The Reason You’re Stuck In A Rut And How To Escape The Dangerous Cycle

“If it feels like your life is monotoned and boring, and nothing really changes, chances are you are in a rut”

It’s a never-ending cycle of negative thought patterns that keep you stuck, and you never get to move forward.

You may plan things but you don’t go through with them. You reschedule plans for another day after another and never end up doing them.

This then leads you to an ever-ending cycle of unfinished tasks.

This is honestly what I believe has caused my depression. A fear of changing for the better, A fear of what someone might think about me without even being around them.

You basically get stuck in the past. Forgetting about the moments that are important right now.

You have a fear of stepping out of your comfort zone

For example, let’s say you get a new job, You know deep down inside it doesn’t align with your interests, but you know that you really need it, to get on your feet, pay your bills, and take care of yourself. However, your ego tells you that you hate the job or it’s just not for you.

This happened to me a few times, and I’ve quit so many jobs because of this, and now I wish I would have kept those jobs.

I realize that when we focus on the things we need sometimes that leads to us getting the things we really want.

Here are 5 other reasons you may be stuck in a rut

You're afraid to fail

Your afraid to be criticized

You are mentally lazy and don’t think about what can be done

You don’t like discipline

You don’t understand how important getting out of the rut is, so you stay there

When you start giving in and giving up on fixing the problem, it just repeats itself again, until it’s resolved.

So now let’s discuss some ways to escape this cycle

Figure out what the cause is

Earlier we mentioned that one of the causes of being trapped in this rut is due to us not getting out of our comfort zone, so there are some things we can do, it may be learning a new skill, taking on a different career path, or starting a new relationship. Once we address the root causes it gets easier to fix it.

Focus on your well-being

I’ve been researching ways to practice self-care, reading books, listening to music, and being more conscious of what I take in, watch, eat, and listen to, are just a few examples.

Change your environment

One of the biggest reasons I’ve been too depressed is because I stay in the same place all day every day, I stay in my bedroom, and I barely ever leave the house,

The only times really go out are to go to the store

This has been detrimental to my mental health, and I’m working to change it by taking mini trips, being in nature, and even just taking walks around the neighborhood is enough to destroy that feeling.

Find something to be grateful for

I know this sounds cliche, but it really works, when you find things in your life you already have you gain more appreciation for them over time. Here’s a video I found to get a better perspective.

I didn't ask to remain stuck and I honestly don't know how I ended up in this cycle, but there is a way to escape it, and that’s by, confronting the thing that you are running from.

I know that may be uncomfortable and it is for me still, but I find that when we confront our fears we become more resilient to face bigger challenges later down the line.

So let’s break the cycle and get out of this rut!

-Ziara