Feeling Stuck? Soothe Your Resistance

When feeling stuck, what is the best thing to do?

I created a list of what I've found to be the most helpful ways to remove myself from stagnation. Speaking from experience, somethings are easier said than done, of course. Alas, if there is a will, there is a way. At least, that's what my mom always said..

Ways to un-stick yourself:

1. Meditate
2. Explore nature
3. Take a deep breath in. & out
4. Talk to a nonjudgemental friend
5. Have a conversation with a stranger
6. Take some psychedelics
7. Visit somewhere new
8. Listen to your gut
9. Express yourself
10. Find gratitude
11. Be vulnerable
12. Journal
13. Let go
14. Pray
15. Move

Let's start from the bottom, up.
When I say move I don't necessarily mean your location. I mean, get up and move your body. In whatever way you can. Whatever way feels best. Yoga, biking, hiking, working out, going for walk, a simple stretch, etc.
What about those times we can't move because we're feeling too stuck?
For those of you who suffer through mental illness, take depression for example, I know this can sometimes seem like an impossible task. I know because I suffer through this time and time again. So what then? I pray.

I don't need to pray to someone specifically. I just need to express my feelings as if I was talking to someone who didn't have the ability to verbally talk back. This was not something that came naturally to me, even being raised Catholic. However, I've found my voice through desperate times. I've found the most relief when asking for strength and clarity when I felt hopeless and stuck. You don't have to believe in a God, you just have to trust yourself and let go.

Letting go is something I sincerely struggle with. When I'm feeling super stuck, it's usually because I'm having a hard time with letting something or someone go specifically; A repetitive thought. A nostalgic feeling. A shitty idea. A comforting soul. Letting go is not easy for some, but if you can find just one thing that you might be holding onto that no longer serves you and just set yourself free from it, I promise, it makes a world of a difference and you'll find yourself wondering why you didn't do it sooner.

Journaling is my guilty pleasure. I don't have to write several pages or even one. I don't even have to write something that makes sense. But there's something about putting a pen to a blank page that helps me loosen up and frees my mind from any clutter.

Sometimes, I just need a good cry. A good laugh. A good scream. Breaking down my walls by being vulnerable at times when I feel stuck can go one of two ways: Feeling less stuck or more stuck. Be careful with which emotion you choose to express, how you choose to express it, and try not to let it control you.

A good way to humble myself is by putting matters into a different perspective. Realizing it could always be worse and expressing gratitude for all that I have always helps shake me from any shitty feeling. Ask yourself, "what's something I have that not everyone else does?" Even the simple things count and matter.

I express myself in so many ways and I've already touched on a few here. I feel expressing myself through my passions can be difficult when I'm feeling stuck, but when I'm not feeling a heavy resistance and can allow my creativity to roam free, it usually helps me take my mind off any unnecessary thoughts. I like to express myself through drawing, writing, poetry, yoga, cooking, this blog! I find at times when I am feeling stuck it is because I've pushed my passions to the sideline. Trust me, it never helps to deny yourself from your soul purpose.

Listening to my gut, aka my intuition, is the most important thing I can do. I have had to learn how to understand this over the years and am still learning how to properly navigate my higher self. However, I think it is the most essential thing to learn and follow in life. Don't fret, this is usually easier said than done and takes practice. The more you master your instincts, however, the easier it becomes. Usually this is hard for me to do when I'm feeling stuck. That's when I turn to something else on this list before trying to tune in.

I started traveling at the young age of 4 years old. Ever since then, I have been obsessed with leaving home and visiting new places. It takes me out of my comfort zone and allows me that breath of fresh air that I might be missing and that my soul might be yearning for.

You have to really be open and vulnerable to allow a psychedelic trip to help dig you out of whatever hole you might have dug yourself into. I know people who have taken mushrooms/ayuascha and have had a positive, eye opening experience. I also know people who did not. Do your research. A little trippy fun can help take you to that next level.. but only if you're ready to explore..

Oddly enough, I've been given some of the best advice from strangers when I least expected it. I'm not saying you should unleash your soul to just any stranger on the street, but you never know when you may be given some wise words from an unfamiliar voice. Also, therapists can be the best strangers.

I'll speak for myself when I say this.. I can't just go to any one of my friends and ask for advice or bare my soul in hopes that they won't look at me with judgmental eyes or give me some of the worse biased advice possible. If you can have at least one friend who you can speak openly and honestly to, hold them close.

When I'm feeling stuck, sometimes all I need to do is BREATHE. Take a few seconds to step back and breathe it out. It helps. I promise.

Nature may not be for everyone.. So maybe you're someone who needs the noisy city to unstick you from your rut (weird). However, nature always helps soothe my soul. Being around different trees, plants, flowers, animals.. It's a magical thing.

Meditating for me doesn't always come easily but it does come in many, many forms. Yes, there is the traditional type of yoga meditation that most of us think of when we hear the word. But did you know you can mediate even while going for a walk/drive, while cleaning the house, watering your plants, cooking, smoking weed, etc.? Meditation doesn't have to feel like pulling teeth. You're "simply" acknowledging your thoughts and setting them free by letting the next thought walk on through so that you can do the same over and over again. Learn how to better navigate your breath and use that as your tool. After lots of practice you may then find yourself unstuck and at peace with nothing but silence. For me, guided meditations or listening to seminars from influential people like Alan Watts or Abraham Hicks always helps.

All in all, when I'm feeling stuck, the main goal for me is to find a way to soothe the resistance.

Ease yourself out of resistance and into acceptance.
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Cheers friends.
​Soothe away.