We all know habits can change for the worse in a way that sneaks up on us. You will know yourself of the creation of a negative loop that can seem impossible to get out of. I call this the rut.
In this article today, you’ll get my account of being in a rut, my student’s experiences and what the science says. All to help you make that subtle mindset shift back to being on the right track.
You will find out;
- How to notice when a rut is happening to help you change course.
- Learning how to kickstart your habits to avoid further procrastination.
- To combat entering into a rut by evolving your habits, so they become more exciting.
First, let us understand why we get into a rut in the first place and why it’s so dammed hard to escape from.
Understanding The Rut
Before you can establish how to get out of a rut, you have to understand why you are in a rut in the first place.
From my own experience, I get into a rut when the impulse of something new loses its appeal. It can even be as simple as a little change to my routine of going on holiday or a change to my schedule. From this new habits form that is not as productive. That lead me to enter a negative loop and stop all the good that came before it.
The rut as I like to call it often sneaks up on you unexpectedly. I’m sure like yourself, you have never planned to have bad habits or to procrastinate.
I have come to the conclusion that we are all susceptible to enjoying the now. We are not always so quick to focus on the mistakes of the past and the delayed gratification of our future.
Maybe this is hard-wired into our system that when we find the comfort we should embrace it because it might not last. Very much how the early humans must have lived whilst seeking shelter from predators.
Conserving energy must have been a necessity when wondering when the next meal will come. The problem is now we can stay in our comfort zone for extended periods of time with no threats from others. Even food can be delivered to us with a click of a button.
That’s why to overcome the rut, we must be proactive in our fight against it.
Just know that going into a rut is normal. We just have to tap into our human brain to overcome it.
The Classic Psychological Signs That You’re In A Rut
The closest a rut gets to a psychological disorder is what’s called dysthymia. A diagnosis few have heard of but is in fact a mild form of depression. The feeling you get when you’re in a rut can make you feel like you are depressed. In fact majority of the time, it’s your brain on standby needing to be refuelled and restarted to go again.
Here below are some of the feelings & signs your in a rut;
- You feel like your life is on a negative loop
- The body and mind feel tired all the time
- You snap over the littlest of things
- Your best self is nowhere to be seen
- People are always asking if your ok
Once you know why the rut happens and the signs that you are in a rut or entering a rut. You can then start to formulise new habits to help you get back on track.
4 Proven Habits To Get You Back On Track
Establish A Daily Routine Of Journaling
What gets you into a rut, keeps you in a rut and prevents you from getting out of a rut? Is your inability to unjumble your thoughts and create clarity and focus.
That’s where journaling comes in. It’s a simple but effective way that has not only changed my life but all my students who I have prescribed this too.
These are the heading you should write down to answer;
- What parts of my life are not going the way I want?
- Why is …… not working out?
- How can change ……. to make it into a better habit?
For the mind, this action is like you defrosting your car in the morning before work. The brain will instantly become clearer and more focussed again from its previous inactivity.
To stop this from happening again. Keep track of your habits. It will go a long way to spotting negative changes that you can swerve away from to stay on the right track.
Start Small & Start Easy
What stops people from getting out of a rut the most is trying to set change with difficult undertakings. Setting big goals sounds good in theory when enacting change. I’ve been there where I have written down my goals the night before. I am super motivated for the next day to come. To then find how easy it is to procrastinate because it’s challenging to perform.
You are not alone in making this good-intention mistake. To get out of a rut however you have to start small and easy.
If your goal is to go to the gym. To make it small and easy I would set out all my clothes and equipment the previous night to make it easy to get out the door. To make it small I would say I’m going to go there and do a 5-minute workout.
If it’s an exercise you are after you can simplify going to the gym by exercising at home instead.
From what I learned from James Clear in Atomic Habits. You can attach the goal of going to the gym by having it close to your workplace. So finishing work is associated with going to the gym instead of going home.
You can apply this technique above with any goal that you’re struggling to perform. Especially when you are in a rut making it small and easy will help so much in pulling you out.
Move Your Body
What keeps you in a rut is inactivity. When the body doesn’t move the body turns into a sluggish mode, the very opposite of action. You become tired and unwilling to make the right choices. It’s like your body and mind which are linked together, are in sleep mode.
How you get out of this is simple, move your body. It doesn’t matter what you do whether it’s going for a brisk walk or stretching your body.
You can live by this motto. To kickstart your mind you have to kickstart your body.
I have found this work well when my mind is sluggish. All it needs is the body to move.
Look at it like electricity. To power the world we need electricity to switch on the lights or power our phones. Our brains are the same, without constant action powering our muscles they will be lost.
Change Your Environment
Nothing gets you into a rut like doing the same thing day in and day out. Creating an autopilot that puts you into a zombie-like daze.
Changing your environment is a surefire way to prevent you from going into a rut and how you get out of a rut.
- To prevent this from happening;
- Change your walk or car ride home every week.
- Plan a weekend getaway once a month
- Ask your boss to work from home 2 days a week.
Get creative in how you can make your everyday life more enjoyable. Your brain loves new things and works to update the new changes all the time.
When you know you’re in a rut, you have to take more drastic action. You can do this by getting completely away from your environment. I would recommend city trips, days in nature or spending time with friends and family you haven’t seen in a while.
The message here is to change your environment for more than a day to refresh your mind.
By understanding this you will always have a way of controlling the rut from affecting your life.
Life can get boring and monotonous sometimes. Adding something different into your life can be the excitement needed to avoid the rut.
Mindset Shift
Applying all the above will help you make the mindset shift needed to change your life. These four habits have changed mine and the students I have shared them with.
Comment and like your thoughts below.
