A couple of years ago, I fell into a deep swamp. I’d just stare at my laptop screen, or mindlessly flip through the pages of my textbooks. I was just whiling away time. I’m not sure if you have experienced this, but this is what is called a rut. A state wherein it just feels like being trapped in a negative loop. No matter what you do, you just can’t seem to break out of it. The same thing happened to me. I’d made elaborate plans for the next day: finish 5 chapters of history, practice essay writing and walk for 50 minutes. Yet, the next day, I went to bed feeling tired and rundown, without even remotely achieving any of those targets. But over a span of a few weeks, I managed to break out of it.
And here’s how you can do it too:
1)Acknowledgement
More often than not, when we are stuck in a negative loop, we often brush our issues under the carpet because that’s the easy thing to do. However, the first step in getting out of this loop is acknowledging one’s issues. It is only when one acknowledges that there’s an issue that progress can be made toward uncovering the reason behind the same.
2) Breaking the monotony
Sometimes, we’re just tired of the same old. Shocking oneself out of the routine can help in getting rid of the sameness. So, if you’re not able to get things done at your study station at home, try going to a library nearby. If you’re usually accustomed to working late at night, try shifting to early morning. The key is to realize that nothing changes if nothing changes.
3) Building healthy habits
From my own experience, I realized that I was stuck in a rut because I just didn’t have the energy to break out. I knew that I had to make changes, but I just lacked the energy to do that. Here, building simple habits like eating healthy, getting a 30-minute workout every day, and maintaining a gratitude journal truly recharged me and energized me to act. Just start small, and keep consistently working towards building them.
4) Setting achievable goals
From my failed endeavor of setting unrealistic targets, I realized that I need to set actionable targets for each day. Targets that would take me closer to my real, tangible goal. So, if your target is to get an A+ in the next exam, then set daily targets like reading your text, making notes, and revising your notes, so that you get closer to that A+. The trick is to set tangible and achievable targets.
5) Getting help
However, if you’re not able to get out of a rut, you can always seek support. The human brain can get stuck in its ways. Talking to family and friends can give you that boost. Or perhaps, getting a coach might just be what you need to get back on track.
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