s why you need to change things to bring it back to its full fire.
· Change Your Routine
Is every single day exactly the same? Can someone practically set a clock for you? Is it all monotonous and predictable? It’s time to switch things up. Move some of your daily activities around, try a new brand of coffee, eat somewhere new, or take a different route home – it’s up to you!
· Start A Side Project
Is there something you’ve wanted to do but never got around to? Well, there’s no time like the present. Beginning a side project is a great way to add spice to your life and possibly bring back your spark.
· Learn Something New
You’re never too old to learn something new. Take up a new hobby: playing an instrument or doing a new form of exercise. Attend a class about something totally out of your usual field. Again, this adds variety to your life.
8. Remember To Connect With Others Meaningfully
A lot of the people we see every day aren’t those with whom we interact meaningfully. You may have relatively shallow relationships with most people in your life without any true meaningful connection.
This doesn’t mean you need to have meaningful connections with every single person out there. But you should attempt to forge meaningful bonds with more than just a couple of people.
How can you do this? Start by being more aware of other people, your actions toward them, and how they affect them. So, the next time you talk to a friend or acquaintance, think about how they act. Do they seem stressed out? Or do you know they’re going through something, and can you see how it’s affecting them?
Do the same with your actions, too. Instead of groaning because you’re running late after listening to someone vent for five minutes, consider how your positive energy may have helped that person, all for just a short time’s worth of effort.
9. Remember To Care For Your Health
A healthy body makes a healthy mind. If you’ve been neglecting your physical health, it’s no surprise that your spark is taking a break. Here are some tips for caring for your health.
· Eat Well
You don’t have to be confined to a restrictive diet plan to eat well. Just ensure you get all the nutrients you need in reasonable amounts, eat good portions, and save treats for the weekend!
· Exercise
Though sadly commonly ignored, exercise is one of the best ways to get positive thinking going again. Once again, you don’t need to work out for hours every day. You can do simple exercises, like taking a walk, going for a swim, or even just dancing. Half an hour of physical activity every day can work wonders!
· Visit Doctors
Don’t neglect your health. Yes, check-ups are expensive, but developing an easily preventable disease is even more expensive.
10. Remember To Appreciate The Ups and Downs
Losing your spark doesn’t have to be permanent. It’s part of life: things go up and down. You can’t have a perfect time forever. More importantly, life is rarely black or white, so there are rarely truly “bad” or “good” times – just ones with fewer or more challenges.
Learning to appreciate the ride, no matter how many difficulties you face, is crucial never to lose your spark. You’re strong enough to overcome just about anything, and if you treat life’s ups and downs similarly, you’ll have no problem maintaining your spark – or not minding that it’s dimmed for a while!
Final Thoughts on Reigniting Your Spark
Losing your spark doesn’t have to be the end of the world. You can regain it with positive life changes, but at the same time, you don’t have to be in a rush to get it back. Take your time and do what you must, but don’t beat yourself up about it! When you least expect it to, your spark will return.
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