6 Deep Questions To Help You Understand Why You Feel Stuck

Being stuck often feels like being in a dark hole. You naturally want to climb out of it – but you can’t see anything nor can you find a rope or ladder. It overwhelms you with feelings of anxiety, confusion, and even fear. The world seems to speed past while you remain exactly where you are.

You realize the need to get out of your current situation, but at the same time you feel held back. Sometimes it might be apathy, but sometime it’s almost as though you have this intense desire to do absolutely nothing to change your condition.

If this is how you feel right now, then the following six soul-searching questions may help you to understand why you’re feeling so stuck:

1. Are my own expectations of myself too high? You need to re-examine your expectations of yourself, because you can’t do everything perfectly – nobody can.

   It is normal to feel disappointed in yourself if you don’t live up to your expectations. But, and this is a big but, you will rob yourself of any joy you might otherwise experience if you compare yourself to others and set your expectations so high that you think you’re not enough – e.g. not good enough, not worthy enough.

   Worse, the depressed state that often follows this mode of thinking will keep you stuck in a rut, and the longer you are in it, the more difficult it is to extricate yourself from it.

2. What are my goals? Living without a purpose is another way to quickly find yourself in a rut: you can’t do anything if you have no sense of direction.

   The good news is that, since you are stuck in a hole, the only way you can go is up. But how do you do this?

   Something that might help is to put up a vision board, and then pin pictures and words of things you find beautiful and inspiring on it. Also, make brief notes of any goals (these can be big or small) you want to accomplish.

   How will this help you? Well, writing your goals down is great, but it’s usually not enough. And that’s where a vision board can be helpful – it’s a visual representation of your goals, which makes them feel not only closer, but within reach.

3. How much time do I spend daily on improving myself? Are you stuck because you are making no effort to expand your knowledge? Is there a skill you can learn?

   Think about it, because we all have only so much time. For example, consider the number of hours you spend on mind-numbing social media platforms or on watching television.

   Now think of how much of that time you could spend reading something you enjoy, learning or improving a skill or a hobby, or even starting your own business on the side.

   One of the key things here is to pick just one thing to do to improve yourself, and then stick with it and see how much progress you make.

4. Do my friends motivate and inspire me? How carefully do you choose your friends? Whether in-person or virtually, the people you surround yourself with have a more significant effect on you than you might like to admit.

   So, what is the solution? You should expand your circle of friends. Look at your vision board and pick one goal on the board. Then, try to make a friend who is in that circle or, at least, knows people in that circle.

   How will that help? When you surround yourself with people who share similar goals, you will have the support and encouragement of like-minded friends who will carry you along on their wave of enthusiasm.

5. How willing am I to step out of my comfort zone? When was the last time you did something you found new or fascinating? Usually, we feel stuck because we are too comfortable with where we are physically or emotionally in life.

   Sometimes it helps to get away for a while. For example, change your environment for a day or two. Do you want a new job? Then apply for one. Do you want a relationship? Get out there and meet people – in person, or online if that works better for you. Do you want to travel? Go.

   If you can’t afford to go away or you don’t have the time, do something you wouldn’t normally do, or something spontaneous, anything – because it helps to spice things up and get you out of your daily routine and, consequently, out of that rut.

6. Do I show gratitude for the things I enjoy? Practising gratitude can help you in many ways. Write down the things you are grateful for, even the smallest of them, because doing this regularly can help a lot.

   You will start to discover some good things that shine through those dark feelings, tiny spots of light that brighten a dark hole. So try to recognize and appreciate those bright moments.

Conclusion

Remember, just because you feel trapped doesn’t mean that you are, or that you have to stay that way. If you feel stuck, move. Whether it feels like it or not, you are in control of your life. If you take what actions you can take right now, you’ll no longer be stuck.

Find what you truly want in life and get started. The more things you try, the more likely it will be that you find your place in this world and your purpose. Purpose comes from within, and should not be sought externally, because only you should decide what you want to do with your life.

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