Stuck

“I feel stuck”, “I am trapped and there seems no way out”, “I feel stuck in life”_these statements have become very common nowadays. People feel that they are not able to move forward in life and they are stuck in the same place. This feeling of being stuck could be overwhelming. It could seem that someone has caged us within. But it doesn’t mean we have to stay in the same place and in the same feeling all through.

Feeling stuck could be in various ways. A person could be stuck in the same situation in life, doing the same things over and over again. A person could also be mentally stuck where their mental capacity is not letting them move forward in life.

A person could also be stuck at a certain age, for eg: A middle-aged man trying to do things and dressing up like a young age, desperately trying to prove that he is still young. Sometimes a traumatic incident could make the person stay mentally stuck in the past. For eg: A person who went through the loss of his/her parents, indulges in grieving for a long time, is unable to be involved in anything productive.

How do we know that we are stuck?

• Desperately wanting something new a new job, change of location, seeking new relationships, etc.
• Finding something new and exciting, but not letting yourself get closer to it.
• Constantly imagining how things can be better than they are now.
•  Overthinking and excessive worry about how things could have been or why things turn out to be in a certain way.
• Unable to take a proper decision.

Why do you feel stuck?

•  Your values don’t correlate with your current life: If your present life doesn’t have the perfect conditions for your values to thrive. For eg: You may be a person interested in constant improvement, but your job forces you to do the same mundane tasks with no room for improvement.
• Stuck in the comfort zone: Though you realize that it is time to move forward, you don’t take any step further as you are too comfortable in your current lifestyle.
• Seeing others grow: While you see your friends or younger-aged people grow in life, you feel stuck in the same place.
• You have outgrown the situation: A few years ago, it could have been your dream job, but now your values, your capacity, etc have grown and you feel stuck in a situation that doesn’t provide enough spark.

How do get over the feeling of being stuck?

• Find what you want in life: Instead of settling with what you have right now, think and analyze what you want in life. Do your values correlate with what you do right now for a living? Doing this could help you make necessary changes in your life.
• Perspective change: Sometimes it is all in the mind. It is important to not compare our lives with that of others. We just have to focus on where we were and how far we have come in life, and if we are on the right track towards our goal in life.
• Exercise: We may feel physically and energetically stuck. Exercising and making it a routine could make us feel better. Sometimes, trying some dance forms could help too.
• Try to make small changes: Choose a different mode or different way to travel to work. Plan a holiday trip to a place where you have never been. Change your curtains and furniture. In the office, try to request a change in the workspace.
• Make the decision now: There could be a few actions and decisions you have been pushing off for a long time. For once, take action and make the decision right away and face the consequences.

Stuck in the past is not a disorder. It is just the inability to take action. It could be easily gotten over with just simple actions from our side.