How To Get Out of a Rut: 6 Powerful Steps to Invigorate You

Need some tips on how to get out of a rut?

Ruts can be frustrating. You feel heavy, unmotivated, and lost. Sometimes, we call it a slump, a downward spiral, a dead end, a speed bump, stuck, a funk. It’s just all different words to describe what your life feels like right now—living hell. 

The worst part of being in a rut is that you’re unsure which escape route is best. Should you run away, ignore, stuff down, avoid, disown, or suppress the situation?  

Okay, if you are thinking about doing any of the above. 

Stop right there!

We don’t do any of that around here. We’re all about solving our problems. 

Let me show you how to get out of a rut and pump some vigor back into those veins.

Step 1: Acknowledge the Problem (Give Your Rut a Hard Cold Look in the Eye)

If you are reading this post, you have most likely already acknowledged that there is a problem. Kudos, my friend. This step probably takes the most courage and is usually the tipping point. Change is on the way, and you only have yourself to thank.

If you want to double down, I would encourage you to write it all down. Take out your journal and literally release all of your thoughts. Next, you want to identify the rut. What is it? Give it a name. Then, state how long it has been going on. It’s a little nerdy, but it works.

An example would be: My health and fitness have been in a significant rut for three months, and I commit to making changes.  

Step 2: Dig Deep

To solve any problem, you need to know its root cause. Let’s stick with the example above. You’ve been in a workout rut for three months, but you can’t figure out what the source is. 

• Do you have competing goals? 
• Do you need a challenge? 
• Are you bored with your workouts? 
• Do you need an accountability buddy? 
• What is causing the lack of motivation in your workouts?

Whatever it is, start asking yourself the questions and keep probing until you get to the core of your problem. 

Step 3: Make a Game Plan

So, by now, you’ve acknowledged and identified the problem. You found the source of the problem. Now, it’s time to draw up a game plan.

The simplest way to do this is to take out a sheet of paper (you can use the one you had earlier in step 1) and write a list of 25 ideas stating how you will get yourself out of this rut. Don’t worry. You won’t use it all. The idea is to get yourself thinking outside the box.

Then, choose 3 of your 25 ideas that you think will be the best solution to the problem. From these 3, write down ten tasks you can do to carry out each plan. By the end, you should have 30 tasks in total. 

Step 4: Feed Your Mind and Soul

We need to actively pursue our well-being and good health. What we feed our minds and hearts is incredibly important. The moment we forget this, we begin to neglect ourselves. 

If you don’t have anyone around you who understands how to get out of a rut, I recommend contacting a mental health professional or finding virtual mentors online. 

Today, we have access to an abundance of free information. I challenge you to find one to three mentors who inspire you and listen to their content to guide you. I recommend using Tony Robbins’ priming exercise in the mornings. 

Step 5: Give Your Body What It Needs

Sometimes, it’s easy to forget that we consist of 3 parts: mind, body, and soul. Take a moment and listen to your body. Is it asking for something? 

• A workout? 
• More rest? 
• Sex (Why not?) 
• A long, deep stretch? 
• Meditation? 
• A bath? 
• A getaway?
• A physical therapist? 

Whatever it is, find a way to give it to yourself. Give yourself the thing that you need most. 

Push yourself to get it done.

Finding your healthy inner voice can be a challenge. For most of us, the inner critic is our natural default. It’s hard to get it done when we are scattered, dealing with a critical inner voice, or are overwhelmed. But when you are in a rut, you must do what’s right for you, even if it doesn’t feel good. 

Take the list you prepared in step 3, choose one solution, and start chipping away at the ten tasks you have created. The best advice I received from a friend was simple: take it one step at a time.  

Step 6: Prepare for The Next Rut

Use this rut as a learning experience to better prepare for future ruts. Life has ups and downs and is never truly a smooth ride. 

You will understand how you operate and react to situations as you get to know yourself. With this newfound awareness, you know how to soften the blows. You’ll be able to identify the rut coming from miles away and bounce back quicker.

Take Away

Finding yourself in a rut is a natural part of life and happens to the best of us. A rut is just a sign that you need to make changes. 

You know how to get out of a rut now. Let’s take a minute to recap. You know how to identify the rut, find the source of the rut, create a game plan, give yourself some TLC, and prepare for the next one. You’ll walk out of this experience stronger than before. 

Please pat yourself on the back for making it through this post. Great job! That means you want to knock this rut out of the park. You’ll hit a home run for sure!