Do you ever feel like you need fresh, new ideas in both your personal and professional lives? And yet, you find no inspiration regardless of how deep you dig? Well, this happens to me more times than I would love to admit. A lot of factors can contribute to my own lack of inspiration.

Sometimes, awful weather, depression, exhaustion or a dislike for a particular task may contribute to my lack of focus and inspiration.

However, I know that generating new ideas can be difficult sometimes. And that is normal in the course of both our personal and professional lives. But then, it is up to us to find ways to stay on top and to remain innovative. So how can you find inspiration when you feel uninspired?

This article explains my 5 favourite ways to help you generate new ideas when you have no inspiration.

1. Research.

This is the most obvious – yet it may not always be as straightforward as it sounds. Carrying out research is a skill. And it can be even more difficult today, due to the vast amounts of information available online.

This makes it difficult to separate relevant information from non-relevant ones.

However, you do not have to find inspiration only online. In my personal experience, other people’s opinions can be surprisingly insightful. Talk to your customers and employees. Create polls and ask them what they like and what they need. Open up about your lack of inspiration and speak to a friend, co-worker or a close family member. They may drop an absolute gem that could lead to a new business idea.

You can use their feedback to learn more about gaps in the market, as well as many other things. This could change your perspective on how you think and act. And could inspire that new idea you so desperately need.

2. Change Your Usual Work Environment (If possible).

At times all you need to do is to change your physical work space. For example, if you’re working only from home, try going into the office. Or that nice café or library close to you. Have a business meeting in person if possible as opposed to a meeting online. You get the idea.

As a creative person, a change of environment takes me out of my usual, familiar comfort zone. I find that I cannot reach left or right for my usual distractions like I do when I am at home. This helps to improve my focus and zone in on factors that only help with my inspiration. I hope it can help you too.

3. Spend Time Alone.

‘Me’ time, anyone? By alone time, I mean time outdoors. If you’re stuck indoors all the time, lounge out in the backyard in the sun. Or take a walk and soak in the nature and your surroundings. If you live close to a park, take a walk there. If you live closer to the woods, beach or mountain, just go. If you wish, you can bring your headphones – and put on a chill Spotify playlist.

PS. If you can afford it, leave the country solo for a few days. Or simply go to a nearby town you have never been to for a day. There is a reason why people feel liberated when they travel away. Travelling takes you away from the ‘mundane and familiar‘, and creates room in your mind for both wonder and adventure. Perfect for new and creative ideas.

4. Return to Unfinished Ideas.

Perhaps this is the best time to go back to any unfinished ideas or projects and re-ignite them. Previously, you may have thought of ideas, put them in writing and shelved them – waiting for a moment like this when you needed them in order to keep you inspired.

Looking through them now, you might attack these unfinished projects from a new perspective. And this is because, at this point in time, you might have gathered the necessary knowledge/skill to tackle this project which you did not have back then.

PS. I currently have 6 draft blog posts and one business idea I haven’t completed. This is because I don’t think I have the right capacity for them just yet.

5. Write.

Get a pen and paper. Sit down. Write down your feelings, thoughts, and any ideas you feel in that moment. This is because sometimes, you need to look back at what is on the paper and then ideas may start to form.

Don’t give up writing even if whatever you’ve written doesn’t make sense to you now. It may make sense later. This is what the concept of consistency is about – trusting the process. Eventually, a gem will rise from the dirt.

Good Luck.