How to Stay Out of a Rut

Mar 5, 2020

Hi Pretties! Today I wanted to dive deeper into a topic that I know I’ve talked about before, but it’s something that I feel is so important. It’s about being in a rut. We’ve all been there and that’s okay, but it’s important to remember that we can’t stay in the rut. That’s how Get Your Pretty On came about, it was my accountability to get out of a yoga pants rut, to pull myself together and find my motivation again. For more details click on the coffee chat below.

Yes, it all started with what I call my yoga pants rut. I didn’t want to get dressed, I didn’t want to take care of myself and I really wasn’t feeling good about myself. It became a downward spiral and I lost all motivation. I had to make an intentional effort to pull myself out of this rut and make myself a priority again. Now I’d love to say, “oh, I’d never get stuck in a rut anymore,” or “I don’t spend all day in yoga pants yoga pants anymore.” I do. It happens. It happens to everybody and that’s fine. I think that we need to allow ourselves some grace and do that and be okay with it. But I think it’s now equally important for me to realize I’m going down that path before it gets too bad again.

Recognize the Warning Signs

It’s important for us to watch for the warning signs whenever that rut starts. If it becomes more days than not that you’re in the yoga pants or more days than not, that you’re just not taking care of yourself and you start to see these red warning flags go up around you in your life. Maybe your house is a little bit messy or maybe you’re eating junk food or the laundry is piling up or you’re not making the bed anymore. Maybe you’re drinking too much coffee or you’re not exercising. Whatever the red flags may be, be sure to pay attention to them. They usually start out small and innocent enough, but then before we know it they can spiral out of control.

Make Small Changes

Now that you’re recognizing the warning signs what are you going to do about It? This is where you have to be intentional and make the decision to break the cycle. Force yourself to take a shower and get ready. Make that decision that you’re going to work out for 30 minutes or take 15 minutes and clean off the kitchen counter. Whatever it is that will help you move in a positive direction. That’s why keeping a journal can help. Writing things down can help you recognize patterns and give you the forethought to break the rut cycle. So watch for the warning sign and then do one small thing to start feeling better.

Do Good Feel Good

Now it’s time to make a go-to list of things that are going to fuel your energy and recharge your battery. These things make you feel like the best version of yourself. I like to call this my Do Good, Feel Good list. You guys have heard me talk about this before. As caretakers and providers and spouses and parents, we tend to focus on everybody around us constantly. It’s just a fact of life. We do it. So we need to make a conscious choice to refill our personal tanks and here’s some ways that we can do that through self-care.

Drinking lots of water, eating lots of whole foods, working out, journaling, getting a massage, getting enough rest, going to bed early, avoiding negativity, conflict, planting flowers, working in the garden, reading a book, listening to music. There are so many things that you can do to foster that self-care in your relationships. Make a phone call, talk to your parents, call your sisters, call somebody, plan a date night, plan a surprise for someone you love. Write a thank you note. Spirituality: go to church, pray, write in your daily devotionals or read them.

Spend some time thinking about some things that can make you feel better. Because I find that when I have that list to rely on, I have these go-to resources that I don’t have to think about. Because the thing is, when we get in those mental states and we get stuck there, we don’t necessarily have the bandwidth or the resources to go out and start looking for things to make ourselves feel better. So what brings you mental peace? Make a list of those things and then that’s what you can focus on.

Avoid the Negativity

Next, there’s a flip side to do good, feel good and that’s identifying things that maybe you need to stop or avoid for a little while until you get into a better mental place. For me, social media is one of the things that sometimes I need to step back from and the second is negativity, which sometimes goes hand-in-hand with social media. Social media can be a really big mental and emotional drain. It’s far too easy for us to play the comparison games and to feel bad if you’re already feeling bad. You have the power to unfollow accounts or follow uplifting accounts and positive things that only make you feel good. You can take a break from social media and set healthy boundaries around your social media experiences.

Surround yourself with positive people. When I’m feeling down I can’t be around the energy vampires. If I’m not feeling good about myself or feeling good mentally, then I have to step away from that. I need to be around people are going to uplift me and support me and make me feel better. So you need to also think about the things that you’re going to want to stop and avoid when you’re in that mental place.

Remember You’re Not Alone

Remember, you are not alone. We have ALL been in a rut. Some ruts last hours, some last day and some even years but we are all here to help and support and offer words of encouragement to help you out of that rut. While the Rediscover Me Challenge had hit its 28th day, the group is always open and so many of you have decided to start it again in March. There are also those who are just joining for the first time. No matter what category you fall into, join the challenge, join the amazing group of women and see what kind of life journey it will take you on. It’s not too late, it’s never too late to want to be better versions of ourselves.

Are you in a rut? What’s one thing are you going to do to pull yourself out?