10 Signs You’re Stuck in a Rut (And How to Get Out!)

We’ve all been there. That feeling you can’t shake, like you should be more excited about what’s going on around you. You feel drained, bored, and downright negative about things going on in your life. You may be wondering what’s wrong with you, why you’re no longer interested in anything you used to be. If you find any of the below 10 signs hitting home, you may very well be stuck in a rut. (But don’t worry, we can get you out of it!)

The thing is, you aren’t going to feel your very best every single day of the year. And thats OK. It’s when you continually find yourself feeling like you’re not moving forward and nothing is going right, it can be mentally exhausting.

Sometimes, it’s a matter of changing something small. Switching up a goal or routine. Sometimes it’s a little bigger, and requires a lifestyle change. Regardless of what it is, take a look at the 10 signs you’re stuck in a rut and see if any of these are resonating with you.

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10 Signs You’re Stuck In a Rut

1. You Don’t Feel Like Yourself

You don’t know what you feel like, but you know it isn’t you. Maybe you feel annoyed and frustrated with yourself, maybe even irritated. Something feels off but you just can’t put a finger on it.

2. You Don’t Have Any Drive

You could get up and do that thing you’re supposed to do, or you could stay sitting right where you are. You’re lacking the basic motivation and momentum to get mundane tasks done.

3. You’re Avoiding Tasks/Just Meeting the Minimum

Your to-do list is getting longer and longer but you’re not getting any closer to finishing it. Or, you’re just getting the bare minimum finished, but nothing more. You don’t feel inclined to do any of the tasks on it.

4. You’re Searching for a ‘Why”

Why are you feeling this way? Why are you doing what you’re doing. Why did you even choose this path? What’s the point?

5. You’re Lacking Creativity

Whether it’s deciding what to make for dinner or what your next blog post is going to be, you cannot for the life of you come up with anything. You feel completely drained of ideas.

6. You’re Bored

The path you’re on no longer excites you. You’re just going through the motions. You feel stuck and like nothing exciting is happening at all. Nothing appeals to you.

7. You’re Complaining About the Same Things

Over and over again you find yourself getting annoyed with or complaining about the same things. They continue to bother you and you can’t seem to shake them. It seems like you’re just running the same rant over on repeat.

8. Nothing Excites You

You no longer feel joy about starting new tasks or creating new goals. You don’t feel like there’s anything to look forward to. Even if things are evolving and changing, you’re fixated on what’s bringing you down.

9. You Withdraw From People and Activities You Like

You may not feel like seeing friends and family you normally do. You also may not be participating in regular activities you normally enjoy. You may find yourself making excuses to avoid these things or people.

10. You Aren’t Up For Trying Anything New

You keep the same routine and give up looking for anything new. You aren’t actively seeking out trying new things or alternatives. The thought of taking on a new path seems more like a chore than a welcomed challenge.

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Check In

Did any of that resonate you? Did you feel like any of the those 10 signs of being stuck in a rut applied to you? If you feel like you’re stagnated, unmotivated or downright bored with what you’re doing, there’s a very good chance you could be stuck in a rut.

Now, the best way to get over being a rut is to get out of it! Below You’ll find a list of tips and tricks you can use to pull yourself out of being in a rut and start to feel more like yourself!

How To Get Out of a Rut

Acknowledge that You Are in a Rut

Acknowledging you’re stuck in a rut is the first step to putting a name to the feeling you’ve been having. It’s important to make yourself emotionally aware of your feelings. Checking in with yourself and realizing you’re stuck in a rut is the first step to being able to overcome it.

Change Your Environment

Clean up a space you frequent. Rearrange your workspace. Take a walk. Resetting yourself starts with changing your environment. You may just need a new workspace, a cleaner area, or to visualize a different scene to begin to pull yourself out.

Take a Break

You may just need a day to be able to reset yourself. Or maybe just an afternoon. Take a nap, read a book, go outside etc. Give yourself and your body a chance to have a break from the source of what is causing the distress. Even sleeping on it overnight can be enough to change your mindset.

Start Small

Have a molehill of things that need to be tackled, but don’t have the motivation. Start small. Sometimes you may surprise yourself and continue to collect momentum as you go. It can be as simple as getting a few small tasks done to be the motivation you need!

Remember Why You Started

Sit down and write down a list of the exact reasons why you started. Do this until you start to feel some of that spark return. Become re-excited with the process you originally fell in love with.

Re-Frame Your Goals

Perhaps your current goals are too challenging or not challenging enough. Re-frame your goals to better suit your needs, lifestyle, and current situation. Remember, our goals need to change and grow with us. The plan in which we use to change our goals must change as we continue the journey to our goals!

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Recap

Feeling like you’re stuck in a rut isn’t a great feeling, but you don’t need to wallow and stay in that rut. Acknowledge that you’re in a rut and begin the steps to pull yourself back out of it! Let me know your top tips for pulling yourself out of a rut!