This year has been all over the place for me. There’s been a mix of good and bad, but overall it’s just felt… intense. As much as I consider myself to be a creative person, I’ve had a hard time staying consistent with my more creative pursuits. It’s been a few months since I’ve recorded and posted a new podcast episode, and I’ve been very passive with my interior design course. Mentally, I want to do these things and they’re still very important to me, but I haven’t had as much drive as I would like to around them.
When it comes to my podcast, mood is everything. I have to be in a good headspace, or it’ll come across in my recordings. I have a ton of episode ideas (about 20 written down), but when I’ve gone to record and then I play the audio back, I really didn’t like what I was hearing. Truthfully, I was going through a depressive episode and I’m still bouncing back from it.
I’m usually very hard on myself and constantly wrestle with the idea that if I’m not producing something, then I’m not doing anything. I’ve been slowly coming around to the idea that rest is productive, but it’s hard to just sit and be at times.
This may be a generalization, but I don’t think anyone is in an excellent place mentally right now. There’s so much going on between work, life, socioeconomics, politics, public health, and more. Some days, at least for me, getting all the basics of life (eating, showering, walking the dog, sleeping, and drinking enough water) is more than enough of a list. When you mix in trying to keep up with current events, being involved with your community, having a social life, and working on your personal projects, it can be overwhelming.
I’m saying all of this to remind you (and myself) that it’s okay to see things for what they are respond accordingly. Of course, this isn’t always the case, but where you have the power, taking a moment to pause and then figure out next steps from there. You don’t have to do it all, at least not all at once.
If your health, particularly mental and physical health, are not in a good place, all other aspects of your life will see a decline. Take stock of how you’re feeling physically and mentally, and if need be, get help to put yourself back on the right track. There’s absolutely no shame in that.
Khadijah Plummer Consulting 