Do you ever feel stuck? Maybe you are looking at your long to-do list, and you just can’t seem to get started on anything. Maybe you have been putting off a task for no real reason. Maybe you catch yourself staring off into space.
What you might need in those moments is a quick activity that can help you shift out of neutral and back into drive. We have 10 suggestions.
Try Box Breathing
Box breathing is a simple and effective technique when you are experiencing anxiety. Feelings of anxiety can sneak up on you, and when they do, they can stop you in your tracks. Taking just a few moments to breathe can make all the difference. You can find easy instructions for box breathing here.
Count Your Way Through Your Senses
Another approach to dealing with anxiety involves doing a slow countdown from five as you engage each of your senses. We walk you through the process in this previous blog entry.
Make a Quick Phone Call to a Friend
Some readers may already be rejecting this suggestion because it seems fewer and fewer people are up for phone calls these days. But sometimes there is no substitute for actually talking to a friend or loved one. This article in The New York Times discusses the advantages of an eight-minute call. You can talk about a lot in that period of time—and the “hard out” at eight minutes makes it feel like a treat rather than a long slog on the phone.
Tidy Up a Mess
When you are feeling stuck, sometimes what you need is a quick win. Tackling a small cleaning or tidying project can give you just that. Go through that pile of mail and recycle the junk. Fold a load of laundry. Put loose pieces of paper in the right files in your office. Accomplishing these small tasks can get you going again.
Take a Quick Walk
A short walk is a great way to shift your focus for a few minutes while also providing a bit of exercise (and exercise supports your recovery). Ideally, you might step outside to get some sunlight and enjoy the natural world. But even if you need to do your walking indoors, taking those steps can be the first step to getting back on track.
Do Some Light Stretching
Sometimes your body might feel as stuck as your brain. In those situations, doing some stretching can help. You do not have to do anything particularly complicated or strenuous to unlock the benefits of stretching. Here’s a quick set of options for beginners that hardly takes any time at all.
Listen to Your Favorite Song
Maybe you generally have music on in the background while you work or complete tasks at home. That’s great, but when you find yourself feeling stuck, it can be helpful to stop what you are doing and really listen to a song or other piece of music you enjoy. Listening to something you love can boost your mood and help you restart.
Work on a Puzzle
Turning your full attention to something other than whatever has you stuck can be a good way to get your mind going again. Doing a quick word or number puzzle—or part of a larger puzzle—can do the trick. We would suggest sticking with puzzles that offer some challenge but are not so difficult that you end up feeling frustrated. The pleasure of completing the puzzle is what you are after.
Write in a Journal
We believe journaling can be a wonderful activity for a person in recovery from a substance use disorder for a variety of reasons. You can read our thoughts on the subject in this previous entry—and you can find some prompts to get you started here. Taking just a few moments to reflect in your journal might help you figure out why you are stuck and how you can get going again.
Read Something You Enjoy
Spending a few minutes with a book, a magazine article, a graphic novel, or even an audiobook can give your mind a break. While it might be tempting to read something on a screen, you will likely find it more relaxing to read something in its physical form. Just a few minutes spent reading can lower your stress levels.
Don’t Stay Stuck in the Grip of a Substance Use Disorder
Drugs and alcohol have a way of grabbing hold of you and keeping you stuck in their grip. A substance use disorder captures all of your attention as everything else in your life starts to fall apart. If you try to give up drugs or alcohol on your own, withdrawal symptoms are likely to send you right back to the substances. It can feel like you are trapped with no way to change your current circumstances.
But there is a way forward. At Bel Aire Recovery Center, located near Wichita, Kansas, we offer medically supervised detoxification and a rehabilitation program that provides recovery strategies and resources while also addressing co-occurring mental health disorders. We follow your time in treatment with a supportive aftercare program.
You don’t have to stay stuck. When you are ready to break free, we are ready to help.
