By Juliana Stevaux
pic by @shopltk on pinterest
Every New Year’s Eve we make a new set of promises and goals to live and center our lives around. Whether that may be joining a gym, studying more or budgeting, January is a month for brand new beginnings.
But do they all have to be beginnings? Or “better”?
I have always had a problem with the fact that I was expected / told to become a better version of myself every year and when I would divert away from or lose sight of my goals, I felt like a failure. I want to begin this article with erasing that mindset and instead introduce the mindset of continuing to better yourself and further improve your current skills.
The biggest obstacle in completing goals for a lot of people is getting themselves out of that rut that is causing them to become unmotivated and uninspired. You cannot make real steps without first and foremost focusing on your mental and physical health.
Ruts are extremely taxing on one’s mental health and can be an extremely hard thing to dig yourself out of, but it is possible – trust me, I know this better than anyone.
- What is a “Rut”?
An emotional or mental “rut” is when an individual feels extremely unmotivated which results in low self esteem, fatigue, isolation and depression. Ruts often cause days to blur together for long periods of time and may cause an individual to neglect their responsibilities and activities. Some people even isolate themselves from their families and friends, which leads to loneliness. These stages of time are extremely depressing and cause high amounts of stress and self-loathing for those stuck in it, which is why it is important to learn how to pull yourself out.
Breaking free from a rut will not only aid in your physical wellbeing and get you out of flight or fight mode – but it will also improve your self-image and confidence, which are key factors, in my opinion, to a healthy, happy life.
- Signs you may be in a “Rut”
- You are feeling dull and uninspired
- You have lost interest in activities that once excited you
- You put off tasks and responsibilities due to procrastination or lack of energy
- You find yourself not seeing or hanging out with friends or family
- Negative view of self
- Understanding the Root of the Problem
You cannot just wake up one day and decide you feel better and all will be good. Tgis takes work and it is crucial to take up some self-reflection in order to confront and address the underlying cause of your rut and put in the work to heal it. The last rut I was in was caused by getting a bad grade on an assignment and later finding out I had done it wrong in the first place. This was extremely discouraging and it made me question my abilities as a writer and since I want to do this for a career, it was extremely disheartening. This led me into a depressive episode that included questioning my abilities in all aspects of life, not just school (funny how one little assignment can cause all that disruption mentally). But once I realized that I probably did not put in all my best effort into my assignment, I knew it was time for change. It’s important to identify when you began feeling this way and further investigating the trigger that sent you into this state. Be kind to yourself during this stage, but also take accountability for your actions or what you have done to potentially contribute to the rut. Be honest with yourself as well. If we put ourselves in a victim complex, it is erasing the very fact that the only person coming to save you is you. You are the only one that can make the change, so while it is frightening, being honest with yourself is the only way to begin this process.
- I understand, now what?
At this stage, action is truly the next step into getting yourself out of the pit you’re trapped in. This is easily the hardest part of the process because staying consistent in your goals can be difficult. However, if you are truly determined to feel better, begin by taking care of yourself. In ruts, we tend to neglect ourselves physically to reflect the state we are in mentally. A good way to kickstart this process is to get some physical activity in during your day then increasing the amount each day as endorphins will aid in providing your body and mind energy for the day. Another way is to face responsibilities that you may have been procrastinating or putting off during your rut. In life, we sometimes have to do things we really do not want to and while it may be daunting, sometimes you have to face the music; pay off that credit card, finish that assignment, have that stressful conversation. The more we run from our responsibilities and self sufficiency, the deeper we can fall into that state. If you are having trouble getting up and going, be kind to yourself, no one is perfect and knowing you’re willing to put in the effort is the right place to start ❤
- Be kind to yourself, but don’t lose discipline
Progress is not linear – there will be plenty of ups and downs in this progress. The important thing is how you react to those downs. I have been guilty of giving up on goals when I reached a down, and I regret those times I walked away so very much. Remember that you are human, not perfect. Listen to your body and what it needs during this time and nourish yourself, but do not let yourself walk away completely. I am still getting out of my rut day by day and there are some days I want to give up but then I remember the flight or fight mode my body was constantly in and how much fatigue and stress it has caused. I turn the memories of this feeling into motivation to not give up, which is something that works tremendously for me and may just help you as well.
New years’ is not the time for self-reinvention, it’s the time to continue nourishing your body or merely engaging in self improving habits. Let’s ditch this self-reinvention narrative surrounding the New Year and instead focus on continuing to focus on yourself, continuing to take care of your finances, academics, body and mind. Remember that at the end of the day the person that truly will show up for you is you.
Every New Year’s Eve we make a new set of promises and goals to live and center our lives around. Whether that may be joining a gym, studying more or budgeting, January is a month for brand new beginnings.
But do they all have to be beginnings? Or “better”?
I have always had a problem with the fact that I was expected / told to become a better version of myself every year and when I would divert away from or lose sight of my goals, I felt like a failure. I want to begin this article with erasing that mindset and instead introduce the mindset of continuing to better yourself and further improve your current skills.
The biggest obstacle in completing goals for a lot of people is getting themselves out of that rut that is causing them to become unmotivated and uninspired. You cannot make real steps without first and foremost focusing on your mental and physical health.
Ruts are extremely taxing on one’s mental health and can be an extremely hard thing to dig yourself out of, but it is possible – trust me, I know this better than anyone.
- What is a “Rut”?
An emotional or mental “rut” is when an individual feels extremely unmotivated which results in low self esteem, fatigue, isolation and depression. Ruts often cause days to blur together for long periods of time and may cause an individual to neglect their responsibilities and activities. Some people even isolate themselves from their families and friends, which leads to loneliness. These stages of time are extremely depressing and cause high amounts of stress and self-loathing for those stuck in it, which is why it is important to learn how to pull yourself out.
Breaking free from a rut will not only aid in your physical wellbeing and get you out of flight or fight mode – but it will also improve your self-image and confidence, which are key factors, in my opinion, to a healthy, happy life.
- Signs you may be in a “Rut”
- You are feeling dull and uninspired
- You have lost interest in activities that once excited you
- You put off tasks and responsibilities due to procrastination or lack of energy
- You find yourself not seeing or hanging out with friends or family
- Negative view of self
- Understanding the Root of the Problem
You cannot just wake up one day and decide you feel better and all will be good. This takes work and it is crucial to take up some self-reflection in order to confront and address the underlying cause of your rut and put in the work to heal it. The last rut I was in was caused by getting a bad grade on an assignment and later finding out I had done it wrong in the first place. This was extremely discouraging and it made me question my abilities as a writer and since I want to do this for a career, it was extremely disheartening. This led me into a depressive episode that included questioning my abilities in all aspects of life, not just school (funny how one little assignment can cause all that disruption mentally). But once I realized that I probably did not put in all my best effort into my assignment, I knew it was time for change. It’s important to identify when you began feeling this way and further investigating the trigger that sent you into this state. Be kind to yourself during this stage, but also take accountability for your actions or what you have done to potentially contribute to the rut. Be honest with yourself as well. If we put ourselves in a victim complex, it is erasing the very fact that the only person coming to save you is you. You are the only one that can make the change, so while it is frightening, being honest with yourself is the only way to begin this process.
- I understand, now what?
At this stage, action is truly the next step into getting yourself out of the pit you’re trapped in. This is easily the hardest part of the process because staying consistent in your goals can be difficult. However, if you are truly determined to feel better, begin by taking care of yourself. In ruts, we tend to neglect ourselves physically to reflect the state we are in mentally. A good way to kickstart this process is to get some physical activity in during your day then increasing the amount each day as endorphins will aid in providing your body and mind energy for the day. Another way is to face responsibilities that you may have been procrastinating or putting off during your rut. In life, we sometimes have to do things we really do not want to and while it may be daunting, sometimes you have to face the music; pay off that credit card, finish that assignment, have that stressful conversation. The more we run from our responsibilities and self sufficiency, the deeper we can fall into that state. If you are having trouble getting up and going, be kind to yourself, no one is perfect and knowing you’re willing to put in the effort is the right place to start ❤
- Be kind to yourself, but don’t lose discipline
Progress is not linear – there will be plenty of ups and downs in this progress. The important thing is how you react to those downs. I have been guilty of giving up on goals when I reached a down, and I regret those times I walked away so very much. Remember that you are human, not perfect. Listen to your body and what it needs during this time and nourish yourself, but do not let yourself walk away completely. I am still getting out of my rut day by day and there are some days I want to give up but then I remember the flight or fight mode my body was constantly in and how much fatigue and stress it has caused. I turn the memories of this feeling into motivation to not give up, which is something that works tremendously for me and may just help you as well.
New years’ is not the time for self-reinvention, it’s the time to continue nourishing your body or merely engaging in self improving habits. Let’s ditch this self-reinvention narrative surrounding the New Year and instead focus on continuing to focus on yourself, continuing to take care of your finances, academics, body and mind. Remember that at the end of the day the person that truly will show up for you is you.
The Alma Blog 
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