“I feel stuck in life” is what we think when we are not satisfied with our current circumstances.

We tried to change but it didn’t seem to work out.

Around us everyone seems to move forward.

We are not sure what to do.

Looking for the positive side in our situation only works for a short period of time.

Self-doubt starts to creep in.

Negative thoughts tell us that we don’t have what it takes to change our life.

We feel we are not good enough.

There may be stress, anxiety, or depression building up.

We consider a more drastic change.

What if after the change we end up worse than before?

How to know what to do?

Everyone else’s life seems so much better than our own.

We are not sure what to do next.

In some cases we may know what we need to do but, we are scared of the consequences our actions could have.

In addition, to overthinking about our problems,  people around us with the best of intentions only confuse us more. Or push us in the wrong direction.

Most people feel stuck at some point in their life.

I Feel Stuck in Life: My Story

I felt stuck many times in my life and learned what works best to get unstuck.

In my mid-twenties, I was working as a cashier, a job I hated. I was failing most of my college classes.

The conversations with my long time boyfriend were about ending the relationship, however, we only managed to stay apart from each other for a couple of days.

In addition, family and friends around me were losing their patience with me because I was unhappy with my life but, unable to make any changes.

I did not want to change my job because I was sure I was going to hate any other job the same. Without a degree I did not have many options to find a job that would pay the bills and that I would enjoy.

On the other hand, I heard so many stories about making money without a college degree such as: someone who wrote a successful book, created a million dollar business, was hired at an interesting job because he or she knew someone in that company.

I had searched for a new job many times without any success.

I kept dragging myself to work every day because what if I had that million dollar idea or maybe I could write a best-seller book, or someone would recommend me for an amazing job.

Notice that all these possibilities just played tricks in my mind and distracted me from my “I feel stuck in life” thoughts.

My mind kept pondering the different options unable to make a decision.

As time went by and nothing changed, I started wondering,

Why do I keep doing this to myself?

Why can’t I feel better about myself?

I knew I had to take action but I couldn’t.

Moreover, going from one distraction to the next was only a temporary relief.

Overthinking about my current situation and considering the different possibilities only made me feel overwhelmed and my thoughts about “I feel stuck in life” would come back over and over.

Why Do We Get Stuck?

There are many reasons why we may feel stuck in life.

We made some choices based on our beliefs and personal circumstances.

As time went by, we realize that we want to change our circumstances. However, we are not sure how to do it or where to start.

In addition, overthinking about how much we dislike our current situation makes us feel stuck.

We may fear that if we make any change, things could actually get worse. So we stay where we are, even if we are not happy.

Here are 3 Reasons of Why We Feel: “I am stuck in life.” 

1 – Fear of Leaving Your Comfort Zone

According to professor Rose O. Sherman, our comfort zone is a space where our activities and behaviors follow a routine that minimizes stress and risk.

We have been in our current situation for a while.

Even if we don’t like it, we know what to expect and we feel safe.

You may not like your job, relationship, or degree but you already have a routine and have an idea of what will happen.

If you take action and change, it may get worse. 

You may not be happy in your relationship but it provides you food and shelter.

A job may bring you to the conclusion that it is unfulfilling but you enjoy complaining about your day with your coworkers.

2 – Attachment to an Outdated Belief System

We made some choices in the past that were according to our belief system but, now we think differently.

For instance you may be in a relationship with a person who everyone thinks is wonderful but, you don’t really feel a connection with that person anymore.

You may have a dream job in the eyes of others but, you dislike it most of the time.

What keeps us stuck is going back and forth between what is important for us now and what was important to us before.

Understanding that our needs and priorities change with time and experience is the first step to get unstuck.

3 – Ignoring Your Own Thoughts and Feelings

Thinking that others are right and we are wrong is another reason of why we may feel stuck.

Many times, family members or friends give advise with the best intentions. But the information may not apply to our specific situation or personality.

We may read stories of people we admire and try to follow in their footsteps. 

Getting inspiration from others is a good starting point. However, it may be frustrating when we try to replicate a lifestyle in a few months that took others many years to achieve.

You need to trust that you will make the right decisions based on your feelings and thoughts.

20 Things You Can Do When You’re Stuck

When you are feeling “I am stuck in life,” the first step is to take action.

Start with a small change, something you haven’t done in a couple of months.

Here are some examples to get you started:

• write in a journal

• exercise

• volunteer at your favorite charity

• try new food

• go to a new place

• meet new people

• adopt a new hobby

• change your make-up

• care for someone

• help others

• read a genre you usually do not read

• listen to different music

• get a new clothing item or accessory

• watch a movie you are curious about

• join a new group

• try a new beverage

• include a new spice in your food

• try a new hair style

• declutter your closet

• meditate about what you have to do to move on with your life

By making a little change in your life you will feel you are able to make more important decisions.

Ask yourself, what is one thing I can change without feeling too uncomfortable?

What are you curious about?

Try something different.

My Story After I Made Some Little Changes

As I couldn’t find a better job and was failing my college classes I decided to start writing a book.

My first intention was to write a novel. Later, I learned that most writers had started their writing career with short stories.

That seemed like something I could do.

I wanted to have an idea of what I was good at and what I needed to work on. I joined a writing group.

There I met peculiar people. Our instructor was a journalist who had a degree in psychology.

As one of our assignments in character development he suggested to visit a psychiatric hospital to talk to the interns.

My first reaction was to look for an excuse to say no. It was a psychiatric ward for men. I was not sure if I was ready to talk to crazy men.

Some of my classmates insisted for me to go.

The place was far away and I could think about so many other interesting things to do instead of visiting a psychiatric ward.

After the writing instructor prepared us and told us what to say and what to look for, we entered into the hospital.

Most interns were sitting outside playing cards, reading, and talking to others or to themselves.

We walked around for a little bit and joined a group that seemed friendly. We talked about the daily news.

My first surprise was to realize how normal all of the men looked. 

I would not know that they had psychological problems if I had seen them on the street.

Some men started sharing their stories of why they were there. The stories were interesting.

As time went by I felt more comfortable and was able to approach and talk to others without feeling scared.

That was the turning point to decide that I definitely wanted to learn more about how our mind worked. I decided to look into getting a degree in psychology.

After one year into studying psychology, I was able to quit my job as a cashier for a more fulfilling and better paying job.

Some time later, I was able to definitely end the relationship with my boyfriend and transition into a friendship.

It took a couple of years to make all the changes to feel that my life was going in the right direction.

It started with one little action in the right direction.

What action can you take today to get unstuck?

Getting unstuck takes some courage and determination but you can do it.

If you need more ideas on how to change your life for the better. You may enjoy my book Turn Your Happiness On where you will find the most powerful strategies for a happy and fulfilling life.

You may also read the book for free with Kindle Unlimited. Get your 30 day free trial for unlimited reading and listening on any device.

What is one little change you can try today in your own life?

Let me know in the comments below.