5 Fun and Easy Ways to Get Out of a Rut

I don't know about you, but there are times when I feel less than fine. Low, grouchy, fed-up, and bored are the words I use to describe what I am like on those days, and I am almost certainly not the greatest company. The thing is, times like those are part of being human – it is not an elective. There will always be off days, and that is all right.

But what happens after you get a whole string of those off-days, maybe lasting weeks, months, or even years?

Too many women say that they are in a rut, feel stuck, fed-up, or bored and admit that they do not want things to be that way. But we do not know what to do to change. That is the problem. When you are in a rut, you do not have the strength or motivation to shift things for the better. And it is hard to find the insight or resources you must to do that jump.

Here are things to do right now to climb, or better yet, leap, out of the rut:

1. Do things differently

Life has a tendency to run smoothly after we establish systems and routines. The problem comes as things run too smoothly, and we grow to be blind to any ideas or choices that are outside of that routine. All the things we do every day become the norm, running on auto-pilot, and it becomes our entire world.

Begin by making one or two simple changes to your day - be it at breakfast time, your radio station, gym routine, the road to work, lunch routine, etc. Do not worry about what the changes are or whether they are right or wrong. Just create a few easy choices that will serve you well.

Doing something differently or changing your routine elements immediately takes you out of your pattern and allows you to shake up things that make you feel limited. Step out of your routine, and you will be in a position where you can make various choices, see things differently, and get a fantastic result.

2. Utilize strong intuition

Your intuition is a strong partner, and we all have it even though we might not realize it.

A dictionary defines intuition as: 

• The faculty of realizing or sensing without the use of rational processes; immediate cognition.
• Understanding gained by the use of this faculty; a perceptive insight.
• A sense of something not obvious or deducible, an impression.

One of the very best friends you will ever have in life is your intuition. Tuning in to intuition and learning to trust it has truly significant effects. Accessing your intuition is a little like working and developing a muscle. Unfortunately, it can be tougher to locate than a bicep or quadricep.

Quick tips for accessing and trusting your intuition:

• Maintain an experimental, non-judgmental, open-minded, playful mindset. This is the richest ground to dig into your intuition.

• Make wild guesses during everyday life. Guess the salesperson's name, what a new person or place will look like or who is calling on the phone. Do not worry about getting it wrong. You are just exercising the intuition muscle.

• Attempt a few simple observation exercises in your daily life. When you are at work, on a train, in a restaurant, or out shopping, practice noticing non-verbal behaviors in others. Look for changes in posture, eye movements, vocal tone or tempo, etc. Guess what they are thinking about or what they are talking about.

3. Sustain your life

Imagine you are strolling home from the store with a couple of bags of groceries, but those bags have holes in them. You are walking along merrily, leaving a trail of your things behind you, but when you get home, you unpack what is left and ask, "Didn't I have more than this?"

Sustenance is about plugging those holes in your life. Make sure you have the things that will maintain you  – nourish your head, nourish your heart, and nourish your stomach. Keep In mind that you can not give away what you do not have and can not spend the energy you have previously spent.

It does not have to be the big things in life that nourish you. It is frequently the simplest little thing that strikes a chord, makes you feel like you again, or makes you smile ear to ear. Examples are calling a friend, taking a walk in the park, or listening to your favorite song. So what keeps you stable? What relaxes you or makes you feel calm? What can make you feel like you again?

The fact is that you are valuable enough to spend time taking care of you. It does not matter what it is. Just take the time to do it. If necessary, book time in your diary. You are the only one of you there is. It is your responsibility to make sure you are all right.

4. Perfect Day dream

Here is something to play with – your Perfect Day. A few years ago, this idea came to me when a good friend suddenly asked me, "What would be your perfect day?" I had never been asked that before. I found myself instinctively making up a story telling her about what a Perfect Day would be like from the time my eyes open to the time my head laid back on my pillow.

I went through every part of the day. I told her about what I was doing, who I was with, where we were, and how it felt. Bit by bit, I had put together a rich, colorful, exciting, and relaxing day, which still holds as my Perfect Day. The best part is that you can begin instituting little bits of your Perfect Day into your real-life and work to make it turn out.

In a part of my Perfect Day, I call on a company. I'm helping the directors and employees focus on their strengths and create an atmosphere someplace women like to work and can be their best selves. And that was before I knew there was such a thing as coaching or that I could be a coach. My Perfect Day has now come to be like a good friend I can call whenever I want to.

So what is your Perfect Day? Do not overthink it, and do not worry about it sounding silly or too grand. Just see what comes out spontaneously for you. Write your ideas, themes, words, or a whole narrative – even draw pictures if you want to. Have fun with it, play with it. It is a Perfect Day dream for you.

5. Get Some Fs

The three F's are freedom, fulfillment, and fun. The Fs encompass a lot of what people are looking for in life and include the answers to having, doing, and being those things.

Here are some definitions:

• Freedom - The capacity to exercise choice, free will, frankness, or boldness; the absence of constraint in choice or action.
• Fulfillment - To bring into actuality; to complete; a feeling of satisfaction at achieving your desires.
• Fun - A cause of enjoyment or pleasure; playful activity.

Reread those. These Fs are huge, deep, and broad and are a lot simpler than we make them.

Where are you concerning each one of these three Fs? How much of each F do you have today? How much of each F do you need? No matter what gap there is, recognize that it can be shut and that you can be the one to shut it.

What would things be like if you did shut the gap? What would take place if you increased a point or two on a Fun measure? What if you can add a point to your degree of Fulfilment or Freedom? How would you feel? Pretty good, right? So what one thing are you going to do right now to help you get more?

Alone, each of the three Fs is a powerful thing and can help push you forward, enjoy where you are, and feel alive. But when the three Fs come together . . .well, hold on to your hat and keys.

Rut? What rut?

I would love to get you on the path to inner healing, reaching your goals, and living your most successful life. Please contact me with any questions you may have.