A mental block involves an inability to reason clearly, which results in a lack of drive. It actually means your brain is overloaded. Other terms mental block goes by include mental fatigue, brain fog, writer’s block, and stumbling block. Unchecked mental fatigue can impact your physical health, derail your productivity, and sense of contentment with your personal (and professional) relationships
Many factors can cause you to feel blocked in your thinking from overanalyzing everything to overloading yourself with too many commitments. By learning to take control of your mind and emotions, you empower yourself to create forward momentum in your life. If you can’t concentrate, try a ten minute walk or other light physical activity. Once you understand what’s driving the mental block, you can get out of it quickly (often within minutes or less). Below are seven useful ways to break a mental block:
Analyze other people’s ideas-If you have thought
backwards, forwards, and all around your mental block with no progress, take to
the Internet and research how other people have approached the issues you are
trying to solve. Break down what makes their ideas work, gain inspiration from
their theories, then slowly create your own ways of doing things (or understanding
different concepts).
Change your environment-The cleanliness of
your workspace affects your performance and mood. Having a neat, organized desk
will improve
your productivity and focus. On the other hand, a messy space can enhance
creativity
and help you gain fresh insights. Play around with your home (or office environment) and discover what
works best for you.
If you find yourself
still stuck, then switch up your scenery. Our minds associate places with
feelings and activities. If you are consistently frustrated or are
procrastinating, you may discover that your mind is actively sabotaging
your success while you're at home. Move to a coffee shop or even a beach
towel in your backyard, and leave your mental block behind.
Freewrite-When you are feeling stuck, open up a new word
on your favorite electronic device. This technique is called freewriting. It is
commonly utilized by prose writers to brainstorm new plot points and
re-energize thought processes. Set aside 10 to 15 minutes and write down
everything you think of both related and unrelated to your work.
It may start out as a
page of gibberish, but soon ideas will start to flow. Group similar thoughts
and phrases together and control them to move forward. For more tips on how to
freewrite, check out Accidental Genius: Using Writing to Generate Your Best Ideas,
Insight, and Content by Mark Levy.
Learn something new-Oftentimes when we encounter mental blocks,
we ponder over the same old ideas without thinking outside of the box. Expose
yourself to new ways of thinking by learning something
new.
Whatever you choose to engage in, line up new experiences to set your brain on
course to think in fresh ways. Get your mind to expand imaginatively,
enhancing your creativity and problem-solving capabilities.
Revisit past experiences-Remember a time when
you felt happier, more creative or more inventive. Look at old pictures or
listen to music that reminds you of better days, and visualize yourself back in
those environments. By returning back to a time and place where you felt less
discouraged or unproductive, you can harness
the positive energy
you had back then to push yourself forward and accomplish even more.
See what your friends are up to-Social media can be a great place
for sourcing inspiration, but instead of actively looking for things that will
spark your creativity, spend time researching what your acquaintances, family
members and friends have been up to.
This may give you new
ideas on how to approach issues that you are stuck on, or may lead you to
connect with folks able to help you move forward. If you feel low about
yourself, be careful not to compare yourself with how your friends present
themselves online, as that is an ineffective way to connect with social media. What's
more important is that it is harmful to your productivity.
Tackle smaller tasks first-If you feel
overwhelmed by how little you have progressed, take a break and work
on a few mindless tasks that require little attention or thought, and allow
your mind to wander. By accomplishing
small wins, you develop momentum and confidence to overcome your mental block.
Taking a step back might help you gain clarity and perspective on the root
cause of the block, allowing you to think about how you can move forward more
efficiently in the future.
“We have a mental block
inside us that stops us from earning more than we think we are worth. If we
want to earn more in reality, we have to upgrade our self-concept.” (Brian Tracy) [i]
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