|
Hey creative people,
Are we still saying Happy New Year? I think we can, because it's still January, and also because I want you to be happy!
It feels to me like a lot of that fresh new year energy has already worn off, but luckily, that's not the only source of fresh-feeling energy. How are your new habits going? Mine? Not great so far - I've only managed to journal 3 out of 10 weekdays, but it doesn't matter, I'm not giving up, and that's how you keep a habit. I think that my next tactic will be to plan for 5 minutes of journaling, since small changes can be the most effective.
Beware the Digital Munchies
The most important goal on my mind lately is reducing mental input (which I alluded to in my latest blog post) - really important for all of us HSPs (highly sensitive people). I've especially been trying to be aware of my input via the internet.
In 2017, during a particularly bad bout of burnout and anxiety, at my worst moments, I had almost zero tolerance for stimuli like loud noises and looking at my phone. Since then, I've been more susceptible to stimuli. (Or maybe I've always been, but I'm now aware of it?) We all know how compelling our screens can be, and my tolerance for extra stimuli waxes and wanes, but I know that my brain can no longer afford the overconsumption.
This week has been tough, though.
Do you ever compulsively click on all of the links and open all of the browser tabs when you're semi-anxiously avoiding a scary task? Because I like food metaphors (such as: scrolling is to eating a whole box of Oreos), I'm calling that the Digital Munchies. As I just Instagrammed, I've been afflicted lately.
Anxiety + Big stuff to do + Procrastination => Digital Munchies.⠀
⠀
They
often strike when I have a big creative task to do, like composing or planning a new project (I was doing both!) I know that the procrastination (or The Resistance, as Steven Pressfield calls it - read The War of Art if you haven’t yet!) stems from not knowing what to do next, so then the answer is to block these distractions or try to be conscious enough to just say no to opening that next browser tab. ⠀
And, ironically, at the very same time I'm compulsively distracting myself is when I desperately need to conserve my precious mental bandwidth for the creative project at hand! (Brains! Can't live with 'em, can't live without 'em?)
⠀
For me, it's also a big sign that I need to step away from the computer (I'm really embracing pen + paper brainstorming this week) and be careful about my mental input, whether via sound, sight, information, etc.
Yesterday the best solution was to get up and go take a walk or pet a cat (he's my relaxation mentor). I can feel myself craving more analog situations, and that's definitely a craving to listen to.
Are you sensitive to having too much mental input? (Shout out to my fellow HSPs!) What strategies do you employ to keep your mind happy? Hit reply and let me know!
In case you missed it:
1) Last Friday I did a Facebook live about sustainable new year planning, with lots of great resources!
2) My article Take Better Care of Yourself by Making Small Changes was published last week on New Music Box, the online magazine of NewMusicUSA! If you're feeling lackluster after getting back into the usual grind post-holidays, I have some really accessible suggestions there.
3) I made you a little gift - Nourish and Flourish wallpapers for your phone or computer! Links below:
Desktop /// Phone
|
