You’ve tried everything to make your life better, but there seems to be no change. You feel an all-consuming low, a heavy feeling that’s wrapped itself around you like a wet blanket. Sounds familiar? How about feeling the frustration it brings when you’re unable to resolve the situation? Experienced this too? Well, let us put your mind at ease and tell you that remaining stuck isn’t your actual reality but only a perception of your mind.
However, feeling stuck means you need change, in your life, in yourself. You might feel the impulse to make a change but subconsciously resist doing so because of an innate fear of said change. Remember, there are no overnight cures but there are always potential solutions that you can look for. To overcome this sense of doom, first, separate yourself from the situation and try to gain a wider perspective. As Albert Einstein wisely said, “You can’t solve a problem with the same level of thinking that created it.” Isn’t developing a higher perspective a logical solution to solving a problem that was formed by outdated thinking?
Step outside of your head for a minute. Ask yourself, how would your best friend tackle the same situation? How would an artist? A poet? An engineer? Anybody and everybody. A fresh solution might lead you to the beginning of a new one.
To help you overcome such feelings of overwhelm, we’ve put together 5 powerful actions that will lead to a rewarding life.
1. Surrender
Before we get into the solutions of the situation, let’s first reconnect with ourselves. Being stuck in life can invoke feelings of helplessness and anxiety, you may wonder who you are and what you’re doing with your life. Surrender to these feelings. Because only once you completely understand the small things, the weight on your chest, the shallowness of your breath, the noise in your mind, will you be able to think of potential solutions to the problem.
Being still allows you to stay still, there’s no being stuck then, there’s only a label to a situation that you’ve invented yourself. Don’t judge yourself for feeling this way rather be compassionate to yourself, your mind can drive you crazy but it can comfort your just as well.
2. Trust in time
What you consider as being stuck is just a holding space to gather new information before stepping aboard a fresh adventure. Look at being stuck as an opportunity to gain a running start. What worked in the past may not be so useful to get you to your next milestone in life. We feel stuck when we lose sense of the bigger picture. Being stuck in one place is not an obstacle but instead a path to our freedom. You may just be starting out on that path and you may have a long way to go, but always have faith in the journey. Believe that life is shepherding you to the next stage of your life and in time, you’ll reach there.
3. Excuses are your enemy
We often hide behind excuses when we fear reality or sudden change. But only being honest with yourself will get you where you want to be. Making excuses to cover up negative feelings creates a victim mindset, a place where you’re stuck further. Assuming ownership of your choices is being accountable for your actions. Accepting the situation for what it is doesn’t mean you’re giving up, it means you’re embracing that it’s happening through you.
Power is only attained when you rise above your challenges. Challenge excuses and sugar-coated scenarios with honesty. Lift off the veil and ask yourself, “what do I really want?” Frame these desires and goals as what you do want to happen; “I want to get that promotion at work” rather than “I don’t want to take a pay cut.” Being real with yourself will help you get past being stuck and feel good about yourself.
4. Enjoy yourself
When we feel stuck at one point in life, we project it on different aspects of our lives as well. It’s important to remember that you’re not completely stuck, not in every area. You may feel stuck at work but you’re not stuck with your family or in your marriage, don’t let the negative feelings take over all the positivity that comes your way. Let yourself have the fun you deserve. Indulge in hobbies that can help you reconnect with yourself, read a book, ride a bike, go to the movies. Remember you are who you are. And you are doing what you can do. Let that be enough.
5. Take action
Now that you’ve established what you want, ask yourself, “What is one small step I can take towards my goal?” Getting enmeshed in feelings of stuckness can translate into unproductivity and procrastination. We often forget that there are several small steps that we can take that can build up to a big change. Avoid analysis paralysis by practicing the Pomodoro Technique; you commit to spending a small period of time working on a task. Ensure that you have no interruptions. This first step may seem hard but it gets easier once you get going.
Resisting the reality will make you suffer. That goes for anything in life. Don’t force change but try to attain change first from the inside out and then externally. What we fail to realize most of the times is that life lives itself through us because we are life. Life isn’t always about accomplishing things and pushing straight through, life is sometimes about resting and simply being, just feeling, and experiencing everything around you. The answer to rising above lies in your response. Will you stay stuck or step towards a rewarding lift? Only you and time will tell.
Read more: 5 Different Types of Journals, Find Your Best Pick
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