20 Things You Need To Stop Doing When You’re In A Slump (And 20 Things To Start Doing Instead)

1. Stop trying to counter your fatigue with limitless amounts of coffee. (Start alternating between coffee and green or herbal teas.)

2. Stop taking Tylenol several times a week to cure the headache you can’t get rid of. (Start trying to figure out what the source of the headache is — stress? Grinding your teeth? Eye strain? Being hunched over a computer?)

3. Stop ignoring your kitchen and ordering takeout multiple times a week. (Start planning a couple of your weekly meals the Sunday before, and push yourself to only order takeout as a treat instead of as your nightly ritual.)

4. Stop ignoring social invitations because you’re in a funk and aren’t really feeling up to going out. (Start planning for fun things in advance so that you can’t give a last-minute excuse and back out.)

5. Stop drinking so much diet soda. (Start drinking two big glasses of water every morning, and carrying a water bottle so you’re forced to stay hydrated all day.)

6. Stop putting off the appointments you don’t want to deal with. (Start scheduling your annual doctor’s appointment, dentist appointment, etc. If you need a more specified specialist – like a counseling appointment – take the steps toward making it happen.)

7. Stop waking up super late and pressing snooze on your alarm clock three or four times every morning. (Start establishing a specific morning routine, including when you have your first cup of coffee, and maybe actually make a small breakfast every morning.)

8. Stop worrying about whether people are noticing that you’ve been a bit of a funk. (Start confiding in a few of your closest friends about what’s been bothering you lately, because chances are they haven’t noticed a change in your mood as much as you think.)

9. Stop worrying that you don’t have your exact career plan all figured out yet. (Start writing down goals: write down your goals for the next month, the upcoming year, and then a few “I think this would be awesome” goals for five years from now, even if they’re a stretch.)

10. Stop beating yourself up for insignificant mistakes that no one is noticing and that you won’t remember a month from now. (Start treating yourself with more respect.)

11. Stop avoiding your parents or talking to the people that love you. (Start with a simple, quick phone call to your mom or dad just to check in.)

12. Stop making plans just to have constant distractions from all the stuff that’s really going on in your life. (Start differentiating between quality, much-needed social time, and plans that you only make to create some noise and distraction in your day.)

13. Stop avoiding the outdoors and exercise. (Start easing back into working out by starting small: run one mile, go for a walk outside, go check out the company/school gym with one or your coworkers/classmates.)

14. Stop spending so much time overthinking every decision and questioning yourself to the point of just constantly doubting yourself. (Start giving yourself a fucking break sometimes.)

15. Stop worrying about whether you’re falling behind, and about the fact that your life might not be moving at the same pace as everyone else’s. (Start realizing that it’s actually a good thing that you and all of your peers aren’t hitting milestones at the same time — success isn’t measured by where you are compared to the rest of the pack.)

16. Stop living in your head, and replaying things that you wish had happened differently. (Start working on becoming more present.)

17. Stop being such a space cadet. (Start working on your focus, which means paying more attention to the task at hand, or what the person across from you is actually saying to you.)

18. Stop apologizing when you don’t actually need to. (Start giving yourself more credit.)

19. Stop lusting after other people’s lives and thinking about all the things you don’t have. (Start appreciating all of the positive things you have in your life.)

20. Stop wondering when that one thing that ~makes your life start~ is going to happen. (Start working with what you have, and accepting that goals aren’t achieved overnight, and that doesn’t mean you’re not getting closer to them.)