✨ Create Anyway: How to Stay Inspired When You're Broke, Burned Out, and Scared
While feeling so anxious and worrying about money, I spent my one day off running.
Not resting. Not writing. Not dreaming.
I took a long bus ride from NYC down to the Jersey Shore to visit my family, my 80-year-old dad and my 70-year-old mom, who works full-time and takes care of him around the clock. I wanted to be present. I wanted to savor this fleeting time with them.
But the whole time, I was spiraling.
I was panicking about money. Trying to brainstorm any extra way to make some extra cash. Feeling guilty for not working on my creative projects.
By the time I got on the bus back to New York, I felt heartbroken. Ashamed. Depleted.
I was doing everything I could, but nothing felt like enough.
And maybe you’ve been there too:
Trying so hard to hold everything together while it feels like your life is falling apart.
✨ So how do you stay inspired enough to create when your finances feel like quicksand?
How do you show up for your dream when you’re exhausted, broke, overwhelmed, and scared?
I went looking for answers. And this post is what I found—plus what Dream Nudge teaches as a creative survival framework.
🧠 First: What you're feeling is valid, and biological.
Your brain is not designed to be creative when it feels unsafe.
Here’s what’s actually happening:
Financial insecurity activates the amygdala, your brain’s fear center, which floods your system with cortisol and reduces access to creative and planning areas in the prefrontal cortex.
(Harvard Health Publishing, 2020)Chronic stress impairs working memory and executive function, making even small tasks feel impossible.
(The American Journal of Psychiatry, 2016)Burnout mimics depression, often caused by effort without reward or rest.
(Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle by Emily & Amelia Nagoski)
If you’re feeling numb, anxious, or like you’re “lazy,” you’re not.
You’re just under-resourced.
❤️🩹 So how do we rebuild momentum without forcing ourselves?
Enter: The Emergency Dream Nudge Method™
This gentle framework can be done anytime—no money, no tools, no pressure.
✅ 1. GROUND
Take 3 deep breaths. Put your hand on your heart. Say:
“I am safe. I am here. I am enough—even now.”
This helps interrupt the anxiety loop by activating the parasympathetic nervous system (aka your calming switch).
(Dr. Judson Brewer, Brown University Center for Mindfulness)
💭 2. REFLECT
Ask:
“What do I need right now to feel safe enough to try?”
This question is rooted in CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy)—both of which show that naming your need helps reduce emotional intensity.
(Beck, 1979; Linehan, 1993)
🧠 3. RELEASE SHAME
Write:
“I feel ashamed because…” → “But I understand this came from…”
This is an REBT (Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy) tool: identifying unhelpful beliefs and replacing them with truth.
Shame dissolves when we offer ourselves compassion.
(Kristin Neff, PhD, Self-Compassion.org)
🌱 4. NUDGE
Take one tiny creative action. Not perfect. Not big. Not for Instagram.
Just:
100 words in your journal
a Canva graphic draft
a 2-minute voice memo idea
a single email to one person you trust
Action fuels identity. Every step reinforces: I am someone who still shows up.
(James Clear, Atomic Habits)
🧘🏽♀️ 5. SHOW UP PRESENT
Ask yourself:
“What’s one thing I can see, smell, or hear right now?”
This is called mindfulness anchoring, and it’s shown to reduce rumination, anxiety, and dissociation.
(Dr. Judson Brewer, 2017)
🌀 6. ASK BETTER QUESTIONS
Inspired by CBT, REBT, DBT, Stoicism, Manifestation & Faith:
Ask Yourself...
CBT: What's the evidence this will go badly? What’s another possibility?
REBT: What belief is fueling this emotion, and is it actually helpful?
DBT: What’s the wise mind choice? What soothes my nervous system?
Stoicism: What’s in my control? What can I accept with grace?
Manifestation: What would I do today if I trusted it was already working out?
FaithWhat can I pray or surrender right now?
🎉 7. CELEBRATE
Even if it’s small. Even if it’s not finished.
Give yourself credit.
Because what you’re doing, creating in the middle of the mess: is a radical act of hope.
✨ 20 Dream Nudge Affirmations to Anchor You
I release the belief that I must have it all figured out today.
My value is not determined by how fast I fix things.
I am allowed to rest without guilt, even in the unknown.
I trust that small steps are enough to move me forward.
Even when anxious, I am still worthy of peace and creativity.
I let go of what I cannot control and focus on what I can.
I am doing my best with the tools I have, and that is enough.
Every setback is preparing me for a breakthrough.
I don’t need perfect circumstances to take inspired action.
I choose thoughts that serve my peace and purpose.
My faith is stronger than my fear.
I am being guided, even when I feel unsure.
I forgive myself for struggling. I honor my humanity.
I welcome divine timing, even when I don’t understand it yet.
I release shame and return to self-compassion.
There is no rush. My dream is unfolding with grace.
I accept what I cannot change and show up with heart.
I am resilient, creative, and deeply loved.
I am not behind—I’m in the middle of a miracle.
I believe in a future that’s bigger than my fear.
🌷 Final Words
You are allowed to be scared and still believe in your dream.
You are allowed to feel grief, anxiety, and burnout—and still try.
You are allowed to take a breath, say a prayer, and start small.
You're not behind. You're building something sacred in the dark.
Even if no one sees it yet.
Even if you don’t have the job yet.
Even if you’re crying on the bus.
You’re creating anyway.
And that’s enough.
✨ Want support?
Goto dreamnudge.com
You are not lazy. You are becoming.
Print/ Download and do the free worksheet for more help :)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1TBPYY3SFCNInsSLQ_jBDKk460pNJoPPS/view?usp=sharing
—Amy
Dream Nudge Founder
