Lately, I have found myself particularly uninspired.
Life is stressful, I miss my boyfriend, and I’m feeling altogether lonely and well…. sad.

When I’m feeling that way, I don’t feel inspired to write anything.
And if I force myself, it’s like I can see and feel the struggle in my writing.

It’s doesn’t flow as well as it normally does,
I’m making points, but I’m not REALLY making them.
And when I go back and read it, I can remember the struggles I was dealing with at that time and I don’t enjoy that process. The process of reading words, and remembering what was happening as I wrote them,
or how I was feeling,
or how many times my fingers had to stop to keep up with the stress in my head.
A broken string between imagination and hands.

The other huge struggle I have is wanting to give advice when I’m having a rough time, without having to necessarily share what is fully going on. Because while I enjoy sharing my life with you guys, privacy is also important to me.

So the question becomes, how do you share advice and insight about the things you’re struggling with, without divulging everything?

Well, what I can start with, is that I’m having a hard time.
Dealing with stress is not my strong suit right now.
And when I’m stressed, the creative side of my brain goes foggy.
And it prevents me from doing the things I enjoy like writing, photography, reading etc.

Even now, I struggle to bring this blog to a point that will be meaningful and worth reading to a large crowd.
But I have also used this platform as a sound board.
An opportunity to get my thoughts out there, when I feel like they’re sticking to the sides of my brain like molasses.

So here is my idea,
My advice for stress management.
For my readers,
But also for all the parts of me that are struggling.

To my fellow writers who deal with writers block:

Always leave your writing at a really high point. If you’re writing a novel, try to take a break at a time in the story that your really enjoying and really inspires you. That way, you will only look forward to the next time you have to write, as opposed to scraping for ideas that you can’t seem to find. If you’re a poet, end on a really killer line or metaphor. It’ll be difficult to stop the flow of inspiration, but if writers block is something you struggle with often, force yourself to stop, so when you go to write again you are already inspired.

To my fellow long distance relationshippers:

Start planning a care package for your significant other, or even just ship them something silly from Amazon. It can be very easy to let a long distance relationship go dull, or ‘status quo’. So when you feel your body really start to yearn for someone, do something spontaneous or exciting. Hell, go full Shakespearean and write them a letter. So broke right now you can’t afford a stamp? Find a movie on Netflix, call them, and watch it with them. It’s lame, but it’s love. And when you’re feeling really worn out, or your heart really hurts… just take a moment to think about how strong you’re being. And if you’re relationship can endure all this space, then it can endure anything.

To my fellow friends who think they aren’t good enough:

I am personally dealing with the inner struggle of being 25. As a millennial, I grew up believing this is the age that I would be undeniably successful and important. I had to start reminding myself that life just simply doesn’t work that way. Life is well… it’s life. And we have to take each day as it comes and get through it. It sounds sad, but it’s not because life isn’t all about you. If you are getting up every day, working hard, making money, doing something you love, or contributing in some way to the world or to yourself, then you are enough. We are living in a world where everyone shares their highlight reels, and it makes us feel like we’re wasting our lives, or not doing enough. You are. And it’s okay to get sad sometimes, but don’t let it consume you. Because life goes by fast, and we should always take the time to stop and find the ‘happy’ in things. You’re enough. Stop taking life too seriously. Because life is a sucker for positive people. Put positivity out there, and life will give you the world.

To my fellow perfectionists:

You’re doing it right. It may feel like you’re not, but you are. There is no right way to live a full life, so stop putting that pressure on yourself. Perfection is just fear wrapped in a prettier package. And if you keep striving for it, you will get no where. Are you wondering what perfection looks like? It’s you, walking in a circle forever…getting no where. Don’t feel like you look perfect? Go out today anyways, because someone else may think you do. Don’t think a photo looks perfect? Post it anyway. Because it’s just a photo, and the world really doesn’t care. Didn’t perform perfectly at your job today? No one does. You’ll learn from this mistake and do even better tomorrow. Are you at a really low point in your life, and feel like you are living life absolutely imperfectly? Great. You’re options are endless, your canvas in blank, start a new painting, and make a lot of mistakes. Because if you strive for a perfect painting, you will always have nothing on your canvas.

To myself:

Me writing this blog today was my way of taking the positive thoughts and ideas I have hidden in my head, and getting them out. I wanted them in front of my face and in front of my eyes. Because when they are hidden in my head, it’s hard to take my own advice. They get jumbled up in my negative thoughts or bad days… I forget how to improve and to heal. At least now, they are out, published, and there to read whenever I need a reminder that the smart, positive, happy parts of me are there… they’re just a little bit more difficult to find right now.

With an open heart,
Sarah.