How to break through a roadblock, Pt. 2

To start getting things done … do something!

I almost forgot to mention another important factor in breaking through your mental roadblocks … action!

Taking physical action can make all the difference. It’s all very well to sit and intellectualise about these things, but a simple and very effective way to add power to the mix is to add some action. Physical action tends to spark creativity, and energises your whole system, so it’s always a good idea to add action to your attempt to create a breakthrough.

Breathing brings in energy!

A simple way to start might be to stand up and do some breathing exercises. Full breathing literally draws in life force, as well as oxygen. And you can accentuate this process by using your imagination. Just close your eyes and visualise energy beaming down on you, and see it flooding into you as you breathe in. As you exhale, visualise that energy spreading to every part of your body. See it coursing through your veins, energising all of your body’s trillions of cells, and reaching all the way to your fingertips and the tips of your toes.

You don’t have to visualise this in any great detail (although the clearer the better). All you have to do is know that it is happening. Without agonising over the details of visualisation, just see the energy pouring into you and energising you. If you have trouble visualising, don’t worry; just vaguely imagine it happening. Your brain will take care of the details.

You’ve made a great start! You’ve got up off the couch 🙂 Now, add more action. Go for a walk, and walk rhythmically, a nice steady, even pace, and try to breathe in time to your steps. Again, don’t agonise over trying to do it perfectly, it’s really not necessary – just walk and do some deep breathing at the same time. And if it’s only a ten minute walk, that’s okay too.

Do a bit of exercise

If you’re in the mood, do some exercise. Again, it doesn’t matter what you do, this is just to get your body active and involved. Jumping jacks is fine, or a few press ups against a table top. If you have a stool or step do some step-ups. And if you feel like, grab a couple of weights (telephone directories, heavy cans of food, anything at all), and do some work with them. Press them overhead, raise them to the sides, circle them as though you’re in a boat, rowing. A few sets of these exercise can make your whole body feel alive and alert.

And another simple exercise, which won’t tax you or make you come out in a cold sweat at the thought of exercising, is freehand squats. Just place your feet a little wider than shoulder width and squat down, then back up. After a few reps you should be more limber and able to get down a bit lower. Try to keep your back fairly straight throughout the exercise – a simple way to do this is to clasp one hand over the other fist in front of you. Now keep doing some squats, and feel your breathing getting deeper as you do so.

Just a few minutes of action, in the form of walking or simple exercises, can make you feel completely energised. And your brain will benefit greatly from it too; the increased blood flow will help you think more clearly and feel more relaxed and in control.

Make it a habit

And if you feel the benefit of this, why not make it a regular thing? You don’t have to spring out of bed in the morning and start exercising immediately, but if you can do something that approaches what might be realistically called activity within the first ten minutes of crawling out of your pit, then it can put you on the right road to having a good day.

Remember, sitting around generally doesn’t achieve very much. Make use of this simple routine to get yourself out of a rut. Anytime you feel unmotivated, sluggish, tired (for no good reason), or mentally aimless, just think “Action time!”, and get busy! Within a very few minutes you will have put a completely different complexion on the day, and you’ll feel like you’re ready for anything.