There might come a time in life when you might feel that you are no longer living in the moment – you are feeling stuck. You might look at things going on around you and feel a bit hopeless, like you are on autopilot and that things just happen to you, rather than you being the one in the driver’s seat of your life.
Finding a way to get emotionally unstuck so you can enjoy life once again can be key to helping you get the most out of life.
While many things can cause you to get stuck in life, from relatively minor setbacks to a mental health condition to a big trauma, there are also many steps you can take to help yourself get restarted. A couple of useful tips include:
Become More Aware
If you are feeling stuck, a good place to start is to reflect on your awareness.
Consider the type of thoughts that you have been focusing on, including your self-talk. You might find that you have cognitive distortions or defense mechanisms in place making it hard to be objectively aware of all that is going on around you. For example, your default patterns in relationships could be keeping you stuck.
Depending on the situation, you might be able to handle these sorts of issues on your own or might need to call in a professional.
Take Responsibility
Many people find it easier to blame someone else for their situation, rather than take responsibility for their actions.
You might not want to admit it when you have done something wrong but doing so can be freeing.
Stop for a moment and take an honest inventory of what you have been doing, how you are behaving and what things you might have done not so well. Practice forgiveness, for others and, equally importantly, for yourself as well.
Detach from Unrealistic Expectations
If you are feeling stuck, it might be because you have some unrealistic expectations. Whether you are a perfectionist or not, there might be times when your expectations of a person or a situation are unrealistic, which can lead to a lot of disappointment. Re-evaluate the situation and consider if your expectations really make sense or not, lowering them if, in the cold light of day, they are a bit unrealistic.
Choose Self-Love
It is hard to get going again and enjoy the life you have if you don’t take the time to practice some self-love. The first step to doing this is to make that Inner Critic go away.
For example, if you constantly remind yourself of all the ways that you are imperfect and not as good as others, it is easy to feel down and depressed, unmotivated to get much done. Start showing yourself some compassion and see what a difference it makes.
Ask for Support
Sometimes, it can be more effective to get some support to help you get over this hurdle. You are undoubtedly a strong and powerful individual, but you can’t do everything on your own. Be willing to seek support from friends and family members, to see how they can help raise you and make you feel better.
If this is not enough or inappropriate, be open to seeking help from a professional, such as a coach or therapist experienced in helping people with their INNER STRUGGLES, who can assist you in looking within while working through some of your other issues too.
While it might seem normal to get stuck in life sometimes and feel like you are on autopilot a lot of the time, that doesn’t mean you need to stay like that forever. Learning how to enjoy life and jump right back in is one of the best ways for you to get going again.
