How To Get Unstuck

Have you ever felt stuck?

We can feel stuck in a job, in a relationship with a partner, child or parent, in a specific emotion... We can feel stuck because of ongoing unemployment, a recent retirement, or general directionlessness, but we can also feel stuck in a state of busyness and overwhelm, trapped in the sensation of running on a treadmill that never stops.

Regardless of what led us to feeling stuck, let’s remember the wise words of Einstein:

“We cannot solve our problems with the same thinking we used when we created them.” (Albert Einstein)

To get unstuck and restore flow, we’re going to need to access a different kind of intelligence. Such higher level intelligence is already within our self, but most likely still untapped. 

Here are a few ideas that I have tried, either when I need to restore flow in an area of life that is not moving, or when I want to open my whole energy system up to new ways of thinking and experiencing life:

1. (Re)connecting with yourself:

Establishing, committing or recommitting to a practice of connecting with yourself is the most important practice you can do, so please consider only doing this one if you can’t do anything else. 

Get started by simply committing to spending 5 minutes each day to just with yourself, breathing and doing your best to fully be present in your body and feel all your physical sensations. You can do it indoors, outdoors; you can do it in complete silence or by playing some relaxing music. You choose.

When things are stuck and/or overwhelming, such small practice can either seem like too much already or feel like it can’t possibly scratch the surface of your current predicament. When doubts arise, please remember that you need to access a new way of thinking in order to feel better, and that any new suggestion is going to feel foreign and perhaps even crazy.

Being willing to give a chance to something new is the first step to accessing more of your inner intelligence. This process itself is intelligent.

Personally, I’ve been doing various forms of this practice for over 15 years, and it has supported me in all the ups and downs of life. Even In the middle of intense schedules, conflicts, health issues, deaths in the family, I sit with myself for a few minutes every morning and every evening and I remember myself.

2. Engaging in a new creative outlet:

It’s incredible what simply engaging in something brand new or in an activity that you haven’t done in a long time can do for you. It can truly move your energy in surprising ways. The new hobby doesn’t even have to connect to what you’d like to see unstuck, it’s not about logic, it’s about moving your energy, and opening new possibilities in the mind, heart and body.

Ideas to consider trying: taking walks alone, journaling with pen and paper, drawing, dancing, writing, folding origami, doing puzzles, etc.

Recently I started doing some indoor gardening, playing with plant propagation and enjoying watching roots slowly grow in water. On the recommendation of my husband, I’m also following a guided meditation series focused on visualization. Both activities are new to me and not my usual “cup of tea”, yet I’m already noticing some new creativity and motivation arising in completely different areas of my life. 

3. Asking others for input:

Finally, reaching out to someone who is doing well in the area where you’re stuck is going to open up new possibilities. It could be colleague, a friend, a family member, anyone really. Just message them and ask if they’d have a few minutes to give you some input. This is actually what I’m currently doing this summer - asking friends and colleagues to give me a little bit of time to share suggestions and advice in areas where I want to grow. It’s amazing how their ideas and the great questions they ask have helped me think in new ways, and how much wisdom can be received this way. We’re not alone, and we can support one another. We just have to ask.

Conclusion:

We tend to always do the same things, over and over and over, as we’re creatures of habit. As Einstein reminded us, the same old same old is just not going to cut it when we face difficulties. For some, it can be hard try new things, and pretty much for everyone it’s harder to commit to new habits, especially when we’re not feeling great. Yet, it’s when things don’t work that we most need change. Start your new practice with just a few minutes each day, and take it from there. Give it a chance, and trust that when some flow will be restored, you will have more motivation and energy to continue and build from this new momentum. Reconnecting to yourself will unlock new thinking, feeling and behaving. Allow yourself to be surprised!