A dry spell at Fiverr is
often stressful, and, while stress can be stimulating, you also need
to relax and take care of your health. Here are some ideas what to do
to entertain yourself, and, possibly, give yourself strength to keep
moving on.
1. Get a Silly Haircut
All right, don't get a silly
haircut if it will get you fired from your day job, or if you'd
really, really hate it. Do change your appearance, though. It can be
a silly haircut (or simply a different haircut or a different hair
color), or shaving your head, or wearing something you don't usually
wear (switching from casual to formal or sportsy or hippie or
whatever), or start wearing a lot of jewelry if you don't usually do
it (it can be cheap), or...
Don't do something that
would get you arrested, and don't do something that would be
difficult to reverse (like getting a tattoo or having plastic surgery
done) unless you're completely certain that you really want it and
that it isn't the stress talking. The point is to temporarily step
out of your own skin, and possibly see things in a new light (and,
preferably, to have fun while doing it).
2. Call Someone and
Request Something Silly of Them
Only do this with a person
you trust. For example, call that person, and ask them to marry you
(you should be certain that this person would not misunderstand you
and really accept something that neither of you wants). Or suggest
that the two of you run away together and see the world, or travel
the space, or start exporting tuna to penguins. Talk about it. Make
plans. Imagine, together, what will it be like. Dream. Joke. Laugh.
It's a good psychological
trick to get yourself unstuck, so you can get back to the business
(analyzing, if necessary, then coming up with solutions, implementing
them, experimenting, finding new solutions... It's always a work in
progress).
3. Dance a Silly Dance
Or do silly warrior moves.
Or whichever silly physical action you can come up with, as long as
you don't harm anyone (yourself included). If you have no idea how to
dance, or have zero experience with martial arts, or can't think of
anything physical to do, search the Internet, imitate what you see,
and make it as silly as you can.
Ideally, it will make you
laugh (possibly while feeling like a fool, but that's fine), help you
relax a bit, and put some oxygen into your brain, so you can finally
think of something more useful than endless worry and despair.
4. Create Terrible Art
Play an instrument you have
no idea how to play (just don't break it!). Write poetry if you don't
know how, and never read any. Sing, even though you can't catch a
tune (especially if you can't catch a tune). Draw, paint, make ugly
jewelry (you can wear it later), sculpt something, make something out
of pebbles or newspapers or whatever you can get your hands on.
It's not supposed to end up
good, or to teach you to do something (although, if you feel like
learning something, go ahead and do it!). It's supposed to allow you
to have fun, and to let you know it's perfectly fine if what you make
ends up far from perfect (or even passable).
Relax. Laugh. Enjoy. You
need it.
5. Make a Terrible Dish
It doesn't matter whether
you know how to cook or not; either way, there's certainly something
you don't know how to make. Go on and make it. Rush things up, or
slow them down unnecessarily. Change the instructions at will, or
don't even read them, and come up with your own idea how to make that
dish instead. Don't poison yourself or anyone else (a stay at a hospital
isn't going to make you feel any better), but other than that, feel
free to make the worst dish on the planet.
Once it's made, smell it.
Taste it. Eat it, if it's edible. Laugh about it. Notice whether
somebody died (no), and whether the world ended (again, no).
The world didn't end, and
neither did your Fiverr business. It's just a slow period, or maybe
you're doing something wrong. After making yourself laugh and relax,
you'll be able to see things in a new light, and come up with new
solutions and new business ideas (Fiverr-related or not).
Allow yourself to act silly.
Have fun. Learn something while doing it.
Keep moving, and win.
