10 Ways to Refresh Your Mind & Body When You’re Stuck in a Rut

Stuck in a rut? Need to get your mojo back? I hear ya . . . Life can throw everything at you all at once and leave you feeling overwhelmed, stressed, exhausted and pretty much just thrown off your groove. Those moments when life seems confusing and your motivation is dwindling (or non-existent), the good news is YOU have the power to decide how to move forward. 

Whether you need to give yourself the time to feel and heal OR need a kick in the boot-ay, here are 10 things that have helped me get out of a rut, get back into my groove and get my mojo back!

Acknowledge Your Feelings 

The best thing you can do is acknowledge that you’re not feeling on top of your game. Be honest with yourself and recognize that although this current moment is sucky and is bringing you down, remind yourself that this is a temporary season that will pass. Look yourself in the mirror and say how you’re feeling out loud. Sit down with a loved one or call a really good friend who will be supportive in this vulnerable moment. Sometimes hearing you speak your feelings out loud releases them from your mind and is the first step in feeling better. 

Take A Moment For Comfort

When you’re not feeling your best, you want to find the things that act kinda like a security blanket and are going to make you instantly feel comforted. For me, that means a frozen pizza and some ice cream! For others, it could mean curling up on the couch and binging your favorite TV show or baking chocolate chip cookies. Whatever your “comfort food” or “comfort blanket” is, take a moment to just indulge in it and give yourself a metaphoric hug. 

Change Your Environment 

Most of the time, my environment is a huge factor for why I’m feeling stuck and in a rut. You HAVE to change up your environment to help yourself think more clearly and feel refreshed. If you’re staying in bed all day, get out of bed and at least move into another room. If you feel confined in your living space, head to a local coffee shop or nearby park to chill and get some work done. If you can, treat yourself to a little trip or staycation and go somewhere for a night or the weekend. Changing up your scenery will seriously pull yourself out of your “same old routine” and give you the fresh restart you need. This “change up” can be big or small but by putting yourself in a different environment, you’re going to think and feel a lot differently. 

Have a Good Cry 

We’ve all been there! Sometimes, you gotta just have a good cry and let it all out. Keeping everything built up inside is gonna make you feel 10 times worse. Allow yourself to feel all the feels and let it go! Don’t stretch the moment out more than it needs to or let it send you spiraling backwards. Just allow yourself to feel the emotions, have a good cry and then shake it out. 

Shake It Out 

Get up and MOVE! Seriously, throw yourself a dance party and dance around your house. Do a workout that’s gonna sweat out all the negative, crummy feelings. Go for a run or a long walk but intentionally put some pep in your step. Do something that’s gonna throw your body into movement that will boost your endorphins, get your blood pumping, and maybe even bring a smile to your face. 

Turn Off Your Brain 

I overthink and overanalyze everything all the time and when I’m NOT feeling my best, that’s amplified and it’s nearly impossible to shut off my brain. The things I’ve found that help the most are either going on an extreme cleaning spree OR getting creative, like a DIY craft or building Legos, and doing something that lets me zone in on a project and use my hands not my brain. Find a DIY project you’ve wanted to start or pick up your bucket of cleaning supplies and go room by room until you feel like you’ve given your brain enough time to take a break. I also like to go one step further and blast my favorite playlist or a good podcast or audiobook to keep me really engaged in whatever I’m doing so my thoughts can’t take control. 

Glow Up & Go Out

Like I say, when all else fails, take a shower, do your skincare routine, put on some makeup, get dressed up and go out on the town. Give yourself a reason to GLOW UP and freshen yourself up. If you’re staying in your jammies all day long or a pair of dingey sweats, (no shame, because we all have them!) now’s the time to put on something new, something that’s going to make you feel good and confident, and go out for dinner, go see a show or a movie, or go out dancing or listening to live music. Go out with your friends, your significant other OR take yourself out on a date and just have a good time. Give yourself permission to GLOW UP and have a night out! 

Get Outside 

The powerful effect of fresh air and vitamin D is a complete game changer. This combo is crucial in helping reduce stress and improve your mood especially when you’re not feeling your best. Step outside and soak up some sun while you’re on your lunch break, go for a walk, do work outside or just step out into your backyard and feel grounded with the earth. Take deep breaths of fresh air and shine your face up to the sky. Listen to the outdoor sounds of nature and let all your negative energy melt away. Make sure you prioritize taking time outside every single day for an instant mood boost. 

Shift Your Focus 

Stop dwelling on what’s lacking in your life or what’s not going right, and shift your focus to what you’re grateful for. You don’t have to dismiss your feelings or feel guilty for feeling them at all, but try and shift your mindset from negative thinking to positive appreciation for the things in your life that you do have, that are going right, and that bring you joy and happiness. Oftentimes, we can let the inner voice in our head be so loud that it blinds us from seeing all the things that are good in our life. Practice gratitude when you’re feeling low, and see how that helps shift things into a different perspective and provide clarity. 

Positive Self-Talk 

When you’ve lost your mojo or are feeling low, you might not be talking to yourself so nicely. We can fall into a spiral of blaming ourselves, pointing out our flaws, thinking pessimistic thoughts, and allowing that negativity to take over. It is SO important that you make the change and start talking to yourself with kindness, support, compassion and empowerment. You have control over how you talk or think about yourself and to get out of ANY funk, you have to start by showing yourself some TLC and that starts with your mind. Look in the mirror and give yourself a compliment. Change your “I can’t” language to “I can and I will!” Don’t stand in your own way of happiness. Set yourself free by practicing positive self-talk and that will manifest itself into other aspects of your life. From positive self-talk, you unlock so many ways to provide yourself with more self-love and self-care to get you back to feeling your very best. 

Getting out of a rut or funk isn’t going to happen overnight or in the blink of an eye. It takes daily work, consistency and persistent effort to break free and move forward. I hope that by implementing even just a few of these strategies, you’ll be able to find your way back to feeling better than before and that you take things one day at a time to refresh your mindset. If I can do it, so can you! You’ve got this and let’s go get our mojo back!