Three Things to Try When You Feel Stuck

Try one or all of these resources out when you’re feeling stuck. Approach these practices with a curious eye and try not to be too hard on yourself when they don’t magically make everything feel better right away. These are practices that, when engaged in consistently, will begin to rewire your brain so the feeling of “stuckness” or “freeze” doesn’t feel as debilitating as it once did. Being stuck isn’t bad—we simply want to find safe ways for you to find movement again.

1. Try a 30-Second Somatic Movement

Instead of thinking “I have to get up,” or “I need to get moving” allow your body to lead with a tiny movement.

How: Roll your shoulders, stretch your hands above your head, or place your feet on the floor while still sitting on the bed or chair. Choose a movement that feels doable.

Why: Somatic approaches believe that small, embodied actions can unlock larger shifts.

What it does: It helps restore agency, even in micro-movements. The body often knows the way forward before the mind does.

2. Start with One Mindful Breath and Name What’s Happening

Instead of forcing yourself up, begin by acknowledging your internal experience. This shifts what parts of your brain are activated and moves you into the parts that will help you get up and out.

How: Lie in bed and take one slow breath. As you breathe out, gently name your emotional or physical state (e.g., “overwhelmed,” “heavy,” “numb,” “tight chest” “anxious”, etc.)

What it does: You shift from being fused with the feeling you wake up with to witnessing it. It’s a way to gently enter the day without bypassing your real experience.

3. Offer Yourself a “What’s the Next Doable Step?”

Break the overwhelming task of "facing the day" into one gentle step. This will shift you out of the fight or flight parts of your brain and into your executive functioning.

How: Ask, “If I don’t get up, then what would I do next? And if I did get up, what’s the smallest next thing I could do?” For example: “Can I sit up and drink some water?”

Why: This taps into problem-solving parts of the brain that allow for motivation. You will practice shifting your attention to the next moment, while honoring the present felt sense of exhaustion.

What it does: Creates an achievable pathway out of stuckness without shaming or pushing. This embodies the 5% rule of moving through the day in manageable moments rather than one daunting, endless period of time.