We all go through different stages and cycles in our lives, but we all seem to hit ruts from time to time. When you hit a rut, you lose motivation and just seem generally unmotivated to keep going.
The dangerous thing about ruts is they can snowball into depression if it’s not handled correctly. Ruts can occur for several reasons, but most commonly, it happens due to burnout. Ruts are also closely related to a low-grade type of depression called dysthymia.
Let’s talk about how burnout leads to ruts and stagnancy and how you can overcome these negative feelings.
How to Tell If You’re In a Rut
It’s hard to tell sometimes if you’re in a rut. After all, how can we distinguish a bad day from a string of bad days?
Generally speaking, when you’re in a rut, you’re stuck in a mundane routine and want to make a change but can’t find the motivation to follow through.
Here are a few signs you’re in a rut:
- You daydream about getting away from it all.
- You don’t have much to look forward to daily.
- Although you’re productive, it just doesn’t feel like it.
- When you have free time, you’re too tired to do anything that makes you feel joy.
- Overall, you feel like you’re in a cycle of monotony and don’t know how to shake things up.
How to Get Out of a Rut
One of the best ways to get out of a rut is to take some time and reflect upon your life. Many people get stuck in their daily routines to the point they start to experience unhappiness.
Your brain also plays a massive role in being stuck in a rut. When you get up in the morning and do the same exact thing every day, you tend to think the same thoughts and follow the same emotional cues because you’re so accustomed to your personal habits and patterns.
Shake Things Up
That being said, the first thing you can do is shake things up a bit, specifically, your routine. If you get up every morning with a cup of coffee and your phone, start the day differently.
You can take a walk, have tea instead, write down your goals or things you want to accomplish for the day. When you’ve been doing the same thing for so long, it may be hard to break your pattern, but you’ve got to try.
You’ll see starting with a simple change like this can change your day’s course in a big way.
Locate the Source of Unhappiness
Often, we get stuck, and that’s okay because it’s human nature to experience these feelings at times.
Going back to reflective thought, take some time to think about your life, and ask yourself these questions.
- What do I love about my life?
- What brings me joy?
- What stresses me out more than anything else?
- What do I want to accomplish in the next six months or year?
It’s helpful to ask yourself these questions in a meditative state because your mind is still enough to receive the answers you’re looking for.
Pamper Yourself with Self-Care
When we fall into ruts, self-care seems to fall off as well. Make sure you’re taking time for yourself with some of your favorite self-care activities.
It can be as simple as a luxurious bubble bath with essential oils and a yummy scented candle.
It can be getting your hair and nails done at a salon.
It could also be getting dressed up for absolutely no reason at all—just to remind yourself how incredibly gorgeous you are!
All of the things above work to boost your self-confidence. When you look good, you can’t help but feel good about yourself.
Take Small Breaks
There’s no doubt we live in a fast-paced world, especially if you live in a metropolitan area. You’ve got deadlines, bills, personal projects, and so forth.
More importantly, they all demand your immediate attention. While this is fine, make sure you take small breaks between your tasks, so you give your brain a breather when it needs it most.
Taking breaks is the best way to avoid burnout. This is important because burnout is the number one cause of “ruts.”
You can take a walk outside, meditate, have a healthy snack, do some deep breathing or anything else that rests the mental muscles you’ve overworked.
Adding onto this, if you have a pet, taking a break with them is another excellent way to catch a much-needed break.
Many of us have been indoors more than often with Coronavirus concerns still looming about. There’s no doubt it’s a source of stress for all of us in several ways, but it affects our pets too!
So when you’re taking care of yourself, don’t forget about your pets. They aren’t able to tell us when they’re feeling anxious, sad, worried, or wound up for reasons beyond our human perception.
However, CBD for pets with anxiety has been shown to have a number of positive effects on our furry friends.
CBD is capable of so many different things. Still, most notably, people (and pets) love reducing stress, anxiety, and pain.
You and your pet can benefit from CBD-infused break times throughout the day!
Parting Thoughts
If you’re in a rut, don’t get down on yourself. You’re the only one who can lift your spirits and get back to the things that make you happy.
Overall, it’s important to remember your mind is running the show, so it’s all about your mental outlook on life. Maintain a positive, optimistic view on life, and you’re on your way!