Many people struggle to get unstuck from the things in their lives that aren’t working. They may find themselves stuck in dead-end jobs or toxic relationships that drain their energy and cause them to feel stalled out. They know what they need to do to move forward but can’t seem to take the first steps. Often, these individuals start by beating themselves up, believing that they’re failures because they can’t seem to progress out of the stuck place.
It’s important to recognize that feeling stuck is normal and there are a lot of different reasons for it. Some of these include having too many commitments and responsibilities, lack of self-awareness (particularly related to past traumas or wounds), not knowing how to make change happen, fear, having a hard time letting go of the old ways, poor physiology that reinforces negative feelings, having low self-worth or confidence, not being clear on what they want, or simply outgrowing their current situation.
Some of these problems may be easy to solve, like removing toxicity from one’s life or getting back into a positive daily routine. However, others may be more difficult. People who are stuck often have a lot of set patterns in their lives, such as eating the same foods each week, going to the same places, and spending time with the same people. While these routines are good for keeping a sense of safety and familiarity, it’s important to live intentionally in order to avoid getting stuck.
In the case of social media, it’s often hard to leave the platforms where you invested your time and attention when those networks have become co-opted and ad-driven. This leads to a lot of people feeling stuck when they’re unable to find a new way to communicate with their friends and family on the same old platforms. Despite this, it’s also possible to feel less stuck by finding other platforms that offer mechanics and experiences that the original networks do not.
The key is to understand that feeling stuck is often a sign of a deeper purpose. When we’re stuck, it can be a sign that we haven’t found a purpose that serves as our compass in life. Having a purpose can help us to see that we’re not where we want to be and can motivate us to make changes.
The next time someone tells you they’re stuck, try to get them to dig into the deeper motivation behind why they’re struggling. Then you can work together to identify the obstacles and figure out a plan for moving forward. It could be as simple as changing a routine or as complex as navigating a relationship, but the important thing is that they’re taking action towards a goal to get unstuck.