17 THINGS TO DO WHEN YOU’RE FEELING STUCK IN LIFE

Have you been feeling stuck in life? Do you feel like things are not working out the way you want them to? Maybe you are not living in the neighborhood that you want. You feel like your job isn’t what you envisioned years ago. Maybe you would be married right now to the love of your life and chasing sunsets in Greece but you are still single and going through frustrating relationships. You feel like things are not working out.

If this is you then it will help to know that you are not alone. Millions of people all over the world are feeling stuck in life. Maybe they are stuck in a job they hate or a marriage that they’re not happy in. Sometimes, we feel like things are not working out the way we want. The reality is not everything would work out the way we want. However, there are simple ways we can get out of a rut, refocus direction and move on with life. Before we dive in, I have a present for you. I created journal prompts that you can use if you are feeling stuck in life that you can download down below for FREE.

What is feeling stuck in life?

Feeling stuck in life is an overwhelming sense where one feels like they are not where they want to be in life. It also entails not knowing where to begin to get to where you want to be in life. This can lead to build-up of frustration and anxiety. You may have reached a place where you are not enjoying your job, your relationship isn’t working and you are tired of the same routine. Most people feel this way. According to Gallup, 85% of people in the world hate their job,especially their boss. In fact Gallup estimates that only 15% of people are engaged in their jobs. Statistics also show that 36% of Americans are unhappy in their relationships. This is worrying. The worst part is, most people do not know how to get unstuck in life.

What are some of the reasons that cause someone to feel stuck in life?

The first step to solving a problem is identifying it and the best way to deal with feeling stuck in life is to learn the reasons behind it. Since we are different, not all reasons resonate with everyone. You need to understand yourself in order to know where you fall.Some of the reasons are:

• Abstract goals. They are general goals that make the question at hand undefined hence making one susceptible to feeling stuck.  Abstract goals demotivate us to action hence make us feel stuck.
• Delay in the expected reward. Instant gratification drives the society we live in. It is easier to carry out activities that give instant results rather than long term rewards. We tend to put off activities that take time to see results yet we still want the reward. This leads us to feeling stuck because we are not ready to be patient to receive the reward.
• Focus on the future options. The future may seem to have many options. So we may feel confused on what we really want because the options seem to be many to generalize on hence, you feel stuck.
• Optimism about the future. Ever heard of the phrase that the future looks brighter? It is motivational but it may drag you behind. Just because the future looks promising doesn’t mean that one should put off work in the present. It can cause procrastination because it makes one wait for the situation to change without them doing anything about it. This may delay important things in your present hence, you feel stuck.
• Indecisiveness. Decision making is not an easy task especially when it entails two or more options that appeal to you. But this may be lagging you behind in terms of getting work done.
• Feeling overwhelmed. Having many things to do at the same time might make you feel overwhelmed. If you are anything like me, you would throw in the towel and not do anything at all because you can’t work under pressure.
• Anxiety. One might put off work because they are anxious about the future outcome. It’s not difficult to find people who are afraid of success. And so they sabotage their present by thinking about the future and worrying about it. Fear of evaluation or negative feedback can cause anxiety which leads to feeling stuck.
• Perfectionism. The desire to have everything done to its perfection can do more harm than good. Of course nobody wants poorly done work but over perfecting it doesn’t match up. Trying to perfect everything around you may make you feel stuck because you might feel like not everything is working out the way you want.
• Prioritization of short term mood. Instant gratification is the order of the day in the society we live in. One would rather read a magazine and take a nap rather than writing an essay that is needed at work/school the next day. So you end up prioritizing short term pleasure over long term results which later on leaves you feeling stuck.
• Lack of energy. You need energy to carry out your  duties. But sometimes you don’t have it. So you end up procrastinating that makes you feel stuck because you have so much to do and less energy. Lack of energy may be caused by depression, underlying medical condition or laziness.
• Other causes can be low self-efficacy, a perceived lack of control, low perseverance, impulsivity, destructibility, rebellion, sensation seeking, fear of failure, self-sabotage ,self-handicapping or task aversion.
  

Why is feeling stuck in life harmful?

Feeling stuck in life mainly leads to procrastination and self-sabotage. Procrastination is a form of self-sabotage. Knowing the effects of procrastination and self-sabotage will help you see the dangers of feeling stuck.They include:

• Loss of precious time. The worst thing about procrastination is the moment you realize that you are two years older yet nothing has changed. It’s a terrible feeling because you can’t turn back time and you have to live with regret.
• Loss of opportunities. When you have opportunities at the palm of your hands, you can take advantage of them to improve yourself. When you let them go, it’s difficult to get them with the same advantages.
• Lowering your self-esteem. Procrastination can be caused by low self-esteem but it can also enforce it. You soon start wondering what is wrong with you which eats away your confidence slowly leading you to holding yourself back.
• Poor decision making. Emotions heavily influence the decisions we make and procrastination affects how we feel to some degree. You tend to make decisions based on your current situation and the circumstances you are facing.
• Health risks. Procrastination is linked to mental health problems like stress and anxiety. If it leads to depression, other areas of your life will also be affected.
• Reputation damage. Nobody wants empty promises. When you keep saying that you will do something and you don’t, your reputation inevitably gets tarnished.
• Ruining your career. Your actions affect your performance. Procrastination prevents you from meeting deadlines or achieving your targets. This may make you miss promotions or worse lose your job.
• Inability to achieve goals. We set goals because we have a desire to improve our lives. However, procrastination seems to come in full force whenever we entertain the thoughts of our goals. Uncover the root cause behind the procrastination if it’s causing you not to achieve your goals,otherwise you might never be able to achieve them.

Now that we know the dangers of feeling stuck in life, we can address some of the ways that you can use to get unstuck.

  Here are a few related articles you might want to read too:

• How to Find your Purpose in Life Tips.
• 12 Reasons you Wake up Feeling Tired Everyday and How to not Feel Tired After Waking Up.
• 8 Things You Should Never do in the Morning After Waking Up.
• 7 Healthy Habits to do in the Morning Before Work.
• How to Wake Up Early and not Feel Tired
• Morning Routine Ideas That will Make you Want to Wake Up Early.
• How to Start an Effective Morning Workout Routine.
• How to Wake up Early in the Morning Without an Alarm.
• 10 Life Benefits of Reading Books 20 Minutes a Day.
• How to Create an Effective Book Reading Routine.

Let’s dive right in!

How to get out of a rut if you are feeling stuck in life.

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1.Find out why you are feeling stuck:

Earlier in the post, we have discussed some of the reasons that may be making you feel stuck in life. Finding out why you are feeling stuck in life is important. You will be able to solve the problem from its root rather than treating merely its symptoms. It is important to be honest with yourself. You can use the FREE journal prompts that I created for you to be able to access why you are feeling stuck in life. If you are unable to do it on your own, look for someone you can trust to do the exercise with you.

2.The answer lies within you:

You know yourself better than anyone. The answer to why you are feeling stuck in life lies within you. Maybe you have been having a procrastinating behavior or you are harboring addictions that are keeping you stuck. You cannot lie to yourself. We are not perfect and there is nothing wrong with that. Understanding why you are feeling stuck will make it easy for you to move towards getting unstuck.

3.Realize that you have a choice:

We always have a choice in every situation. There are things that we can and cannot change. However, we have a choice of how we will respond to each situation. Lou Holtz said that “Life is 10% what happens to you and 90% how you react to it.”I agree. You can either choose to remain in the same place or evolve. Realizing that you have a choice makes you take responsibility of your life instead of living like a victim.

4.Analyze the options that you have:

The preliminary points are important because they help you identify the options that you have to help you get unstuck. For instance, If you are unhappy with your job, you have options such as quitting and looking for another one or addressing the cause of your unhappiness. Your options might be many or few but what matters is identifying the option that will be best for you. Take your time while analyzing. Do not always go with the easiest option without looking at the long term benefits and disadvantages of each. The best option for you might be difficult to choose but always put your well-being first. You are strong enough to handle anything.

5.Look back at how much you have achieved:

Its easy to forget how much we have achieved when we are in a dark place. However, it’s important to look back. This will help you be confident in your capability of getting out of the situation you are in at the moment.

6.Remind yourself how you were able to get yourself out of a rut before:

You might learn one or two things that you can use in the present situation by looking back at how you got yourself out of a rut before. Do not underestimate the power of learning from the past. You might be able to avoid making past mistakes and in the process helping you save on time.

7.Realize that  you need less than you think to start:

So often, we imagine that we need so much to get ourselves out of a rut. Maybe you are waiting to have a million dollars to go back to school or start that business. That might keep holding you back. In some cases, it might be the reason why you are feeling stuck in life. Identify the most important things that you need to start and begin there.

8.Practice gratitude:

Be grateful for what you have at the moment. We tend to focus so much on what we don’t have that we forget to be grateful for what we already have. Practicing gratitude will not only help you have a more positive outlook on life, but also rebuild your confidence with where you are at the moment.

9.Practice mindfulness:

Mindfulness is the ability to be fully present and aware of where you are and what you are doing without being overactive of what is going on around you. Sometimes feeling stuck in life stems from being anxious about an uncertain future and a not so good past. That’s why practicing mindfulness is important. Practicing mindfulness involves breathing methods, guided imagery, and other practices to relax the body and mind and help reduce stress.

10.Learn more about yourself:

Knowing who you are is important if you are feeling stuck in life. Understanding your mental state, thought patterns, preferences and weaknesses will help you know how to deal with different situations. Maybe your mindset is causing you to feel stuck. Learning about yourself will help you understand where you are at the moment and where you want to be. It’s also a form of self love. You cannot love someone who you do not know and the same case applies to you.

11.Build back your courage and confidence slowly

Your confidence and courage is vulnerable and at stake at the moment. It’s because feeling stuck in life tends to take away your confidence and leaves you feeling worthless. However, do not pressure yourself. Take it a day at a time and build both your confidence and courage slowly. A have a detailed blog post of how you can become more confident in six simple ways. Click here to read it.

12.Ask yourself how you would advise your friend going through what you are going through:

This strategy works wonders for me. It’s so easy to give others advice when we are not in their shoes until we go through the same thing. Step away from what you are feeling and put your emotions aside. Ask yourself how you would advise a friend who is going through what you are currently going through. When you are done, go and apply the advice.

13.Try something new and get out of your comfort zone:

The same pattern of life might make us feel stuck once in a while. Maybe getting out of your comfort zone or trying something new is what you need. What have you always wanted to do but you are too scared to do it? Go do it. This will help you see the world in a new perspective and build back your confidence to get hold of your life.

14.Go with the flow:

You might be so fixed on what you want your life to look like or want things to happen a certain way. Maybe you need to let go of control and go with the flow. Allowing myself to go with the flow has sometimes allowed everything to fall into place without me doing anything on my end. Try it and see how it goes.

15.Clearly describe what your ideal life would look like:

If you want to get unstuck in life clarity is essential. Just going through life without clearly describing how you would want your ideal life to look like is like boarding a vehicle without knowing where you are going. Having clarity in your life will help you avoid feeling stuck in the future. Knowing where you are going will help you board the right vehicle and even though you don’t know the exact direction, it’s easy to find out.

After clearly describing what your ideal life would look like, find out and clearly state the things that you can do to help you reach there. It is futile to know where you want to be in life without taking any actions to get there. Knowing your purpose is crucial because it would be the compass guiding you through your journey of life. Before doing anything ascertain that your intentions and actions are aligned with your purpose.

16.Take it one day at a time:

You do not need to have it all figured out from the word go. Take it one day at a time. Progress is progress no matter how insignificant it may seem. Give each day your best and the rest will take care of itself.

17.Do not forget self love and self care:

No matter the situation, do not forget to give you some love and care. Being overwhelmed and  fatigue might be causing you to feel stuck in life. Reward yourself after every achievement. Relax babe! You got this! Give yourself some love and a sprinkle of care.

Get your FREE journal prompts to help you get unstuck

We have learnt the steps that you can take when you are feeling stuck in life. The remaining part is for you to take action.  Remember that knowledge is not power if it is not applied. Take action today by downloading your FREE Journal prompts that help you get unstuck! Let me know where I can send it to you down below!

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