Holly Hansen's Four Keys Coaching Blog

Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 4 - Open up

5/28/2015

Welcome to the final post in my 4 Part mini-series about how to deal with feeling blocked, unmotivated, uninspired or just plain in a rut. Today's solution is Opening up. This can help you get back on track withe a fresh perspective.

This final technique to help you break out of stagnation and help you “get out of your head” is to sit down do a brain dump, by either journaling or talking to a trusted person.

The act of opening up and letting the words flow out of your mouth (or onto paper) is one of my favorite power tools for overcoming blocks. By the mere act of talking to someone about when I am feeling blocked or even writing a journal entry about it, somehow it seems to loosen things up and new ideas, answers and solutions seem to naturally surface.

Let’s look at these two great ways to Open up to reveal a clear path ahead…

Talk About it
Ever had an AH-HA moment as you were telling a friend about a problem you were facing?
Have you ever noticed that sometimes when you talk to people about what is on your mind, that it seems to engage the brain and you are surprised what comes out of your mouth? It’s like the answer was just sitting there waiting, to surface from your unconscious.
It’s true. Sometimes you have to say what’s on your mind and heart to a trusted source like your spouse, a trusted friend, mentor or an empowerment coach, lift the internal burden and release the blocks within.
By talking about it, your brain kicks into gear and starts to work on the problem.
When you work with professionals like Mentors or Coaches, they bring to the conversation a special skill known as Power Questions. These questions can act like keys to a locked door. These Power Questions are highly beneficial to helping you look at the situation from multiple angles; listen to your inner voice; and can provide powerful insights and definitely help you break out of a mental or emotional block.
Below I list some good basic power questions you can ask yourself as you journal about where you feel lacking.

Journal about it
Sometimes you don’t have access to a trusted person to talk to. Or sometimes, you don’t feel comfortable talking to anyone about what you are blocked about. You may want to try writing or journaling about it.
There have been plenty of times, when I crawl into bed I find I can’t go to sleep because I am frustrated and feel blocked about something, but everyone in the house is asleep, so I am on my own to deal with what is keeping me awake. The solution that works well for me is to grab my journal and write about it.

Usually at 2:24am, and my brain won’t let me sleep, these are the things I journal about:

What is on my mind
What I am frustrated about
How I might solve this problem
Pondering and writing down ideas or solutions
What emotions do I feel?
Are you feeling angry, sad, bored, frustrated, excited, happy, nervous, resentful, etc.?
What am I blocked by?
What have you tried to do but feel like you have failed?
What outcome are you not getting to that you wanted?
What is blocking me?
Are there individuals or groups of people who are in your way?
Are you blocking yourself with self-defeating behavior, beliefs or ideas?
Are there real or perceived limitations you face like lack of time, money, knowledge or tools?
What truths do I know that will help me reveal answer to my problems?
How have other people solved this problem?
How have I solved similar problems in the past?
What solutions might help me overcome my block?
What solutions can I come up with to help me right now or within the next 24 hours?
What action can I take to conquer this block or get to the right solution for me?
What tools, people, and experiences do I need to help me get out of

I encourage you to write all your answers down and make a plan to take action.

And by the time I am done writing out answers to questions (like the ones listed above), much to my relief, I feel a lot better...like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders, and I can finally fall asleep soundly.

Of course - you can use these questions anytime or anywhere.

And lastly, here is a TED talk video I want to share with you.
It's about getting stuck in the negatives (and how to get unstuck)
Alison Ledgerwood | TEDxUCDavis

I hope you have enjoyed this 4 part series on Getting Unblocked and Unstuck. I have no doubt, soon you will be back on track again, unblocked, motivated and happier.
If you used any of the suggestions, tools or suggestions I recommended – let me know how they made a difference for you.

And by the way… I am here for you, if you do need someone to lend an ear, ask you powerful questions to help you get unstuck and on track again. If you are interested – Check out my services.

LINKS TO THE OTHER PARTS OF THIS SERIES:
Part 1: Feeling blocked? Get Inspired
Part 2: Feeling blocked? Go Play
Part 3: Feeling blocked? Get Moving

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Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 3: Get Moving!

5/7/2015

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Welcome to Part 3 of my mini post series about how to deal with feeling blocked, unmotivated, uninspired or just plain stuck in a rut. Today's focus is on GET MOVING

As Olivia Newton John said: “Let’s get Physical”
In my last post we talked about using play-time. In this post we are going to talk a bit about getting out, stretching and exercising to shake things up!

Have you ever noticed when you feel a creativity block, you might also feel physically blocked too? Your body feels a bit stiffer, you may be slouching, and even your breathing may be more shallow than normal.

Just like physical activity is good for the body it is also a powerful stimulator for the brain too.

The importance of physical exercise for the healthy brain is discussed on Positscience.com:
According to a study done by the Department of Exercise Science at the University of Georgia, even briefly exercising for 20 minutes facilitates information processing and memory function.

“The benefits of physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, have positive effects on brain function on multiple fronts, ranging from the molecular to behavioral level."

Here are a five ways to help activate your Body and Brain:

1. DANCING:
Ever tried square dancing, ballroom, or salsa? I remember one time talking a newbie waltzing class and we all had so much fun learning the steps, gliding across the floor and em-pathetically laughing and encouraging each other to get better. My mind felt lighter after the class and I felt inspired to try other new things.

2. SPORTS:
What about shooting some basketball hoops or learning a martial art? How about grabbing your bike and going for a ride? Hit the Tennis courts and or even go hit a bucket of balls at the Golf Course.

Soon you will be visualizing wiping out those frustrations and blocks as you kick and chop your way into a better state of mind.

3. HOLISTIC MOVEMENT:
Feeling stressed and blocked? Try some physical activity that helps to calm your body and mind at the same time.
Whether it is Tai Chi or Yoga, this type of activity offers a wonderful solution to helping you break out of mental stiffness.

Within the Yoga Journal, I found this post:
A New Look at Yoga: Playing the Edge of Mind & Body
"The common phrase "up tight" is ordinarily used to describe a mental state. When you are up tight you can notice how the body is also physically tightening. These habitual body tensions that over years bring about stiffness are the repository of internalized mental states.
Opening up in physical Yoga opens you up mentally and opening up mentally aids in the opening of the body."

4. STUCK IN YOUR OFFICE?
If you can't get away from your desk, you can still do movement therapy right in your chair to help you. Stretching is one of my favorite quick fixes.

You will be surprised at how much better you will feel mentally and physically when you try doing some long slow stretching.

Lift your arms up- Stretch your back- Roll your shoulders

Be sure to also focus on taking deep breaths as you do each stretch.

5. BRAIN EXERCISES:
Back school, to keep us engaged during long hours of classes and studying, one our professors taught us some brain awaking exercises.

Here is one of the brain exercises I learned that helped a lot:

This is from PACE - A Routine taught by Prof. Kinesiology Practitioner

Remember a body in motion tends to stay in motion, and this same rule applies to your mind.
So take action right now and try out one of the actions mentioned in this post, and soon you will find with a flexible body comes a flexible brain too.

Feel free to share in the comments section what physical activities have really helped you break out of a mental rut.
~
In the fourth and final part of this Blog series - We will talk about reaching out and sharing with others can help you break out of a mental block.

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Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 4 - Open up

Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 3: Get Moving!

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My Happiness BlogSharing things to help you find more happiness

Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 4 - Open up

Feeling blocked, unmotivated and uninspired? Part 3: Get Moving!

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Archives

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My Happiness Blog
Sharing things to help you find more happiness