We like Panic at the Disco – our favourite track has to be I Write Sins Not Tragedies. But this isn’t about the Pop band, noooo! Although it is quite tragic when a creative who should be churning out great content is struggling with poor mental health.
Uh oh! Panic at the Creative’s. Yikes!
This can be due to a lot of factors surrounding the said creative. For instance, in Nigeria, the #EndSARS protests and the events that followed have affected the productivity level of many creatives and entrepreneurs.
Should work stop then because you are not in a good place right now? Yes and no.
Let’s look at a few things that can help to create content as you try to improve your mental health.
Do Not Create Content
Yes. At first, do not create content. When you are at your lowest, the first person to watch out for is you – not your clients, not your audience… YOU.
It is okay to take a breather. Will they miss you? Probably, especially if you are a great asset or someone who puts out content that helps others. In this situation, you can rehash, repost, recycle, reshare old content as you take time; another great idea would be to create a lot of content on days that you can – covers you on days that you cannot.
So, breathe in the good stuff; exhale the bad stuff.
Consume to Create
What we do not support is laying down waiting to “die,” when you are feeling down. Yes, you can lay down if you want to, but it is a great opportunity to consume positive content that can help motivate and get you out of this phase.
So, we’re talking podcasts, books, videos, tutorials, etc.
Consume healthy to produce healthy.
Set Small Goals
This can be as simple as getting out of bed and writing or sketching out a thought or idea.
Did you used to take on large tasks when you were mentally fit? Well, now cut yourself some slack and set smaller goals… take tiny steps to the bigger goals.
Treat your current situation like a physical pain – when you strain your wrist or shoulder, you have it checked out and reduce how you work that limb.
Do that here. Allow your brain and mind recoup and readjust.
Check in With How You Are Feeling
It is important to know how and what you are feeling. You are probably getting a lot of panic attacks and mood swings. When your mood switches, check immediately what triggered it, document it if you must.
It is better to check in from time to time how you are feeling, than let things brew for too long – this may lead to a total breakdown – that is far more dangerous.
Documenting how you feel helps you with creating authentic content that you can share as a blog post, video or even podcast.
Set Boundaries & Limits
A mental breakdown might be your body’s way of telling you, you need rest.
Physical rest, rest from negative and toxic people, social media break etc.
Thankfully, these new age phones have digital well-being features. Schedule wind down or power off times. Set reminders to get off Instagram and Twitter. Stick to a sleep schedule. Tiny naps in the afternoon, if possible.
Learn to say NO to people and things that would want to get in the way of these boundaries.
Creating content is easier when you have a refreshed mind and body.
Embrace Journaling
It’s hard to write on paper now because we all can create notes on our smart devices. This is not a bad thing; journaling can take any shape or form.
Chances are that you will forget things easily this period; because of this, note every important and unimportant idea or thought. Journaling has been proven to impact one’s mental health because it uses both the analytic and creative sides of the brain.
If you are currently struggling creating because of your state of mind, it is ok to feel the way that you do right now; if you need to get help, you should by all means.
Love and light.
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Written by: Faith John – Creative Director, The Kween Media
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