Episode 42: Unstuck and Unstoppable: The Doctor Mom’s Guide to Finding Flow 

You know the days you feel like you’re spinning your wheels?

Imagine trying to finish a project, write a blog post, or get work done.

For me, the clock ticks forward, my stomach tells me it’s already lunch time, and I have nothing to show for my work!

The harder I try, the more I get stuck.

That was my morning today until I realized I had to change my perspective.

I wouldn’t tell a friend to keep pushing through frustration, so why was I doing it to myself?

My unbiased, non-frustrated self had the clear answer.

Why the heck am I not taking my own advice?

And you know, I did. I became unstuck and found my flow.

I’m excited to tell you about it and how you can apply a simple principle to your sticky moments too.

How this Doctor Mom was Stuck

This morning, I was stuck with writing. I had a great topic, love it actually, but spent 2 hours just making an outline for my writing project, rather than completing the dang thing in 2 hours.

Many days, it’s like I’m striding down a smooth path to productivity with my writing.

Other days are like slogging through mud to make any progress.  And on those days, I tend to keep pushing my brain in a direction it clearly refuses to go, which is right through a mud puddle.

There are so many ways to get stuck, right?

Maybe indecision slows down time, examining all the possibilities but not making a choice.

Or perfectionism takes over and makes things more complicated than necessary.

Why is trying so hard sometimes counterproductive?

I think it’s not that trying doesn’t work, it could also be trying the wrong thing at the wrong moment.

The wrong moment is when not in the flow and struggling or spending energy without results.

It’s as though the brain wants to go a different direction than you’re pushing it to go.

Even Quicksand is Forgiving (a bit) When You Stop Struggling Doc!

This is what happened to me this morning. I was seated at my desk, following my routine schedule. I have Thursday mornings blocked out on my calendar for writing, with coffee.

These mornings work pretty well because I am able to get a full night’s sleep, work stress is behind me – it’s my writing block. So, as I sat there doing everything but putting sentences together, I kept pushing.

And as the minutes passed, I got more frustrated, until I acknowledged the problem.

And I knew just the answer.

If I’m just getting more irritated – stop.

If I haven’t written any original thoughts in over an hour – stop.

But this is my writing block, and I won’t have another for a while and – stop.

Stop trying so hard and shift gears.

This reminds me of quicksand – though thankfully the movies aren’t entirely accurate, humans don’t drown in quicksand when they struggle, but they do get very, very stuck.

The answer, for quicksand, is to chill out and make small movements with your feet or legs to wiggle out a space around them. It takes a lot of work to get out yourself. One could even lay back and distribute their weight more evenly to sink less.  I stopped to fact check this one too with Britannica.

I digress.

I realized this morning that pushing myself down an unproductive path was only making things worse. So, I stopped.

Physicians Don’t Give Up, So Now what do You Do?

What do you do instead?

Give yourself a strategic pause and do literally anything else!

If it’s a household project, change rooms.

If it’s a work project, switch tasks.

And if it’s writing, you can close that tab and write on a new topic. That’s what I did. I have yet to return to the original project, and that’s ok because I’m still moving forward.

To stop the struggle doesn’t mean stop being productive with your time. Maybe something else gets done, freeing up your schedule later.

Or take a break to grab some water, stretch or pet your dog or cat. This may be all it takes.

Come back to that project or work later with renewed energy and get it done in half the time. I know I’m looking forward to it.

Next time you’re spinning your wheels remember sometimes pushing harder isn’t the answer.

If it helps, remember the quicksand – the more you struggle the deeper you sink.

Stop struggling.

Instead, acknowledge not being in the flow and give yourself permission to shift gears. Do something else, whether different work or even a short break.

You’ll be surprised how often that fresh perspective and renewed energy will help you tackle the project when you return.

Don’t forget to join me next week for another dose of support and inspiration. I’ll give you a heads up, the topic is overthinking – which is kind of funny that is the topic that had me stumped!

Until then, take care of yourselves, and take care of those who matter most.

It’s Time to Take Control and Thrive!