What does it mean to be stuck in a rut? It feels like doing the same thing over and over again, without being able to break free
It makes sense that many of us would feel this way because we’ve been doing repetitive tasks ad nauseum for over a year now.
And because of this, we’ve lost our motivation to try different things.
Some signs you are in a rut:
- You don’t look forward to much, other than sleeping or eating.
- Your to-do list doesn’t excite you, and you feel like you aren’t getting anywhere.
- Your creativity and problem-solving abilities are at an all-time low, and you don’t have the energy to change things.
- You feel bored most of the time.
- When you try something new, you run into a roadblock and feel like, “what’s the use in trying?”
First, let me explain why this is so hard to break out of, and then I’ll tell you what you can do to change it:
We’ve been locked in our homes for a year, doing essentially the same things. These repetitions rewired our brains with neural pathways that cause us to seek the same activities, even if they feel unsatisfying.
Neural pathway = a brain rut.
For me, this has been manifesting lately in an inability to motivate myself to do anything other than sitting on my arse and eat junk food + watch streaming videos.
So, what to do?
Shock your brain by forcing yourself to do something incredibly different to fire up new neural pathways.
I have some ideas that might help. Try them if you dare:
Think: how many things can I do the opposite (or differently) today?
For me, it’s going to start like this:
One tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and an antihistamine for breakfast. Why? Because I heard someone on a podcast yesterday who started their day with apple cider vinegar, and I’m tired of being itchy.
Also, I’m going to post this article at 4:00 am just to see if anyone is awake.
I’m not sure how the rest of the day will go, but you can bet it will include other such thrilling adventures.
The point is: do something, anything, different.
So what will you do? Some ideas to shake things up:
- Sleeping too much? Drink some caffeine right before going to bed.
- Eating too much junk food? Terrorize your kids/partner with a pantry purge: throw away, or donate everything that isn’t healthy.
- Tired of being covered up? Join an anti-masker group and run naked through the grocery aisles.
- Sick of looking at the same four walls? Move everything in your house around. This is especially fun if it confuses your home-mates.
✅ Toothpaste moved.
✅ The coffee pot unplugged and placed in the living room.
✅ Clocks changed to different time zone.
For those who do not wish to go to such extremes, try any of these:
- Get your hair colored one shade lighter or darker.
- Go to a different grocery store. Across town.
- Reply to texts with random emoticons that have nothing to do with the subject at hand.
- Apply for a job outside of your profession.
And please, for the love of God and all things holy, comment below with your ideas to help us change things up today. And let us know how it goes!
? Tami Green earned America’s Most Respected Life Coach title when she testified before Members of Congress on what it felt like to have a mental illness. She has been coaching from an authentic place ever since.