Author: Bebhinn O’Loingsigh

Feeling stuck in a rut can be a horrible feeling. Your life seems like a boring routine and you can’t see how it will ever change. You know you are not happy but you lack the energy and clarity of mind to do anything about it. Identifying that you are indeed stuck in a rut is the first step to doing something about it.

Key indicators that you are stuck in a rut could be:

• You feel like life is going on around you but you can’t connect with it
• You have a feeling that something is missing, but don’t know what
• You feel tired and lacking in energy
• You get that Monday Morning Feeling every day
• Everything feels like a chore
• You have bad eating habits
• You feel unable to gain clarity of mind
• You know something needs to change but you don’t know where to start

There is a way out, but it takes some effort, and the lack of energy that comes with feeling stuck in a rut won’t help. So it’s important to take small steps and as you see the results you will feel encouraged to keep going. Some of the following could help you:

Change your Routine

Part of the problem of being stuck in a rut is that you are bored, and yet you continue to feed the problem because you don’t have the motivation to change. Try purposely changing your routine. It can just be small things at first, like reading a book in the evening instead of watching television.

Spend More Time Amongst Nature

Spending time amongst nature can be invigorating and give you a great sense of peace. Being around water in particular can have an amazingly calming effect. Make an effort to go to a park, lake or river and take a stroll. Take the time to just enjoy your surroundings and take it all in. Don’t dwell on negative thoughts as you walk – this is important as it will completely counteract the positive effects!

Stop Negative Self Talk

When you catch yourself complaining or making negative comments in your mind, stop it straight away. This is just feeding your negative mindset. Replace negative self talk with positive reflections about your life. This will eventually become a habit and you will naturally feel more positive.

Mix with Positive People

As you start to work on your own negative self talk, negativity in other people will start to become more obvious to you. Don’t spend time around negative people – they steal your energy and bring you down. Seek out positive people, have fun and start laughing again.

Get Healthy

Eating badly and being unfit plays an enormous part in feeling low. It zaps your energy and doesn’t allow your mind to clear. Start to work fresh healthy food into your diet and bring some exercise into your routine.

Expand your Horizons

Expanding your mind and your horizons makes you feel alive again. Learn something new, go somewhere new, meet new people and get a fresh perspective on life.

Set some Goals

A great way to feel more positive is to have something to look forward to. Think about things you really want out of life and start to work towards achieving them. This gives you a sense of purpose and gets you feeling excited about the future.

Give something back

Contributing to others gives us a great sense of purpose in life. Where can you give more?

Take Responsibility

Finally, take responsibility for where you are in your life right now. It doesn’t matter what happens in your life, you always have the power to keep yourself happy. Even if you can’t always control your external circumstances, you can always control how you choose to feel and react to them.

Working through these steps will help to get you on the road to a happier life. However, if you need more help, maybe you would benefit from working with a Life Coach. A Life Coach can help you to gain the clarity you need, and keep you focused on making the necessary changes to get you out of that rut, and to stay out.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/coaching-articles/are-you-stuck-in-a-rut-8-key-indicators-that-you-are-and-what-to-do-about-them-2546898.html

About the Author

Bebhinn O’Loingsigh is a Life Coaching at Hightail Coaching Solutions. She specialises in working with professionals who feel stuck in a rut and want to take a Career Break.

She helps her clients to clarify what they need from their time off, ensuring that it aligns with their overall life values. She also works to ensure that her clients cover all angles in the planning stages of their career break, to ensure that it works to benefit their future, rather than jeopardize it.

Learn more at www.hightailcoaching.co.uk or email her at contact@hightailcoaching.co.uk