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Is Your Mindset Keeping You Stuck? 6 Ways to Change Your Mindset during Difficult Life Challenges

February 18, 2021 By Stephanie Leave a Comment

18 Feb

Wow, has this been one crazy past 12 months or so?! There was a lot of talk throughout last year about wanting 2020 to be over. We wanted to get past the elections. We wanted to have a vaccine for COVID. And we wanted to see the riots stop and the right changes made in the world. We thought that things would be better when that happened.

But was it? Not really.

I’ve been thinking lately about the challenges and difficulties that keep coming up in my life. There was a lot in 2020. But if I’m honest, there were a lot of challenges before 2020 as well. They were just different.

And this isn’t true for just me. Life is full of challenges for everyone. Some challenges are bigger than others. Some last longer. There are challenges that change the way you live life moving forward, and there are some that you can get past and resume life as “normal”.

Why do some people overcome and others get stuck?

There are two ways to respond when challenges come.

Get stuck in it

There are some people that face challenges in life and it overcomes them. They feel stuck in the situation, unable to move forward. It feels like life is caving in all around them.

I’ve been that person before.

When my husband and I went through marriage challenges years ago, it consumed me. It was all I could think about it. My life wasn’t going the way that I had expected it to go. There were so many obstacles ahead of me and I was unsure of what the future would look like. But for a long time, I thought, “When we can just get past this one step, things will get better.”

But it took a long time. And I’m talking years. There was a point in my life when I wondered if I would ever be able to go two days in a row without crying. I wondered if I would ever be able to move forward. I was just felt stuck in a difficult situation for years.

Take it in stride

Then there are the people that just take difficult situations in stride. They know the situation is happening, but they don’t allow it to become the only thing in their life. They don’t stay stuck in it forever.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I think there are difficult situations that can come along and consume a lot of your life for a time. Illness or death of a loved one. Relationship troubles. Financial hardships. And there are more. But we have to stop letting problems consume us. And we have to stop thinking that things will be better when a certain thing happens.

If we’re going to take that approach to life, we’re always going to be waiting for that day when things will be better, and that day will never come.

So what can we do instead?

1. Stop feeling like it’s only you

When you’re going through problems, it’s easy to think that you’re the ONLY one who has it so bad. And I don’t want to minimize whatever the situation is that you’re going through. But I also think it’s important to realize that there is nothing new under the sun at this point.

You are not the only one with problems and chance are very good that you’re not the only one with the problem that you have. It has always helped me to hear the story of someone who has went through a struggle similar to mine and came through on the other side.

It lets you know that you’re not alone and things will eventually get better.

2. Stop playing the victim role

Victim mentality is a big problem in the world right now. Everyone seems to want to be offended about something and everyone seems to think that people are out to get them.

There are real situations in the world that people are victim to. But even in those situations, we don’t have to give in and stay there. When you have a victim mentality, you constantly feel that people are against you. You think they are purposefully doing things to hurt you, wrong you, or hold you back.

Maybe some of them are. But there’s also a chance that they aren’t and you’re just playing the role.

And here’s the thing. Regardless of whether people are wronging you or not, you have the power to decide to rise above it with your actions and attitudes. But you’ll never take the step to make positive changes in your life if you continue to focus on the mindset that you’re a victim.

Choose to leave the victim mindset behind.

3. Stop waiting for the “thing” to go away

As I mentioned before, if you keep waiting for your negative or difficult situation to go away before you take action or make a change, you’re going to be waiting a long time. One difficult situation may pass but another will be on its way eventually.

And I know that might sound like I’m being negative. But it’s not that. I want you to be realistic. Life is full of hardships. We’re all people interacting with other people, which means there will be relationship struggles whether it’s with family or friends. There will be health struggles. For many, there will be financial struggles. There’s just all different kinds of difficult situations that we may face in life.

If you keep a mindset of waiting for the bad things to pass, you’re delaying action that you could be taking now. This will keep you stuck.

4. Look for what you can do RIGHT NOW

You may be in a difficult situation that you don’t have a lot of control over. But the one thing that you can still control is your attitude. Are you going to let this situation get the best of you? Are you going to be consumed by the problem? Or are you going to start to take whatever little action that you can to do something positive?

I’ve been in the place of being stuck before. When I let my problems consume me, I became depressed. It was hard to care about things like cleaning the house, cooking dinner, paying the bills, and all the other normal everyday types of tasks. I didn’t feel like I had any control over the “big thing” in my life, so I lost control of all the little things too.

Please learn from my mistake. Doing that will only make things worse, it will not make it any better.

When things started to get a little better is when I started to look at what I could do to improve my mindset and situation for the day. It started with very small things. I made my bed every morning. That was such a simple task, but it gave me one place in my house that was clean. Not my room, just my bed. But this little thing eventually started to spread to other areas.

I also put comforting and encouraging Bible verses up around the house and read them constantly. I listened to praise and worship music more. And I started to fill my head with positive things and eventually I felt a little more hopeful.

You are the only person who can choose how you think. Even if you can’t control anything else, you have the power to control your thoughts so choose them wisely.

5. Get control of your feelings and emotions

Ahh, feelings and emotions. They are such a difficult thing and they can be incredibly powerful if we allow them to.

I used to operate from the mindset that I had no control over my feelings and emotions. They were what they were and if I felt a certain way, that must be how it was.

That’s a dangerous place to be. If you struggle with feelings and emotions, please hear me out—your feelings and emotions can be liars!

Yes, you may actually feel the way that you feel, but it doesn’t mean you should be feeling that way. And if we’re not careful, we allow our feelings to control our thoughts and then our thoughts control our actions. Let’s look at a couple of examples:

  • I feel my husband is being rude to me. This puts me in a bad mood because I don’t think he has any reason to be acting the way he is. This causes me to be rude to him. I think it’s his fault. He thinks it’s my fault. Eventually, we’re arguing and don’t really know why.
  • I feel my friend is ignoring me. She has called me in three days. She must be mad at me about something. I overanalyze all our conversations and finally jump to a conclusion about why she’s mad and ignoring me. This makes me angry at her, so I don’t reach out to her either. If she’s going to be that way, it’s on her.
  • I feel afraid to get on a call with a potential client. I feel like I’m going to sound stupid and they won’t want to work with me. So, I cancel the call and try to encourage communicating through email instead. They end up finding someone else to work with and I lose out on a client I could have had.

I’m not saying that you don’t actually feel the way you do. But I am saying that you shouldn’t let however you “feel” be what’s in control of your life. You need to show your feelings where their place is and it’s not in the driver’s seat of your life.

If you allow yourself to be controlled by your emotions, you will regret it. You will say and do things in life that you shouldn’t. And you’ll experience negative and difficult situations that you don’t need to.

6. Enjoy life in the moment

Life might not look like you want it to right now. I can identify with that. I think most people can right now.

If we could wave a magic wand and change the current situation, I don’t think anyone would pass up that chance. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t things to be enjoyed right now. That doesn’t mean that there aren’t things that we can be thankful for right now.

If you’re going through a challenging time, be very intentional about seeking out the things that you enjoy. Make time to play a game with your kids, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Take time to read that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for months. Pick up the phone and actually call a friend just to chat.

I wasted way too many years of my life waiting for the difficult situation to go away before allowing myself to not be controlled by it. Don’t follow in my footsteps.

What’s one action you can take today to start changing your mindset?

Filed Under: Personal Growth

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Stuck in Your Rut - Stephanie


Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very
Today has been a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day. 

Some days are like that.

And sometimes those days are our fault.

My day was caused by a toxic client. As much as I would like to blame her, I take responsibility because I knew from the beginning that I never should have worked with her.

When we go down paths we shouldn't go down, we usually have painful consequences.

Several valuable lessons were learned today and I would like to share them so I don't have to relearn them again in the future and maybe I can spare you some future pain too.

1. Be careful when doing business with people whose values don't align with yours

2. When you feel you should get out of a situation, do not delay

3. Never do any type of work that leaves you feeling your values were compromised

4. Toxic people can play nice... for awhile... But their true colors will always show through in the end

5. Trust your instincts

6. When you turn a situation over to God, it doesn't mean the way out will be pain free

And finally remember, some days feel like terrible, horrible, no good, very bad days, but it doesn't have to stay like that.

Happy Friday!

I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.


I've been pondering this a lot in the past week.

I do a lot of work in the mental health space. I believe in the benefits of therapy and medication as needed. 

But as I help people share this message that "therapy is for everyone," I'm starting to wonder if we are spreading the wrong message.

Yes therapy can be for everyone. And there are some people who absolutely need the support and guidance of mental health professionals. But does everyone actually need therapy to be mentally well? 

That seems to be the trend we have taken as society.

Therapy can play an important role in helping people heal and live healthy, but are we becoming too dependent on believing we ALL need therapy? Have we lost the ability to process through difficult situations on our own or with our own support system?

I'm not sure. I'm still pondering. But I would love to hear your thoughts.


We see what we look for.

In our first house, we h
We see what we look for.

In our first house, we had beautiful sunrises and sunsets over farm fields. A few years ago we lived by the ocean where we saw stunning sunsets regularly over the water. 

Beautiful sunrises and sunsets is one the things I've missed since living in a neighborhood in a suburb of Louisville Kentucky. The trees around us block out most of these beautiful moments every morning and night.

I was up early this morning and decided to sit outside and enjoy the cooler air and I had the opportunity to watch an incredible sunrise from this small little section.

It reminded me that we often get what we look for in life. If you want to see all the bad, you will. If you look for the good, you can find it. And just because we don't see good things happening at every moment (like I don't usually see the sunrises) doesn't mean they aren't still happening all around us.

#thankfulgratefulblessed #tuesdaythoughts #beencouraged


Wow! So true.

I came across this incredible remi
Wow! So true. 

I came across this incredible reminder in an email today from @lysaterkeurst and @proverbs31ministires.

Yesterday was a rough day. I got myself into a difficult conversation with someone and ended up saying things that I regret out of my frustration.

Too many times in life I have allowed my emotions to get the best of me which never ends in me feeling better than I did in the beginning. Carefully planned words are ALWAYS better than speaking in the heat of the moment.

Sometimes we need to say difficult things to people, but we can choose to do it out of love instead of frustration and anger.

So, I cannot control the actions of others or many details of this specific situation, but I can control my words in the midst of it, and I can control how much power I allow the situation to have over my life.

Sharing in case my failure can help anyone else do better.

#workinprogress #stilllearning


The power of our minds and the way we choose to th
The power of our minds and the way we choose to think is amazing!

A couple weeks ago on vacation, we had the chance to hold a baby alligator. There were grown people on the boat who were terrified to sit next to a person holding the alligator. Then there were those, like Macy, who took advantage of a new opportunity and gave it a go.

If we really think about it, this is exactly what happens in life too. Some people are too afraid to take a risk and try something new when the opportunity comes and others are willing to give it a try. 

Some are afraid to let their friends and family try a new adventure because their own fear is so strong so they discourage them from doing the thing even if that person really wants to try it.

Our minds and our thoughts are so incredibly powerful but the good news is that we get to choose our thoughts and actions. A new situation may feel scary, but that doesn't mean you can't choose to move past that fear and try something new.

#tryingnewthings #overcomingfear #chooseyourthoughts

Have you ever thought about how a click of a camer
Have you ever thought about how a click of a camera button has the ability to capture a moment in time? Pretty amazing!

We always make a point to take pictures of the big moments or the things we do when we travel, like our day trip to Nashville yesterday.

But there are so many day-to-day moments that make my heart happy too, like seeing my daughters cooking dinner (which they choose to do a lot - blessed mom right here!) or when my husband is helping the girls build garden planters for our veggies. I need to make an effort to take pictures of these moments more so I can be reminded of these simple joys. The days seem long but the years are going fast!

What is something you see in day-to-day life that brings you joy?

Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone
Do you ever just wish you had a quiet moment alone?

I loved this little bit of time I had on our Tennessee vacation, sitting on the porch swing listening to the rain.

I'm guilty of filling my day too full and trying to do too much and tiring myself out.

This morning I was reminded of Luke 5:7 "But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed."

It's important to be intentional about creating space to withdrawal and pray.

Some days it looks and sounds pretty. Most days, it's finding the one quiet place in my house. All that matters is that we do it.

How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Y
How do you talk about and think about yourself?

Yesterday I had the pleasure of chatting with several different women. I'm getting ready to write website profiles for them and wanted to learn more about them.

I noticed something that got me thinking during one of the calls. 

I asked the question "Who do you enjoy working with?"

The woman gave me a long list of the people she didn't feel qualified to help. She shared her heart for people but would then explain the areas she felt she was lacking. 

I'm sure she didn't realize she was doing this. I know I struggle with doing the same thing. It's so easy to spot in other people what we miss in ourselves. 

So, how do you think and talk about yourself? Do you focus on where you are lacking and where you don't feel "good enough" or qualified? Or, do you acknowledge your skills and strengths? 

We all have areas we can grow and improve but we are unproductive when those are the main areas we focus on.

#focusonyourstrengths #thoughtlife #positivethinking #buildconfidence


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I was reading the book Friendship - It's Complicated by @andiandrew this morning and came across the saying "healed people heal people." It really struck me.

I've heard many times the old saying "hurting people hurt people" but this simple switch made it so different. 

It made me really reflect on my actions, words, and behaviors to see if I was helping or hurting others. It made me think about what areas of my life I needed to walk in healing so I could help bring others along.

I also love the way this shifted from the negative to the positive. "Hurting people hurt people" can be used as an excuse if you've experienced pain in your life. "Healed people heal people" is so much more of a calling to rise up out of painful situations to make a positive difference. It gives your hurtful experiences and pain a new purpose. 

Just something to think about.

#encouragement #movepastyourpast #womensupportingwomen

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Let's talk about meerkats for a minute—stick with me here.  
 
On Thursday, I took my kids to the zoo for a few hours. We've had an exhausting couple of weeks. Things haven't gone as planned. Work has been hectic and I've been working long hours. We're in the middle of trying to make some big life decisions again (which seems to be the constant state of life).  
 
Can you relate?  
 
The zoo is one of our happy places, so we picked the warmest day of the week and took some time off to get outside and enjoy ourselves.  
 
Some of my favorite animals to watch at the zoo are the meerkats. 
 
If you ever watch a gang of meerkats, you'll probably notice that there is almost always one meerkat that is standing up checking the skies and looking around while the others are off doing their thing. Why? 
 
That meerkat is watching for danger. They are checking the skies and surrounding areas for predators. They remain alert in order to allow the others to find food and do what they need to do. 
 
On this trip, I could relate to that poor little meerkat standing up, not enjoying herself in order to try to protect her family—not realizing they are safe from predators. As a wife and mom, I think that instinct comes pretty naturally to us women. I've been so caught up lately in trying to figure out how to balance what the different members of my family need that it's been harder to enjoy the good things in each day.  
 
But I'm not a meerkat. There really aren't predators circling around me, trying to get my family. Yes, there are dangers in this world, but when that's all I focus on, that's all I see. I miss all of the good things that are taking place and the positive moments I could be enjoying. 
 
So, if you can relate to that little meerkat too, here's your reminder to take a break. Be present in the moment.

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The world is full of scary, hard things right now and it's easy when you focus on those things to forget all the good that is right around you.

I'm getting started so I can be organized and on m
I'm getting started so I can be organized and on my game for 2022 thanks to help from my new planner by @christybwright

Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things
Sometimes we feel stuck in life because of things that are within our control.

You can't control what others do to you... but you can control what you choose to do after that. If you're holding onto unforgiveness towards someone, it's going to seep into all areas of your life.

Being easily offended and staying offended and angry gives things outside of your control power over you, your day, and your attitude.

If you're tired of not making progress in life and often feel angry, I encourage you to look inward. Sometimes I'm caught off guard by the things I thought I had dealt with and moved on from that I didn't.

#movingforward #dontbeeasilyoffended #inspiration #armorofgodstudy

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#fallcolors🍁🍂 #louisvillezoo

It can be so hard to ask for things that we want.
It can be so hard to ask for things that we want. The fear of the "what ifs" always want to get in the way. But what if we change our thoughts and expect the best instead of assuming the worst?

My dad has been an incredible example of just asking. He doesn't overthink asking questions to people and because of it, he learns all kinds of cool things. He doesn't worry about if the person says "no" or responds negatively. He doesn't let fear stop him. 

Over the years, my husband and I have learned to ask for things we want. We asked for work from a church without knowing if they would be interested. We asked to barter handyman services and home repair in exchange for lower rent. 

We've asked for some weird things that don't seem like they should have worked out, but they did. And we would have never had those opportunities if we hadn't been willing to ask for them.

Are there questions you've been avoiding asking out of fear?

This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change bec
This.

It's so easy to avoid growth and change because it's uncomfortable and painful. But so many times the life we want is on the other side.

#motivation #thursdaythoughts #growthmindset #growingpains #pushpastthehardthings


What if you don't wait to get started until everyt
What if you don't wait to get started until everything is perfect? What would that look like? 
 
I'm giving you a sneak peek into what my incredible workspace looks like today 😜 
 
Today I have a few calls so I'm working with my messy bed as my desk so I can have a quiet space. Sometimes I work from my kitchen counter. My family of 5 lives in a small rental house right now. I don't have any space for an office, but I'm running a growing business by working like this. 
 
If I had waited to get started until I "knew everything" or had the perfect setup, I would have wasted the last 5 years. If I had waited until I "knew just a little more" or felt a "little more ready", I still wouldn't be doing anything. Even after 5 years, I still have LOTS to learn but I'm so much further along because I took the step of getting started.
 
It sucks to hear, but you have to get started before you're "ready". That's just the way it works. Don't let your circumstances get in your way. And - this might sound tough but - stop making excuses. Look for a way to make it work as best you can right now. 
 
 
 
#getstarted #femaleentrepreneur #makeitwork #midweekmotivation #takeachance #mompreneur #homeschoolingentrepreneur #overcomefear #buildyourconfidence

This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 ye
This quote rings so true to me. A little over 4 years ago, I had such little confidence. I let fear control so much of what I did.

I was working to grow my freelance business and almost skipped an opportunity to take on work because the potential client wanted to schedule a phone call instead of just working through emails and messages. I broke out in hives just having to talk on the phone.

I couldn't handle ordering a pizza because I was too nervous about not knowing what to say. I overthought everything.

Fear controlled what I did and didn't do. It caused me to struggle in my thoughts and postponed my ability to go after the things I really wanted to accomplish.

Learning to overcome my fears took a lot of time. But slowly, I started to make progress. They were little changes at a time. I didn't even notice the growth as it happened. 

But then one day, that same client pointed out to me how much more confidence I had. And then another client mentioned how much I had grown in my confidence and ability to share my thoughts and opinions.

It ended up impacting every area of my life. 

But don't get me wrong, some days are still a struggle. Sometimes I still get hives when I have to talk on the phone or do a zoom call with someone I don't know, but not every time.

If you struggle with fear and confidence, know that you can improve and grow in this area. It doesn't have to be how you remain for the rest of your life. And so much of what you want is on the other side of pushing past that fear.

#overcomefear #buildconfidence #personalgrowth #growthmindset #motivationalquotes

Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you
Isn't it so easy to be happy and positive when you're on vacation? This picture is from over the summer when we did a mini vacation. It's easy when you get out of the routines of everyday life to start to think outside of the box and see new opportunities. 
 
But then we get back home. Clients need my attention. The house needs to be cleaned and dinner needs to be cooked. The kids have activities. And before I know it, I've fallen right back into going through the motions instead of really living each day. 
 
Here's your reminder for the day. I know it's Monday and it's easy to drag through the day. But choose to get outside of your comfort zone. Choose to look at things in a new way. Choose to start building the life you want to live, even if it's one tiny decision at a time. 
 
#mondaymotivation

Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going
Don't wait for the fear to go away. It's not going to. Choose courage and push past it and just watch as your confidence starts to build.


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