Being in a rut is bad for both mental and physical health. If you’re the kind of person that is always being proactive and gets on with things, being stuck in a rut is something you probably won't want to familiarise yourself with.
Cultivate a Heightened Awareness
If you are in a rut, there are things you can do to get yourself out. It is important to learn to cultivate a heightened awareness and appreciation of the simple daily tasks taken you take for granted and the results they can achieve.
For example, place in your mind something that you do every day that you take for granted, like opening a door. At the very moment you touch the handle to open the door, think about the act of opening the door. Be mindful of where you are and how you feel. Perhaps you’re feeling nervous because you're opening the door and you're not sure what you're going to find the other end, or perhaps you already know what you'll see on the other side of the door – but you also know you have no choice on opening the door.
Being Mindful
Being mindful allows you to hone-in on your thoughts so that you can begin to appreciate the little things more. Being mindful, means you are able to take control of how you respond to negative feelings and emotions. That way you validate your feelings, and your feelings won’t own you.
It feels like I have been in a rut for most of my life, so it's pretty much what I'm used to. I don't normally think about whether there are ways out of it.
My best friend has mentioned many times that I have a very bad habit of not only getting into a rut, but actually moving in and furnishing it. I know he's kind of joking about it, but there is a lot of truth to it considering my history.
Things like studying DBT has helped a lot with the mindfulness aspect, which keeps me in the moment and helps me to realize that I do have options, especially with the rut I have been stuck in for the past 13 years.
My feelings haven't really mattered, but at this time in my life I do have to pay attention to them and try to remember that I have the right to feel my feelings and enjoy my life for a change.
Thanks Randy. Yes, it's a very long time to be in a rut. I hope that in 2019 you can make the changes you need so that you are able to pull yourself out of the rut.
It is important to keep with the things that you know are helping, such as DBT. You do have a right to feel what you feel and to enjoy your life. Hopefully that's something you can continue to work on.
Your feelings matter, don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
What a brilliant blog to help me start my day! Not letting my feelings own me, no matter how many loads I'm carrying.
This is precisely why I read the Diary! Thank you.
Thanks Tim. That's kind. Glad today's blog helped.