How to navigate feeling blocked and stagnant through inspiration, self-care, and community.
As we progress in our recovery, it is not uncommon for us to have feelings of confusion as we’re trying to make sense of everything we’ve gone through. We can feel overwhelmed just thinking about all the changes we’ve undergone thus far and all the work we have yet to do. Sometimes our confusion can be so intense that we become paralyzed by fear and uncertainty. We feel stuck, not only in our recoveries but in our lives. When we’re feeling stuck, we don’t feel a clear sense of what direction we want to take and our personal and professional lives become confusing. For so long, we’ve been focused mainly on getting sober and maintaining that sobriety. We haven’t devoted time or energy towards figuring out what might lay beyond that milestone for us. We can feel as though we don’t know what we’re doing with our lives. We don’t feel connected to our purpose. For many of us, it’s been a long time since we felt truly fulfilled in anything we did. We haven’t felt genuinely happy for quite some time. What can we do to help ourselves navigate these challenges when we’re feeling stuck?
When we’re feeling confused, anxious or uncertain, our instinct is to panic. We’re afraid we’ll never be happy or that we’ll never figure things out for ourselves. We’re afraid we don’t measure up to other people and we begin to feel envious of others. We worry that we’ll end up with nothing to show for ourselves. Perhaps we feel embarrassed, insecure, ashamed, and/or disappointed in ourselves. At this point, it’s easy to become depressed. As much as possible, we want to try and remind ourselves that our feelings are normal, common, and understandable. We don’t want to beat ourselves up for feeling confused, stuck, lost, or overwhelmed. Judging ourselves will only make it harder for us to actually move forward.
Rather than panic, let’s choose to stay as calm and optimistic as possible. This will help us to stay openminded and openhearted so that we’re embodying the right energy for solutions to come to us. Rather than focusing on the negative aspects of the problem, let’s choose to focus instead on the fact that there are infinite possibilities available to us, even when we don’t know what any of them are. When we remain open to possibilities, we open our eyes to infinite potential and to the huge opportunities that are in store for us. We realize that there are many exciting things we have to look forward to in life. Staying positive helps us to keep looking forward. When we feel stuck, looking ahead with positivity will allow us to feel renewed faith that everything will, in fact, work out and that we’ll be able to figure things out for ourselves.
When we feel stuck, we tend to isolate ourselves because we feel down, disheartened, and defeated. It can be very easy for us to fall into a serious depression when we’re in this state. One thing that can help us is to connect with other people and hear their stories. Most people have felt stuck at one point or another in their lives. Listening to how they managed to move through their own confusion and difficult challenges can give us the inspiration we need. Hearing different people’s stories can help us to think outside the box and brainstorm possible avenues for ourselves. Coming out of our isolation can help remind us that we’re not alone. Seeking out the company of others will keep us from suffering alone.
Connecting with a mentor can be a powerful way to help ourselves move through the blockages keeping us stuck. Recovery coaches and sponsors have a unique set of skills, experience, and wisdom from their own personal struggles with addiction. They can relate to our challenges and understand them from firsthand experience. Their guidance can help us figure out what we need to do in order to move forward. Let’s ask questions and allow ourselves to be inspired and motivated by their wisdom.
We can receive inspiration from anywhere, including articles, books, movies, our friends, family, the Internet, or webinars. All of these resources can provide valuable insight into things we might want to explore in life. Inspiration is everywhere, as long as we remain open. Let’s choose to stay open to receive spiritual downloads from anywhere and everywhere. Let’s find content that resonates with us so that we can see things differently and begin to grow. The more we branch out and away from our usual thought patterns, activities, and routines, the more we can find the inspiration to try something new, something that might bring us the passion and fulfillment we’ve been looking for.
When we feel stuck, we often don’t know what to do on a day-to-day basis. Setting daily goals and intentions can help us tremendously. Even if each goal or intention seems small and insignificant to us at the moment, it is an important part of creating plans for ourselves to set things in motion. For instance, set a goal to attend a meeting once a week for at least one month. Additionally, you can set the intention to get daily exercise, start a regular meditation practice, or set time aside time for creative self-expression. It’s so important to commit to self-care. As we begin to focus more on our healing and personal development, we’ll start to feel more fulfilled. Little by little, slowly but surely, we’ll naturally elevate ourselves out of feeling stuck and into life’s flow.
The Guest House is a welcoming and supportive recovery home where you will be met with open arms, wherever where you are on your journey, without judgment or expectation. Call 855-483-7800 today for more information.