Are you having side hustle blues? Don't worry; you're not alone. According to Grow Acorn, nearly 45% of Americans have at least one side hustle, but that doesn't mean it's always easy. Here are four tips for overcoming the side hustle blues.
Morning Motivation
If you follow my Facebook group, Obsidian People, you know, I post morning motivation quotes and YouTube videos once a week or so. Nothing like listening to Les brown or ET (Eric Thomson) telling you to get off your ass and push even if you feel like crap; the show must go on. These Youtube videos are compilations of different motivational speakers giving you that extra push you need to overcome side hustle blues.
These are so helpful in the morning, especially if you have had hard days. One of my favorites is Legends, Featuring Billy Alsbrooks, and my new favorite is Discipline Your Mind. Check them out and see if they put a little spark in your day.
Understand, working your 9-5 pays the bills, and some may enjoy what they do, but it's not your passion. Your passion is to give the world what you have to offer, but you are so drained from your 9-5 and doing your duties for your family your side hustle is suffering.
You cannot seem to focus on moving it to the next level as you would like. You are just drained, frustrated, and wanting to quit. Getting some morning motivation will help tame those side hustle blues.
Exercise
Exercise increases the blood flow to your brain; increasing blood flow helps with creativity and the thinking process. I do my best thinking on the treadmill. It reduces depression and stress and allows your body to produce dopamine, the happy hormones to put you in a good mood.
It also allows you to get better sleep at night and more energy during the day. My preferred time is 6 am when the kids are still in bed for the next 30 mins. My favorite workout app is BeachBody. There's so much to choose from, heavy to light, meditation, and stretches.
Getting up early in the morning helps you get stuff done. The whole day ideas pop in my head, and I write them down. When lunch comes, I go thru my Top 3 Power planner and get my quick task done before lunch is over.
When I get home, I have 2-3 hours to work on my longer tasks; I go no longer than 9-9:30 pm with my task for my business. 9:30 pm to bedtime is my and my husband's time. If I don't stick to that, I am in a world of trouble, LOL. I try to keep this system by doing the same thing repeatedly; it becomes routine, and being ADHD, you need routine.
The first thing that might need attention is to make sure what motivates you should motivate others. Find out just where your inspiration comes from so you stay motivated and focused throughout the day because anything worth doing was never said to be easy. Getting your body moving helps with motivation.
Connect with Nature
Hitting the reset button can make things a lot clearer when you go through a funk. This is my most significant reset, whether it's going to the park or taking a trip to the beach. I live for a nice body of water to let my trouble float away.
It's the fresh air for me—beautiful trees and flowers. I love to sit, think or walk and listen to affirmation. Something about that increases my awareness and energy. It just put me in a great mood.
Find time to brain dump- I have been on the creative block for months, and this is true with any creative person, whether it's your job to be creative or your side-hustle. Finding the time to sit and brainstorm or brain bump for 10min will get your juices flowing. If you can work out in nature, do so.
I remember as a child sitting on our swing under our crab-apple tree, thinking and writing poems. The sound of the birds and trees swaying in the wind inspired me to create beautifully written poetry. Heck, this blog was a brain dump I came up with while walking the park trail.
The fresh air and beautiful trees are my favorite. There's something so empowering when you take a break from your worries to be in nature for an hour or two, thinking again!
I love sitting on those swings; they make me feel like I can conquer anything life throws at me because no matter how big things seem right now-they will get better. Eventually, it's inspiring. Sometimes all we need is time out of our busy schedule with friends/family etc., away from screens...to clear thoughts.
Meditation or Spiritual Practice
Meditation is my lifesaver. My 9-5 can be a bit much at a time, and sometimes I need a breather to refocus so I can get into my blog or client work. It may take 5 mins to do some breath work or a very short mediation. I go outside and let the sun fill me up with light. Boy does that work wonders.
A few times a month, I take time to do things in my spiritual practice, journal and meditate, give thanks and gratitude, and set goals and intentions. This routine releases something spiritual and makes me feel relief.
Taking a few minutes out of your day for some self-care is so worth it. It can be anything from reading, taking a walk outside, listening to music, or even just sitting in silence.
Meditation and spiritual practices help center yourself and refocus to tackle things with a fresh perspective.
What do you like to do for self-care?
How does it make you feel after you are done?
Think about those questions and evaluate them.
It can be hard to motivate yourself to break free from side hustle blues when you're in a slump. Try breaking up your day into small tasks and setting yourself mini-goals. Add in your day any one of these items: Motivation videos, Exercise, Connecting with nature, or meditation. Just a few mins a day will help. Remember to take it one step at a time, and soon you'll be back on track!
Until Next Time Luvs,
Keyanna is one of the most inspirational and informative blogger in her field, her work is featured in Indie Incognito magazine and NFTsDaily. Read Keyanna’s About Me to learn more about her and Obsidian People. Send Keyanna a quick message here.