Snow Blocks, Ice Blocks, and Mental Blocks

Have you had some unexpected schedule changes this week due to the snow or ice? In many parts of the US, winter has shown its force, to the delight of many school children who have gotten several days off of school. Surprisingly, my kids were not happy the second day that school was canceled because they had tests to take and essays to write, and they just wanted to move on and get them done.

Many people were stuck at home because the ice made driveways and roads impossible to navigate. They were blocked from following their original schedule and forced to change their plans. When these unexpected blocks happen, we can give up and just complain about our situation or find a creative solution. At our house, we got some extra baking done (yum!) and cleaned out a few spaces that desperately needed reorganization. The change in routine motivated me to come back to my regular activities with more focus. I think the time away even gave me more creative ideas for my business – totally unrelated to anything I was consciously focusing on.

It’s funny how the brain works – we think we can only be “productive” when actively pursuing our goals. We hit a mental roadblock and get frustrated, trying to force that block out of the way, when what we really need is to find a creative way around it. Often the most productive activity is the one that doesn’t look productive at all- doing something completely different that relaxes us. While we’re busy “doing nothing”, or so we think, our brain is busy putting together all those ideas that have been lurking in our subconscious mind. We come back to our “work” refreshed, bringing new solutions to problems that we hadn’t seen before.

In a season where it is so easy to hit roadblocks of overwhelm, I hope you’ll take some time out to relax and enjoy yourself , and you just might find your mental blocks melting away as your creative side takes over. Happy Holidays!

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