Have you ever felt stuck? Stuck in a job that you do not enjoy? Stuck in a relationship that no longer serves you? Stuck under a pile of 15 uncompleted assignments? Stuck inside during the COVID-19 pandemic?
Being stuck can look differently depending on the person and circumstances, but in a general sense, it reflects a situation when the benefits a job, strategy, decision, or action no longer helps you (or the benefits are gradually decreasing). This can sometimes be difficult to recognize. However, when you do, rather than seeing it as a bad thing (e.g., feeling like a failure at a goal that was unaccomplished), view it as an important piece of information. We have all felt stuck at some point in our lives, so if you do, you are not alone.
Here are several tips for helping to get unstuck:
- If you are feeling stuck while working towards a goal, do not quit at the first roadblock; however, understand when it may be appropriate to modify your goal. This should not be viewed as “quitting”. Rather, learning to “pivot” in terms of your behaviours or goal can actually be healthy and adaptive in many circumstances (e.g., changing jobs if yours has a toxic work environment).
- Learn from your mistakes. If you come into a situation that feels “sticky” (i.e., it is not quite working for you) seek out alternatives as soon as you can before it escalates into you becoming “stuck” (e.g., learning how to say “no” instead of taking on too many extracurricular projects and burning out).
- Take action and pace yourself. By taking baby steps in the right direction, it can help you get unstuck (e.g., by exercising just 10 minutes a day, it can help a “stuck” person start to work toward their goal of losing weight). Set small short-term goals that are manageable instead of just one large long-term goal.
- Do not reinvent the wheel. Sometimes, reusing or recombining ideas can be all you need to move forward.
- Consult with others who are different from you. You may get more stuck by only talking to those who are like you. Instead, speak to those who have different training, ideas, or experiences. They may be able to challenge you on your ideas or give helpful suggestions.
