What if you're working on a creative project, maybe even one with a deadline, and you're broadsided by a spate of severe self-doubt or a depressive slump? I'm not talking about the occasional mild blah feeling; I mean the sort of blues where it's hard to get out of bed.
In the short run, taking a day off to mope might work. However, if the day stretches into weeks, you'll quickly find yourself in a rut. And here's the killer: allowing yourself to slide into that rut will not only stall your creative life but the extended mope time won't help you feel any better.
Here's a tip from one of my favorite authors, Barbara Sher. Briefly acknowledge your feelings, tell them "We'll talk later," then get to work. After you're done for the day, note your accomplishments in an action/feeling logbook.
Buy a notebook (the spiral-bound ones work well) and keep a log of every action you take towards your dream or project each day. Then note how you felt that day. Chances are good that you'll find, as I have, that your productivity isn't as connected to your feelings as you'd initially thought. If you record your accomplishments regularly, you'll reinforce the fact that you don't have to feel great in order to produce good work. You might even end up feeling better anyway.
During the "wishcraft" groups I've led, I've found that this simple trick works especially well for people who by temperament tend to get bogged down in their own emotions. Participants who seemed to be Introverts and Feelers (Meyers-Briggs temperament indicator), Idealists or Dreamers (the Enneagram personality system) or "Blues" (the color personality system) benefit from following structured action plans and keeping accomplishment logs. Since feeling follows action, you have to act first in order to feel better.
Keeping a log takes only minutes a day but it can make a huge difference in your creative life.
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