How to Pull Out of a Work Slump

I always get my ice cream in a cup. And there's a good reason.

When I was seven, I was walking along the boardwalk with my ice cream cone, licking chocolate off the top and loving life. Then I tripped, and suddenly everything good was melting into a gooey chocolate puddle on the sidewalk. Thankfully, my Dad bought me a new ice cream cone, but I've never forgotten what it felt like to lose something that was bringing me joy.

Have you ever had a moment like that where things went from awesome to heartbreak in a breath?

Professionally, things were awesome for me in February. Life was a scoop of chocolate in a cone. But by March, that sweet treat was melting all over the sidewalk.

It’s funny that I’m thinking of this now, but something about 2020 reminded me of that day. Professionally anyway, things were awesome for me in February. Life was a scoop of chocolate in a cone. But by March, that sweet treat was melting all over the sidewalk. And no one was going to buy me a new cone.

Let me explain. Running my business has always been about being present with clients—standing at the front of a room or on a stage facilitating education, dialog, and shared learning experiences. But overnight, stages and rooms full of people ceased being an option. So I started replicating my work virtually, at least to the best of my ability. But I quickly hit a slump. Work that had always lit me up was now dragging me down. I felt stuck and uncertain. I needed a way to recharge myself, to rediscover my spark.

Now it’s July and—spoiler alert—I’m in a much-energized space. But I know, from conversations I’m having daily, that work slumps are on-trend right now. And a slump is no laughing matter. If you try to ignore it, you’ll find yourself disengaged, unproductive, uncreative, and ultimately unsuccessful.

So let’s talk about strategies for pulling yourself out of a slump. I can speak to these from firsthand experience!

Define what's changed and what you miss

If you’ve gone from engaged and energized to something a bit slumpier, then start by figuring out what you’re missing most.

For me, so much changed at once. I was suddenly no longer getting dressed for work, traveling, speaking in board rooms, or reading body language. It felt like a million things had vanished overnight.

If you’re in a slump, what’s the one thing you miss most?

At first, believed I wouldn’t be able to re-engage until everything felt “back to normal.” But when I pushed myself to reflect on what I really missed most, I discovered that for me it wasn’t about the travel, the clothes, or the room. For me, it was...

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