Find a completely unrelated creative outlet: look for a creative task with lower stakes to help ease you back into things and re-ignite your creativity and motivation.

What are the things in your own life that you enjoy but aren’t necessarily “productive”?

How you give yourself self-care is up to you.

It could mean going to bed an hour earlier. Making time for a walk in nature. Going to an art show. Or even just doing something fun.

For example, if you need to write a chapter of a book, instead of sitting down and looking at a black page for hours on end, break it up into tiny increments and set tight deadlines (such as 250 words every 20 minutes).

Not only will you not have time to become self-critical, but once you start working it’s much easier to keep going.