Have you ever been in what felt like an eternal holding pattern? Have you been in the place where you felt like you should have been moving forward but you knew that you were not moving and nothing you did to change seemed as if it was enough? Have you had the best plans, greatest ideas and nothing materialized from any of them? Have you ever just felt stagnant or stuck?
I know that I have dealt with this. 2020 was the prime example of living a year of feeling stuck. I had plans to create content. I had plans to participate in virtual events. I had plans to take on more clients and work smarter and harder on my business and at the end of the day all I really was was stuck.
It could have been the pandemic. It could have been adjusting to the new normal of working from home. Maybe it was the lack of interaction with others. The limited social activity that was forced upon us. Maybe it was the threat of this unseen, unpredictable virus, that was at making people seriously ill and in some cases even killing them. Whatever it was, maybe the combination of all of the reasons, I found myself stuck.
In the beginning it was ok to roll out of bed, wash my face and brush my teeth and sit in front of the computer for hours in my pajamas, but after a few months that got old. Then I became excited about the ability to shop and and purchase the new craze ‘loungewear’ but then that too grew old. I had no real joy in shopping? I knew then that I was really stuck.
I had to realize that honestly there is nothing wrong with being stuck, it happens to all of us from time to time. Even the best writers, poets, actors, creatives have moments when they just can’t seem to move past their current state. The next plan, the next move, the next shift seems so far away. What happens is that they learn not to stay there and that is what is most important. Understand the situation for what it is but don’t allow yourself to stay there.
Moving beyond the Spirit of Stuck is possible, but it may not be easy. Here are a few tips to help you move past the Spirit of Stuck:
- Be honest about how you feel. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being stuck, however stuck is not a place you want to stay. Be honest about how you feel, where you are and how it is affecting your daily life and overall productivity.
- Know that you are not alone. You are not the only person that has felt stuck. Many people experience the Spirit of Stuck. Don’t isolate yourself or feel as if there is something wrong with you simply because you find yourself dealing with the Spirit of Stuck
- Ask for help if you need to. Know that this something that you don’t have to deal with on your own. There are many qualified therapist, coaches and organizations available to assist you in moving past this predicament.
- Know that the Spirit of Stuck won’t last always. There is light at the end of the tunnel. You don’t have to make your bed where the Spirit of Stuck is. You can move beyond the Spirit of Stuck and get back to being productive, creative, expressive, profitable person that you are.
Here to help you heal,
Dr Sharice 