{"id":372,"date":"2022-09-19T10:11:06","date_gmt":"2022-09-19T15:11:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/manlife.com\/articles\/?p=372"},"modified":"2022-09-19T10:11:06","modified_gmt":"2022-09-19T15:11:06","slug":"some-practices-to-get-you-out-of-a-rut","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/manlife.com\/articles\/index.php\/2022\/09\/19\/some-practices-to-get-you-out-of-a-rut\/","title":{"rendered":"Some Practices To Get You Out Of A Rut"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

It’s more than likely that at some point during your life, you will feel as though you’re stuck in a rut. Whatever the cause of that feeling, it’s a tough one to shake: you might feel like you can’t do anything about it at all. I don’t think that is the case, and, in this piece, I want to address how I try to get myself out of the feeling that I’m stagnating in my life.

I’ll start this piece with a quick description of what it feels like to be stuck in a rut in life, and, from there, make some recommendations for some practices that seem to help me.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Dreaded Rut<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

For me, being stuck in a rut usually starts with forgetting what day it is. When days all start to look alike in terms of routine and tasks accomplished, they begin to blend together. Wake up, work out, commute, write, teach, write some more, check emails, go home, and prepare for the next day. While it’s certainly a productive day, they get stale fast.

Of course, all of those things are necessary. It’s not like I can simply take a few weeks off to find myself on the side of a mountain trial or any of the usual things that I do to get refreshed and ready to engage with my days a little more actively. After a while, this sameness of a routine of everyday activities can start to feel a little overwhelming: not only are the days the same right now, the sense goes, but they’ll always be like this.
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That thought is not a totally rational one, and fighting against it is going to be key in making me feel more like I’m in the driver’s seat of my own life again. So, how do I do that\/ <\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Set Actionable Priorities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I do not want to be stuck in a rut for any longer than necessary: it’s a feeling that is no fun whatsoever. Recognizing that I’m in the rut in the first place is a good first step, but it’s only that, and to get out of it something is going to need to change, and fast.

The first thing I do is to try to write down one or two things that I would like to do this week that are not strictly necessary either to my daily routine or, for much of anything else in terms of work and big life plans. That is to say, I try to make some time for something refreshing or fun. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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It might seem like a small thing, but writing down a specific action to take gives you something to do, instead of merely thinking about how you would like things to be different. Especially when you’re stuck in a rut to begin with, it’s easy to let apathy creep in and to begin feeling like you don’t want to do anything at all. Even at those moments, though, you’re probably capable of following a to-do list for the day that includes something specifically designed to be a break from your normal routine in a way that is fun and interesting.

When first breaking out of a rut, I try to pick something to do that satisfies two requirements: it has to be engaging to distract me from feeling bored with my daily routine, and, secondly, it should be something I can do without having to leave the house. This week, that meant picking up and practicing my tenor saxophone for the first time in a few years. It takes my full attention, it’s fun, and it gives me something to look forward to in a work day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Set a Reasonable Plan<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

That first little thing that I do to get myself more engaged is more a mind trick than anything else: I purposely disrupt the daily routine that has me feeling a little bit disengaged in order to give myself the change to take a more critical look at the bigger picture.

Once you’re feeling up to it, I think this is an excellent time to sit down and make a reasonable plan to get yourself out of a rut. A plan of small, actionable steps that add towards a bigger goal is the main difference between the feeling of being stuck and working towards things that you think will make your life better.
<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In my experience as an educator, very few people are allergic to working hard. Most people, when they see the reason for doing the things that they do, are totally willing to put in time and effort. When things look stagnant or arbitrary, however, people have a lot harder time staying engaged.

So, when making your list of steps you want to take to get out of the rut in which you feel stuck, it’s, again, a two-part process. First, write down the things that you need or want to do. From there, and this is the important part, write down why you do each thing that you do in a given day: try to link every action that you do to some larger goal that you think is worth pursuing. Those answers to the question of “why” are the things to remind yourself of when you’re feeling stuck or bored. If, on the other hand, you cannot come up with a reason to do something, then it’s a good time to reevaluate whether or not you ought to be doing it at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Parting thoughts<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you’re reading this because you’re stuck in a rut, I want you to know that, first and foremost, you’re not alone. A lot of us go through this from time to time, and it does, thankfully, pass. The good thing is that, with a little bit of effort and some consideration, you can start to feel a lot more engaged in your daily life again without the need to radically change anything, although quitting your job and backpacking the nearest mountain does sound pretty good.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

It’s more than likely that at some point during your life, you will feel as though you’re stuck in a rut. Whatever the cause of that feeling, it’s a tough one to shake: you might feel like you can’t do anything about it at all. I don’t think that is the case, and, in this … <\/p>\n

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