I lost my creative spark and these apps pulled me out of the dark — I’m overflowing with ideas

Showing up every day seems simple. But sometimes life reminds you that it isn’t.

Most of us move through our routines on autopilot. So, we don’t think too much about it until something inside us shuts down.

You usually don’t notice it happening until you’re sitting in front of your own mind, and you’re completely empty.

At the end of the day, we are humans, not machines. I learned that the hard way. I recently experienced my worst burnout. These past months of slow exhaustion have humbled me.

I can’t say I’ve fully made it out on the other side yet. But I’m slowly conquering the inability to create and trust my own voice again.

These five lifelines inspired me and pulled me back into the light.

Messier

The best advice you may hear about burnout is to take a break. But it only works when timeout is actually an option.

It’s not a feasible plan when you’re financially dependent on your deadlines. Missing one assignment means missing a bill, in my case. I should know. I went on vacation and still packed my laptop. I ended up not resting.

There had to be a way to push through without worsening my exhaustion. Messier gave me small and creative tasks that weren’t tied to my job. They helped me disconnect my creativity from my workload and live in moments.

I realized how not every imaginative thought needs to be tied to the workflow; otherwise, my brain treats it as labor. It’ll be harder to generate ideas because I’m constantly evaluating them instead of simply experiencing them.

Each moment on Messier came with a short description of what it helps with. It might be building patience or improving focus. I saw instructions and hints that made it easier to begin.

A clock ticks while tasks are in progress, and you’ll take your time to finish them.

Afterward, Messier asks about your mood, and you’ll select options like calm, anxious, energized, and others. Submit your moment to mark it as done and end your commitment for the day.

Draw With Me – Social Drawing

Burnout isn’t limited to work. It affects even the hobbies that normally come easily.

Nothing came to mind when I tried to sketch, and I love drawing. I worried that I had lost the ability to do it altogether.

I found Draw With Me on the Google Play Store. The algorithm suggested it to me, and the concept made me curious.

The app is a collaborative digital platform that places multiple users on the same canvas in real time. You’ll either join public rooms for free or create them. Some rooms require stars for access, which you’ll earn when people like your uploads.

You’ll have access to a brush, eraser, a color picker, pen size controls, zoom, and undo tools.

There’s also a chat panel for sending messages. You may upload your art, save it privately, or leave the room without doing anything.

On days when I don’t feel like interacting or participating, I switch to offline mode or watch people’s creations in the Stream menu.

Endel: Focus, Relax & Sleep

I’ve always loved spa music. I even downloaded hour-long mixes on YouTube because of how relaxing they are.

Endel captures that same essence. It’s an app that wraps around you in a way that makes regular instrumental playlists feel flat. Sounds fade out gradually when you switch modes, so that new ones fade in without breaking the flow.

I also love the black-and-white theme. When you’re already dealing with sensory overload, the last thing you want is another app screaming at you with gradients.

The first night I tried it, I dozed off in minutes after I put on my headphones. Now, I frequently play the sounds on my Bluetooth speaker to fill the room.

The upbeat Uplift, Focus, and Deep Work modes also helped me relax. The soothing sound waves pressed pause on my ADHD, so I could concentrate and get tasks done.

Normally, my mind jumps from one task to another. Somehow, I still manage to get bits of everything done.

Being burnt out made me bounce between those same tasks without finishing anything. I was running laps in my head with nothing to show for it.

The app isn’t free, but the seven-day trial was all the convincing I needed. I was lucky to stretch it to 14 days when I invited a friend.

Stoic

Journaling made me see myself clearer through my own words. But there’s an in-between feeling to it now.

I’m close enough to my experiences to care, but far enough to understand. So, I struggle to express them. However, I see patterns when I stash them on Stoic and return later.

The app has given my thoughts a backbone. Its prompts give me a starting point, and the daily check-ins track my mood.

The app asks guided questions and I respond as detail as I can. Then follow another question based on the same theme.

Each step takes you a little deeper into yourself. I use the breathing and meditation exercises when something sits too heavy on my mind and I can’t type them.

The honesty I pour into the app clears mental clutter. I can see real issues and confront them.

I channel that momentum into replying to messages I’ve been avoiding, organizing my day, finishing a task, or treating myself with more intention afterward.

How We Feel

How We Feel is my go-to mindfulness app because it’s action-based. In particular, I frequent the Burn the Negative tool.

I write down statements I relate to in my downtime, such as “I am inadequate” or “I’ll never be able to recover from this feeling.” The app provides a preview, and I press a flame button to light it up.

I could do it the old-fashioned way and burn real paper. But my laziness always wins. Plus, it’s quicker to just type it and not play with fire.

Generally, How We Feel leans into the psychology of self-talk and assessment. It’s something I strongly believe in.

If you listen to a lot of what people say about you, it gradually becomes the default script in your head. Even when no one is around, you may repeat their judgments and expectations unconsciously.

You don’t realize how much your own perception of yourself matters, too.

The app’s small exercises are life-changing. They help you change that script with small, repetitive habits.

For example, Self Talk pushed me to say my name and tell myself that I’m proud of her. Then I remind myself that I’m worthy of feeling good.

Practicing it daily has lowered the constant self-criticism that partly fueled my burnout.

Mute your feeds to feed your peace

Social media fed my burnout outside my environment. It was hard not to take every post as a reference to personal failure. Everyone else was doing so well.

Even though the feeds are neutral and non-judgmental, my nervous system is the opposite. It’s why I’ve uninstalled social media apps and switched to their web versions.

The extra steps in accessing them discourage me from using them often.

Likewise, you need enough distance to scroll through the internet without comparing your life to everyone else’s.

Replace those slots with apps that calm you and remind you to rest. You’d be amazed at how much the background noise and anxiety levels will drop.