It’s a nearly universal experience to feel stuck at some point in life. It can be in a job, relationship or in identifying the next goal you want to focus on. While this feeling is a natural part of being human, it can lead to long-term negative consequences if it’s not addressed.
One way to get unstuck is to simply move. Changing your physiology can make it easier to break out of a bad mental state, and foster positive emotions like motivation. This can be as simple as standing up straighter and changing posture, or more intensive activities like going for a jog.
Another common way to get unstuck is to re-examine your life goals and values. Being honest with yourself about where you are in your life and what you really want will help you determine the next smallest steps to take to start making progress again. Leaving behind perfectionism is often beneficial as well, since spending too much time on trying to do things perfectly can halt progress in its tracks.
It can also be helpful to re-evaluate the reasons why you’ve been stuck in your current situation. If you’ve been living the dreams or desires of someone else, it might be time to find your own. Living in line with your own values and purpose is a surefire antidote to feeling stuck.
Finally, the most important thing to remember when you’re stuck is that it will usually pass on its own if given enough time. Stuck thoughts, mental images, concepts, songs or melodies that won’t go away (also known as earworms) are common anxiety disorder symptoms caused by stress and hyperstimulation. This symptom can range from slight to moderate to severe and can change in intensity from day to day or even moment to moment. To rate your level of anxiety and see if this symptom is contributing to your feelings of being stuck, try our free one-minute instant results Anxiety Test, Anxiety Disorder Test or Hyperstimulation Test.
If you have food stuck in the top part of your esophagus, it may be dislodged with a few big sips of water. Water can also lubricate the lining of your throat and make it easier to swallow. If you’re uncomfortable with this, you can also use medications that treat flatulence to stimulate the production of gas, which can increase esophageal lubrication and make it easier to swallow.
For a similar purpose, you can chew gum or something else that’s healthy to encourage your body to produce more saliva to lubricate the lining of your brain. It’s also recommended to avoid eating fatty or spicy foods that are harder to swallow, and to drink more water to keep your esophagus and throat hydrated. If the problem persists, you can also try using the gummy bear trick: bend over and hit yourself on your back between your shoulder blades five times with your hand. This is supposed to help break the negative neural pathways that are reinforcing your earworms.