www.fastcompany.com: Motivation comes and goes. Chances are, you have some days where you hit the ground running, and there isn’t anything that can stop you, and other days where your thoughts come in slow motion and you spend a lot of time staring at your phone or flipping through random websites.
13 comments:
This article, was exactly what I needed this week. I am frankly hitting the end of the year slump. I am a bit burnt-out, and pretty tired from all of the things that have occupied me through the year. I definitely know that part of my issue is that I need to get more sleep. However, that is a separate topic. Yesterday, was specifically rough for me. I actually took a chunk out of my day to do exactly what the article suggests- phone a friend and get a coffee. Alex and I took a little break to get coffee after a pretty high-stakes interview i had, we didn't open our laptops or work... we just checked in with each other. Honestly, it remedied the rest of my day. I also liked the tip about reminding yourself why. It is super difficult to remember why you do theatre when you're in a studio setting, but I always remind myself it will be worth it in the end.
You know me, I love a good skeptical read of an article that will supposedly help me with this thing or that behavior pattern or.. you get the point. This one was specifically geared towards what you might think of as “the usual 9-5 corporate or otherwise stuck-in-an-office” type job, so how much of it actually would apply to me was very dependent on understanding that aspect of the article. But, I think there are some core ideas to be pulled away from it. I do like the idea of taking a step back to see the bigger picture of what you’re doing. For example, if I’m really stressed about one quick change and can’t get my mind off of it, it could help to just reflect on the production as a whole, and give some space before returning to the issue at hand. Also, I’d like to generally keep a basic understanding of my goals and purpose in life.. Fresh off an existential crisis, that sounds like a great idea to me.
I very much resonated with the words of Art Markman– which (by the way), what a cool name! In the past couple of days, I’ve been feeling severely unmotivated. Very much in a somehow very busy and overly saturated slump. In talking about it with friends (one of the tips suggested in the article), I must agree that it’s in large part what people keep repeating to me: “it’s that time of the semester.” And yes, once again, I agree, but as is the case with most things of this style, that doesn’t take away from the dread of feeling it. So, reading about strategies to get out of the slump is very much needed at this time. In general, I think the takeaway is to make time for yourself. Make sure you’re taking breaks from whatever you’re doing/working on for work (or in our case school) and get plenty of rest.
I have a bad tendency to get in a slump and keep myself there until something really great happens, and it tends to keep me back from achieving things I could have done with a little more confidence and motivation. I especially struggle with bouncing back after a long break. Currently the option to take a class is not as helpful as it might be in a few years, but I understand the reasoning of finding motivation by stimulating your brain with a new task and fresh information. The idea of taking a mentee is a little strange to me; if someone is feeling unmotivated, taking a mentee sounds like it would take a lot of energy and confidence. I definitely benefit from calling a friend or close family member when I’m struggling with my work. It grounds me and inspires me when I talk to other people about their lives.
When you’re in the school of drama when are uou ever not in a slump lmao. But this article was nice to read. I think the biggest thing is to allow yourself to take breaks when you really need it, which is why I really hate the attendance policies here in the school of drama. This semester, I realized that I could have consistant effort in the class and have all As and be a model student, but still completely fail because I missed three classes. I could be sick, tired, or just burnt out like this article says, but I can’t risk taking a break because I might need it later. A little positive read for a change, this article really resonated with me. I struggle a lot when it comes to being creative, especially when that creativity is tied with school and grades. I found it surprising that many of the tips in this article are things that I already do in real life on the daily. I always always take note of my surroundings and that pictures of mundane things that strike me in the moment
It is that time of the school year… everyone is not feeling it, everyone wants a break, and there are still four weeks left. I am currently in a slump that is the result of being burnt out combined with being sick for the last couple of days. Life is just exhausting. The advice given was not what I expected. Usually in articles like this most of the advice falls under their first idea “remind yourself why” which is helpful but this article also had a lot of tangible things people can do to get out of their slump. Personally, I think that getting a pet is such a great option. I already have a cat but she is at home and I truly think my life would be a million times better if she was in Pittsburgh with me. Pets are so good for your mental health. They give you someone to talk to, to take care of, and even give you a schedule to follow. This article had some great tips and I think I will call my mom today and use my “phone a friend” outlet.
I clicked on this article hoping that it would encourage me out of my current slump of motivation I am in (or, more like procrastination in studying for my midterm this Wednesday haha). However, I was quite disappointed at the tips this article gave. I think that I judge these motivation and self help articles quite harshly, but I think that my complaints on this are quite reasonable. All of the tips this article gave me very much did not encourage me. If I am in a slump I do not have the motivation to take on another project, and even if I did I would have another thing to slump on. All the other tips, I have definitely heard before. That won't encourage me! The one tip that was a little helpful would be taking on a mentee. Depending on the situation, I think that this could definitely get you out of a slump so that you look good to them. The best way to know you have fully learned or grasped something is to teach it. However, that doesn't really help you at the college level, and it definitely wouldn't help you with your projects as you would be busy assisting theirs.
I find these steps to be extremely helpful as I myself have found similar ways to stay motivated in an academic setting. As a college student, I am often surrounded by students that are experiencing burnout and these recommendations could really help someone that maybe has never experienced this before. For me as a stage manager, I believe having this knowledge not just for myself but for those I am working with is important because it will allow me to help motivate or guide someone who may be having an off couple of days. Especially in the theatre industry, it is common to be floating along in rehearsals and then tech rehearsal hit and there is a heightened level of stress among the entire company. The tip in this article to “remind yourself why” is often the most important during tech week because it is this middle period where components are slowing weaving together so it is hard sometimes to the see the rainbow at the end of the tunnel.
I know exactly what this article is talking about. I think it's really easy to slip into that slump when day after day you're stressed and tired and it all becomes rather overwhelming. However, to be blunt, I didn’t find this article at all helpful. It seemed to be targeted to either a crowd in the workforce or those older than myself. For example- taking a class? I take multiple classes every day. Adopting a project? How do I have time to do that when I have so much homework. A mentee? At this point I am the mentee. Reminding oneself why you do what you do is useful however at least for myself, it isn’t. I think this is such a specific program I could never lose the uncertainty. Phoning a friend, I think that can be useful. As the article states, talking to someone puts things in perspective.
Honestly I think this article really missed the mark for me. While work can be stressful I think the issue can't always be solved by digging deeper into work or just venting. I think it can't be stressed enough how taking the time to get away from work and change one's environment for a day or two can help recalibrate your mental state so you can return refreshed.
And that's a huge part of why the current overwork culture we live in is so toxic. If one goes months without finding a chance to get away and remember what life is like "on the outside" then how can you find the motivation to excel at work? Sure you can grin and bear it but personally I feel in a slump at work when I feel that I have no existence outside of the workplace. Finding time to get away from work so I can exist outside of the workplace is important.
Whenever I read articles like this I always wonder “with what time”? I think a lot of this genuinely is good advice, it’s just a bandaid to a much larger problem. I do find myself calling my family when I really am stressed out or I can’t bring myself to work on something important because they help get me out of my head. Sometimes, I do get an extra burst of energy by reminding myself why this is fulfilling, but I think what would really help a work slump is genuine recovery time. Especially after you finish a show there should be time to get life back in order, regroup, and reflect on the past experience. I know so many of us that go straight on to the next project or use that time to catch up on all the missed homework. It’s important so you’re not burnt out and just trying to make it to summer.
Slumps are something many of us are used to and I know I fall prey to them more than I care to admit. I’m always on the lookout for people's different strategies to deal with them, get out of their heads and be able to get back to work in the moments when they need to. I really enjoy that this article had a variety of responses that all ranged from very short term (phoning a friend), to much more long form (taking a new class or finding a mentee), acknowledging a wide variety of causes of the slump, because some can be smaller bad days and others can be symptoms of much longer periods of mental shifts. I think the first one was by far the mot important but also the one that can be hard to do, especially early in career when sometimes the goal is simply to find a job and you are low enough on the food chain that you might not fully understand what's going on.
Like most of my fellow commenters and peers, I am feeling the end of the year burnout. We are worn out. Usually I find that articles like this one can help me find ways to work through or around burnout in theory, but in application it is always much harder. While this article is directed at people working in a traditional nine-to-five job, I found the first suggestion, to take a step back from what you are doing, to be very relevant to the School of Drama. There have been many days where I am drowning in projects which seem pointless. My favorite class this first year I initially feared. But I have discovered strengths I did not know I had, and have learned how to deal with my weaknesses. As I reflect back on the semester, I see how much I have grown and the many different ways it has made me a better theater artist.
Post a Comment