Personal Development

6 Ways to Add Inspiration into Your Everyday Life

posted on August 13, 2018 | by Heather Bien

With busy schedules of work, social obligations, fitness, meal prep, self-care, and everything else that is a 30-something must-do, it’s hard to make the time to find the inspiration to pursue our creative passions. We often have to be proactive finding inspiration in our everyday lives.

Adding inspiration into our lives doesn’t always have to mean spending a pensive afternoon wandering the halls of a museum or gazing at the cutting edge works in a hip new gallery. Sometimes it’s the little moments that we carve out each and every day – the moments that add up over the course of a week, a month, or a year – that have the biggest impact on creating an inspired life. So, here are six ways that you can work exploring inspiration into your everyday life.

Schedule It

It seems to go against the grain to “schedule” inspiration, and that’s exactly why I wanted to cover it first. I’ve found that with our busy lives, it’s the “optional” items that fall by the wayside first. In order to make time to explore our passions and discover inspiration, we have to add it into our calendar just as we would a barre class or a coffee date. Block out an hour on a Tuesday to get up earlier and do something that brings you joy. Despite the lack of spontaneity, you’ll be surprised at how quickly the thoughts start flowing.

Read

Read, of course! Whether it’s a design magazine, a page-turner novel, a motivating biography, your favorite lifestyle blog, or perhaps a travel book, take a few minutes to flip through the pages of something that gets you thinking and inspires you to make moves. Whenever I’m feeling a bit of writer’s block, it helps to read short pieces by writers I admire to get my own words going.

Walk

No matter where you live, getting out in your neighborhood and walking is a wonderful way to get inspired. I live in an urban area of Washington, DC. If I’m feeling a bit stuck or in need of an inspiration reboot, I just walk outside. Taking time to pay attention to the colorful houses, the neighborhood characters, and the bustling shops and restaurants makes me notice color palettes I’d never thought or people living their everyday lives with such happiness that I can’t help but return home enthusiastic to create.

Listen

Stop talking or thinking for a minute and just listen. When you take the time to hear the people and sounds around you, you’ll discover that there’s so much to learn from and take with you on your life’s journey.

Slow Down

This is where a bit of – wait for the buzzword, here – self-care comes in. Just slow down. When your mind is quiet and your treating yourself with the respect and care that you need, you’ll create a space where inspiration can move in and take hold.

Notice the Details

Always pay attention to the details. From the way that the flowers bloom outside the house next door to the brush strokes on the street art mural in your local shopping district, there are inspiring details all around you to the subtle scallop on your favorite skirt. And someone took the time to create those details because they were inspired, which in turn, should inspire you.

How do you add inspiration into your everyday life? Are any of the ways listed above part of your regular routine? Share with us below your own experience with invigorating your daily life with inspiration.