If You’ve Been Quietly Slipping Into A Slump, These 9 Shifts Can Help You Climb Back Out
Bianca Salgado | Pexels Before you know it, your couch cushion becomes your best friend, and leaving the house seems insurmountable. Little tasks pile up, such as laundry, I mean, it literally piles up. I’ve personally slipped into many slumps, which means I’ve had a lot of practice climbing back out of them.
The best way to beat paralysis anxiety is to break down the overwhelming things into manageable pieces. Create baby steps to tackle your problems. I’m going to provide a list of small steps you can take to increase the likelihood of leaving your bed. These steps were how I tricked my brain into following through plans and getting out of my funk.
If you’ve been quietly slipping into a slump, these 9 shifts can help you climb back out:
1. Do research
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If you're in a slump and don't want to go anywhere, Google the event or place that you were invited to and read as much info as you can about it. Anxiety starts to calm down when you feel like you have a plan and there are fewer unknowns. You can also use Google Maps for new locations and check out the parking situation, the street view, and the path you will be taking. If you visualize yourself being there, you’re more likely to materialize it this way.
Research reports that visualization techniques have been shown to reduce negative emotions like anxiety and overwhelm by helping the brain treat imagined scenarios with the same neural weight as real experiences. Googling a new place and walking the street view before you go is basically free exposure therapy.
2. Hold yourself accountable
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Tell a bunch of people that you’re definitely going to come; this way, it’s harder to back out on plans you've been invited to when you're in a slump. I love to create barriers to negative behaviors. You can even ask someone to be your accountability partner. This is someone who will check up on you and make sure you’re following through. Find someone who supports you in the way you need. It could be someone who sends you an all-caps text telling you to get your tush moving! Or it could be some gentle loving nudges and encouragement. The key is to find the person who succeeds in motivating you.
Research by Dominican University found that people who wrote down their goals and shared weekly progress with a supportive friend achieved them at a rate of 76%. Finding the right person to text you an all-caps "GET UP" might actually be the most evidence-based thing you do today.
3. Put your plans in black and white
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Write your plans down on a calendar or on a to-do list so it’s a concrete thing. You’re more likely to go if you’ve seen it in your own handwriting. A dream is just an idea that hasn’t been written down yet. Researchers at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology found that writing by hand produces more elaborate brain connectivity patterns than typing. Putting your plan on a calendar in your own handwriting isn't just satisfying, it's literally wiring that plan into your brain in a way that staring at a phone screen never will.
4. Pick out an outfit ahead of time and lay it out
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If you're in a slump and don't feel like leaving your bed, this goes back to visualizing yourself out with friends and enjoying something. Picking out your outfit builds the excitement and also makes it harder to back out. It’s also one less thing to worry about on the day you have to go. Decision fatigue is real, and when you're already in a slump, even small choices can feel like mountains. Removing that friction the night before means your morning self has one less reason to talk your way out of going.
5. Set a reminder
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If you have trouble committing or getting up on time when you're in a slump, setting an alarm or a reminder on your phone to go off at important times is key. Set a reminder the night before so you don’t forget. Also, set an alarm at the time you need to start getting ready and when you need to leave. This way, it’s on your mind that you’re going, and you will show up on time.
Research on behavioral activation confirms that one of the biggest drivers of staying stuck is avoidance, and structured external cues like alarms interrupt that cycle by creating a prompt to act before motivation has a chance to talk you out of it. Basically, your phone alarm is smarter than your inner critic, and it does not negotiate.
6. Eliminate the 'I’m broke' excuse
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Set aside and budget money for the event early on, so you can’t use money as an excuse to cancel at the last minute when you're in a slump. Even a small amount set aside specifically for getting yourself out of the house permits you to spend it without guilt. Think of it less like budgeting and more like investing in your own momentum because the cost of staying home every time is higher than the price of the ticket.
7. Mentally prepare yourself
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Go through the good scenarios that could happen if you forced yourself out of your slump to rejoin society. Try to block out the things that could go wrong by focusing only on the good. Imagine yourself blowing people away. Imagine meeting the love of your life. Anything is possible, and it’ll get you excited instead of nervous. Okay, maybe you’ll feel a little bit of both. But a little nervous excitement might just get you off that cushion! Why not try something new? Has what you’ve been doing working for you? If you’ve gotten this far, then the answer is probably no.
Self-affirmation activates the brain's reward centers, which is why mentally rehearsing good outcomes can shift your emotional state before you've even left the house, a 2016 study explained. Imagining yourself having a great time isn't delusion; it's how you give your nervous system a head start.
8. Repeat 'I am getting out of this slump and going!'
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Repeating “I am getting out of this slump and going!” to yourself throughout the day or night before the event can be a tremendous help. Holding yourself accountable is just as important as having others do it for you. Mantras have been proven to work; it may feel silly, but give it a try!
An overview of 41 self-affirmation studies found that repeating empowering statements reduces stress, builds self-worth, and primes the brain for behavior change. It might feel a little silly to chant "I am going!" to yourself, but your prefrontal cortex is genuinely listening.
9. Just get out of your slump and go
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You have to push yourself to try new strategies for a new life when you need to force yourself out of a slump. In every new chapter, life will demand a character's death. For every new challenge, life will demand a new you. Motivation is so hard, but it starts out small and snowballs the second you follow through on a few goals. Try a few of these out, and hopefully you will get the better life you deserve! Remember, a slump is just a posture you can straighten yourself out of.
Talia Mingey is a writer who focuses on lifestyle, self-love, self-care, and living your best life.
