Feeling stuck on a project, or on struggling to reach a goal, or in life in general is not an unusual feeling. Feeling stuck can feel like trying to get out of quicksand. The more we struggle, the deeper we sink.
Sometimes the best thing we can do is stop struggling for a while. Taking a break from whatever we’re struggling to achieve can give us the energy and the perspective to go back to our goal with clearer vision.
Sometimes we get stuck in a control trap. We want to bring about a certain outcome or produce a certain result and land up pushing too hard, trying to control things we can’t control, or manipulating people and situations that we shouldn’t try to manipulate.
When we feel stuck we tend to feel anxious or frustrated or both. Taking a step back from the situation and perhaps asking someone for their perspective on whatever we’re trying to do or be can be very helpful.
Feeling guilty about being stuck is very unhelpful. Accept that what you’re feeling is part of the human experience, and is a sign that you are moving towards something and being stretched in the process.
If you’ve been labouring intensely toward a goal, taking a breather and letting yourself do something fun or relaxing will be refreshing. The refreshment will give you more energy to keep going, probably more productively than if you hadn’t taken a break.
Writing or talking out loud about how we’re feeling can help get the frustration out. We may even gain some insights about ourselves and our situations as we let the thoughts flow out freely.
My husband had a professor in college who taught his students who felt stuck while writing papers to simply write anything just to get the flow going and that after a while things would begin to make more sense. If necessary, they could just start by writing “I don’t know what to write.” This is called “freewriting” which can be very effective in clearing thought blockages.
There may be some clutter we need to clear out of our way in order to be able to move forward. The most common culprits are the compulsive checking of our phones and social media.
Sometimes it is mental clutter we need to clear out of our minds, subtle beliefs swirling around in our minds such as I don’t know if I can do this, Somebody else would do a better job of this, or This is too hard.
When we find ourselves spinning our wheels, taking some time to identify why we feel stuck will give us the insight we need to get out of the rut.
Common factors that create a feeling of being stuck are: Not having a clear process to follow, Fear of failure, Fear of wasting time, Self-doubt, Lack of clarity, and Procrastination.
Identifying and addressing what is making us feel stuck will give us the boost we need to get on our way.
