How To Improve Your Life Quality When You're Stuck In A Rut: Ways to Use Creative Play
It’s not always easy to get out of a rut. The more you try, the harder it can feel like it is and the less likely you are to succeed. However, there are ways to make things easier for yourself if you know what your strengths and weaknesses are, as well as the resources available in your area. Knowing who or what will help you through hard times makes a big difference in how far into that rut you sink before finally climbing back up again.
Consider this story:
Jenna felt stuck in her marriage. She had been married for 5 years, and she couldn't get out. She had tried to leave multiple times, but each time she was talked out of it by her husband. He would make her feel guilty and promise to change. Jenna wanted to believe him, but she just couldn't.
She felt stuck in her job as well. She had been working at the same company for 10 years and she was bored. She wanted to find a new job, but she was afraid of change. She was comfortable with where she was even though she wasn't happy.
One day, Jenna decided to try something new. She started playing the piano again. It had been a passion of hers when she was younger, but she had stopped when she got married. She found that playing the piano again helped her to relax and to focus. It also helped her to remember what it was like to be creative and enjoy life.
Jenna also started taking walks in nature. She had always enjoyed hiking, but she had stopped doing it when she got married. Taking walks in nature helped her to connect with herself and to feel more alive.
Jenna's life began to change after she started incorporating these new activities into her life. She began to feel happier and more fulfilled. She also started looking for a new job and eventually found one that she enjoyed.
As for her marriage, Jenna could feel that she'd changed and that her husband was unwilling to change. After months of reflection, Jenna decided to divorce her husband. She felt that it was the best decision for her and that she deserved to be happy.
If you feel stuck in a rut, don't despair. There are things you can do to improve your life quality.
How do I know if I'm stuck in a rut?
You'll know you're stuck in a rut if you feel any of the following:
You feel bored with life
You don't feel motivated to do anything
You have no interest in things that used to be enjoyable
You feel lost and uncertain about the future
You are suffering from anxiety or depression
Some areas of your life you can be stuck in:
Your job
Your relationship
Your health
Your finances
Your hobbies
How do I get unstuck?
There are so many things you can do to get unstuck. This list is by no means inclusive. Here are some things I recommend you start with:
Recognize that you are feeling stuck. Check out our list of symptoms to look for.
Realize that it's ok that you're stuck, and that it's perfectly normal to feel that way.
Start to get clear on what you want by spending some time journaling.
Identify your main values and start to live by them.
Make a list of things you're grateful for each day.
Focus on taking small steps each day to get closer to your goal.
Start practicing some self-care activities like yoga, meditation, or time in nature.
Find a creative outlet like painting, writing, or playing music.
Have patience with yourself and trust that the process of change takes time.
Get support from friends or family, or seek out professional help or a coach who specializes in helping you get unstuck and can help you move forward.
Why do people get stuck in their lives?
There are many reasons why people get stuck in their lives. Here are some of the most common reasons:
They're afraid of change.
They don't know what they want.
They have negative self-beliefs that hold them back.
They lack confidence.
They're comfortable with where they are even if they're not happy.
Limiting ideas that people have about themselves keeps them from progressing. Here are a few examples of popular limiting beliefs:
I'm not good enough.
I don't deserve to be happy.
I'm not capable of change.
I'm not worthy of love.
I'm not smart enough.
I'm not pretty enough.
I don't have what it takes.
I'm not worthy.
These beliefs can hold you back from taking risks and trying new things. If you want to get unstuck, it's important to start working on changing these beliefs.
When I feel unable to move forward, what are some steps I can take to deal with my negative emotions and move into my happy life?
If you're feeling stuck, it's important to deal with your negative emotions healthily. Here are some things you can do:
Identify your emotions by journaling, either on paper or in a Word doc or your Notes app, and answer the following questions:
What am I feeling?
What is bothering me at this moment?
What are the 5 things I want in my life?
What is coming up for me right now?
What is affecting my low mood?
What are the things I'm grateful for today?
Am I overthinking this a/k/a analysis paralysis?
What are some things I notice in the room I'm in right now? (Lights, colors on the wall, textures, lamps). This will bring you into the present moment.
Acknowledge your emotions. Don't try to push them away. Know that it's perfectly fine to feel the way you do.
What are some ways I can use creative play to help me focus and rebuild my life?
Creative play can involve any activity that allows you to explore your creativity. It doesn't have to be painting or writing. It could be gardening, cooking, hiking, playing an instrument- anything that gets your creative juices flowing. Here are some benefits of using creative play to help you focus and rebuild your life:
It can help reduce stress and anxiety.
It can help improve your mood.
It can provide a sense of accomplishment.
It can help increase your confidence and self-esteem.
It can help you connect with others.
It can give you a sense of purpose.
It can help you find meaning in your life.
It can provide a sense of joy.
It can help you learn new skills.
Why does the idea of creative playing feel weird as an adult?
You used to play as a kid and thought nothing of it, right? The things you did as a kid came naturally: You weren't filled with self-doubt. You didn't need to do any soul searching. No one made you practice gratitude beyond Thanksgiving. You never felt tired. Being lazy was perfectly acceptable. You weren't aware of what low self-esteem was. You didn't know what a comfort zone was. You didn't fear failure. You didn't worry about the big picture or seeing things through a different lens. Your world was small and focused. You had a lot of free time.
What changes from childhood to adulthood?
It's not that creative play changes, it's that WE change. We become more self-conscious. We doubt ourselves. We question everything. We get tired because we are bored with our lives. We become aware of our limitations. We start to feel like we need to have a purpose for everything we do. And we have less free time. Not to mention, we become parents and kids require more of our focus. We have jobs, and we strive to be successful people. We want to show off our successes to our friends and family members or online through social media platforms. We make a conscious effort to spend time showing off our successes to others and make them think we are living our best life, even though, deep down, we are truly struggling.
As we age in our lives, we start feeling stuck, may have mental health problems, feel tired, lose the meaning of our life, and question our decision making and our current situation. Most people stop exercising and moving their bodies, things you did naturally as a kid when you went outside to play. We sit more at work and stop going for a walk. We become out of touch with our bodies.
Here's an example of my client Aurelia who was feeling stuck and wanted to change her situation and focus on mental well-being.
Aurelia was like most people, working a full-time job, wanting to find more meaning in her life. And like most people, she didn't have a lot of free time to do the things she wanted to do. Aurelia had always been creative and loved painting as a kid, but she hadn't picked up a brush in years. After one session with me, we put together a game plan for Aurelia to start taking back her life. Aurelia was busy but she promised she'd give the plan her best effort. One of the key pieces of advice I gave Aurelia was to build slowly. I didn't want her to make massive changes right away that she wasn't ready for. We identified some smaller tasks she could implement every day
She decided that she was going to use her lunch break to walk to a nearby park and paint for 30 minutes on nice days. This achieved two things: Aurelia got her body moving again, and she was able to reconnect with her younger self through painting. Slowly, this routine that Aurelia started building one step at a time turned into a daily habit and gave her something to look forward to every day. After a few weeks, she started noticing that her mood was improving, she was less stressed, and she had more energy. She also started meeting other people who loved painting and they would often spend their lunch break chatting and painting together.
Peer-reviewed studies found that when people are stuck in a rut, creative play can help them focus and rebuild their life. A study published in 2017 found that individuals who participated in creative activities had increased well-being and self-efficacy (a measure of one's ability to cope with stress). The study participants also reported higher levels of vitality, meaning they had more energy and enthusiasm for life.
In another study, 100 adults were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their lives on a scale of 1-10. The participants were then given either a jigsaw puzzle or a coloring book and told to spend 20 minutes working on the task. At the end of the 20 minutes, the participants were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their lives again. The results showed that the participants who worked on the jigsaw puzzle had a 0.5 increase in their satisfaction level, while the participants who colored had a 1.5 increase in their satisfaction level.
The bottom line is that if you're feeling stuck, creative play can help you focus and rebuild your life. It's a fun and easy way to improve your mood, reduce stress, and boost your energy levels.
The more Aurelia and I worked together, the deeper we went with her creative play. I started challenging her to dig deep. She'd made a regular practice painting by putting one foot in front of the other when she took her first step of walking and painting in the park.
How did Aurelia dig deeper? She started connecting even deeper with her art and painting practice.Aurelia took a painting class and started exploring mixed media. She also joined an online community of painters where she could ask questions, get feedback, and be inspired by other artists. Aurelia started to see her painting as a form of self-care and not just something she did for fun. It was a form of self-expression that allowed her to tap into her emotions and release them onto the canvas.
Aurelia's story is just one example of how creative play can help you focus and rebuild your life when you're feeling stuck. If you're looking for ways to improve your mood, reduce stress, and boost your energy levels, I encourage you to give it a try. And remember, the goal is not to be perfect, it's to have fun and enjoy the process.
Final thoughts on feeling stuck, getting out of your comfort zone, rebuilding your mental health, and tapping into your feelings.
We've all been there- feeling stuck, not knowing which way to turn or where to go next. It's a frustrating and helpless feeling. But there is hope. Creative play can help you focus and rebuild your life when you're feeling stuck. It's a fun and easy way to improve your mood, reduce stress and boost your energy levels.
Make sure you have a support network if you're suffering from mental health problems. I've been there too, and I know what you're feeling. When you are alone, reaching out for the support you need feels impossible. Asking for help when you're feeling stuck and struggling with mental health issues can feel impossible.
Negative thinking and negative self-talk are working against you. But you can do this. Remember that you can achieve anything you put your mind to. On the other side of the shitty way you feel is a better life. You can put your past behind you. I know because I've done it.
I've struggled with body images issues for years. I felt stuck at work in the past. I even tried going back to things that'd previously worked for me only to discover that I had to forget those old ways and try something new.
When I feel stuck, I follow all of the advice I've given you in this article. I practice what I preach because it's a framework that I've built that works for me. I've lacked motivation, struggled with negative self-talk, felt out of control in my marriage and at work, and I have a very troubled past that is hard to talk about. I've been walking with depression hanging around my neck for the last 18 years.
I've been searching for the answer to "solve" my depression for years. It wasn't until 2015 when I found myself in-patient at a mental hospital, that creative play was the solution to my problems. All of the coping mechanisms I learned in the hospital were based around the idea of creative play, tapping into feelings, learning how to focus, working out triggers from the past and how they were affecting my life in the present. I was dealing with some really tough feelings that I needed to work on so that I could rebuild my life.
Are all of my problems solved now? No. I still deal with stuck, but I've learned ways to support myself, how to deal with difficult feelings, and put systems in place to motivate me to help me realize what isn't working and work on how I can achieve what I want in my life. I realize now that I matter. I didn't know that then. Don't ever forget that you matter too.
You can get stuck in your journey at any time. There's not a specific age or trajectory that can pinpoint the exact moment in life when you will become stuck. What matters is what you do about it. Taking the first step to getting yourself unstuck can be the hardest thing to do. It's going to be ok. I know it will because I made it through a very challenging time in my life. You will too, and I'm always here for support if you need help.
Conclusion:
Creative play can help you focus and rebuild your life when you're feeling stuck. It's a fun and easy way to improve your mood, reduce stress and boost your energy levels. If you're struggling with mental health problems, make sure you have a support network in place. Negative thinking and negative self-talk can work against you, but don't forget that you can achieve anything if you put your mind to it. Finally, remember that when you feel stuck, there is hope. You can put your past behind you and build a better life for yourself.
FAQ: Here are some FAQs I get about being stuck in a rut and moving on with life.
What do you do when you can't move forward?
The first step is to accept that you're stuck. It's OK to feel stuck. You're not the only one who feels this way. The second step is to figure out what's causing you to feel stuck. Is it a relationship? A job? Your health? Once you identify the cause, you can start to work on finding a solution. The third step is to take action. This may mean reaching out for help, making a change, or doing something that makes you feel good. Taking action will help you move forward and start to feel better. Lastly, don't forget to be patient with yourself. It takes time to get unstuck and make progress. Be kind to yourself and celebrate your
What does it mean to move forward?
Moving forward means making progress in your life. It can mean taking small steps or big leaps. Moving forward can mean changing your mindset, letting go of the past, or taking action towards your goals. Moving forward can also mean healing from trauma or dealing with difficult emotions. Whatever moving forward looks like for you, the important thing is that you keep moving.
Why is moving forward important?
Moving forward is important because it helps you live a happier and more fulfilling life. When you're stuck, it can be difficult to see the possibilities for your future. But when you start moving forward, anything becomes possible. Moving forward also allows you to learn and grow from your experiences. Each step you take brings you closer to your goals and who you want to be.
How do I keep moving forward in life?
The best way to keep moving forward in life is to have a plan. Set goals for yourself and figure out what steps you need to take to reach those goals. Having a plan will help you stay focused and motivated. But don't be afraid to make changes to your plan if something isn't working. Be flexible and open to new opportunities. And finally, never give up on yourself. You can always find a way to move forward, no matter how difficult it may seem.
How do you move forward in difficult times?
The best way to move forward during difficult times is to take action. This may mean reaching out for help, making a change, or doing something that makes you feel good.
What is the meaning of a mental rut?
A mental rut is a negative state of mind that can prevent you from moving forward in life. A mental rut can be caused by stress, anxiety, depression, or other factors. This may mean reaching out for help, making a change, or doing something that makes you feel good.
How do you get out of a lazy rut?
The solution for getting out of a lazy rut is to take action. This may mean setting goals for yourself and figuring out what steps you need to take to reach those goals. It may also mean changing your routine or doing something that makes you feel good. Taking action will help you move forward and start to feel better.
How do I get out of being unmotivated?
Set goals for yourself and figure out what steps you need to take to reach those goals. Change your routine or do something that makes you feel good.
What are some ways I can dig deeper when I feel stuck?
Here are some ways to dig deeper when you feel stuck:
Talk to a therapist or counselor
Find a coach who can help you
Write in your journal
Talk to a friend or family member who won't judge you
Check platforms like YouTube or read some blog ideas for creative ideas