5 Ways To Get Unstuck And Move Forward

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Nov 18, 2025, 3:08 PM

Feeling stuck can look like many things. Maybe you keep replaying the same mistakes in your mind, avoiding decisions, or waiting for the “right time” to take action. You might feel caught between wanting change and fearing what comes next. This sense of paralysis is incredibly common. In personal growth therapy, clients often describe it as being trapped in quicksand—busy, thinking, and worrying, but not actually moving forward. The good news is that getting unstuck is not about finding instant motivation.

It is about understanding why you are stuck and taking small, intentional steps toward movement. You cannot move forward if you do not know what is holding you back. For many people, the feeling of being stuck is not just about laziness or indecision; it is about fear. Fear of failure, fear of success, or fear of losing control can all create emotional resistance. What am I afraid will happen if I change? In therapy, naming these fears helps transform them from invisible barriers into something you can work with.

Awareness is the first step toward progress. Posted September 9, 2024 | Reviewed by Michelle Quirk Olivia started a recent session complaining that her supervisor was micromanaging her. “I have to run everything by her, even a simple email,” she said. “She clearly doesn’t trust me or have respect for my work. I want to succeed at this job, but her attitude is making me want to stop trying.

I feel like either giving her lousy work or just not doing anything.” Terri was excited about getting married, but she felt stuck over the planning. “I have so many friends who’ve been thinking about their wedding since they were little,” she said. “They know the kind of place, the dress style, the flowers, and even the person they want to marry them. I have no ideas at all, and I can’t get myself to start figuring it out. My fiancé and I both want a simple wedding.

Why can’t I plan it?” Mateo had almost the opposite problem. “I have no idea what I’m doing at my new job,” he said, “but my boss acts like I already know everything. I appreciate that she has so much confidence in me, but I really could use some guidance. I feel like a really bad employee. And I’m starting to avoid doing some of my work.

I’m not usually a procrastinator, but that’s what I’m turning into.” Getting stuck isn’t always exactly the same thing as procrastinating. At some point, everyone will go through a phase where they feel stuck in life. Maybe they are in a difficult relationship, working in an unfulfilling job, or they’re just tired of going through the motions. When you feel that there is no purpose to anything that you do, and you no longer feel motivated to do anything except exist, it’s time to make some serious changes. Here are five tips to get unstuck and reboot your life.

The first step in getting unstuck is to find out why you’re stuck. By evaluating your life, you will discover what is causing the stagnation. Here are some helpful questions to ask yourself: Once you’ve answered these questions, decide what action you need to take to make changes. For example, if your relationships don’t benefit you, walk away from them. If you are not where you want to be in life, make a plan to get you where you want to be.

The key word here is ‘action.’ You are the only person who can pull yourself up out of the pit. Once you’ve figured out what’s wrong, start working on changing it. One of the symptoms of feeling stuck in life is that you live in a cluttered environment. The mess can have a negative effect on your mental health and make you feel worse. Give your apartment/house a good clean, throw out, or donate items that you don’t need. If necessary hire a cleaner to help you.

Once you declutter your living space, it will be easier for you to work on getting unstuck. Don’t overwhelm yourself by setting large goals; instead, set small ones to help build your confidence and prepare you for the major changes you need to make. A small goal might be to spend ten minutes meditating for one week; practice gratitude for five minutes for one week, or to read five pages of a book for a week. There are times in our lives when we feel like our wheels are turning, but we’re going nowhere. We’re in a rut, uncertain of how to move the wagon forward. Or, we’ve been handed a project that is either overly challenging or uninspiring, so we’re having trouble getting motivated to tackle it.

Or…we’re simply feeling exhausted and drained. How do you break through these ruts and “blahs”? How can you get yourself unstuck? While there’s no magic bullet, there are a few actions you can take to help you move forward. You do have a measure of control over your motivation, whether you realize it or not. For many of us, being stuck is really our brains putting up a roadblock.

We can do the job but, for whatever reason, we’re resisting. But here’s the thing: roadblocks can be overcome. Hurdles can be leaped over. I suggest trying any of the following practices (whatever appeals to you) to help you get unstuck: Loosen up your mind and spark your creativity through journaling! Buy a fresh notebook, grab a pen, and start writing.

You don’t have to be terribly structured about this process—just write whatever comes to mind. Don’t worry about grammar and punctuation because the journaling is just for you. You might choose to write about whatever is making you feel stuck, or you can write about something totally different—whatever helps get the gears turning. Feeling stuck in life, work, or your emotions? Learn psychology-backed strategies to help you get unstuck and move toward personal growth. We all feel stuck at some point in our lives.

Maybe it's a job you no longer enjoy, a relationship that feels stagnant, or simply the sense that you're spinning your wheels emotionally. Feeling stuck is not uncommon, and from a psychological perspective, it's often a sign that something within us wants to shift—but doesn't yet know how. At VMA Psych, we work with individuals across Ontario who are navigating emotional roadblocks, burnout, indecision, or apathy. The good news is that feeling stuck isn't a permanent state. With the right tools and guidance, you can move forward. Feeling stuck is often a symptom of deeper emotional or cognitive challenges.

Here are some of the most common psychological reasons people get stuck: Fear of Change: Change involves risk, uncertainty, and stepping into the unknown. Even when we're unhappy, familiar discomfort can feel safer than unfamiliar opportunity. We all hit those days. The days where everything feels heavy, motivation is missing, and your brain keeps cycling through doubt, distraction, and discouragement. If you’ve ever caught yourself thinking: “Why can’t I just snap out of this?”“ What’s wrong with me today?”“I should be doing more…”

You’re not alone. And you’re not broken. You’re just stuck. And becoming stuck is part of being human. The truth is, getting stuck doesn’t mean you’re not growing. It doesn’t mean you’re failing.

It means your brain is doing what it was built to do: protect you from discomfort, risk, or overwhelm — even if that protection looks like overthinking or avoidance. The good news? You don’t need to force yourself out of it. You can move forward gently, with self-compassion, and still take meaningful steps. Harper College will be closed Monday, September 1, in observance of Labor Day. It’s all too easy for your personal or professional life to slowly turn into something you feel stuck in.

But no matter your circumstances, there’s always a way to break out of those mental and physical routines and start moving in the right direction. Here are a few small changes you can make to your everyday mindset and habits to find the meaningful change you’ve been looking for. Making any kind of significant change in your life can feel hard, but that’s especially the case when your goal is far too large to tackle in one step. Instead of saying “I want to write a novel” or “I’d like to get into gardening,” break those big, indefinite objectives into a series of smaller, more achievable tasks. “Write for 30 minutes after breakfast” or “Weed the back corner of the garden” are clear and actionable, and checking them off your list will feel satisfying and create just enough forward momentum to... It’s easy to get stuck in your head with your dreams, worries, and other thoughts swirling around together.

5 Ways To Get Unstuck And Move Forward

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