“When you get stuck, draw with a different pen. Change your tool. It may free your thinking.” ~ Paul Arden
For a year and a half, I felt a shift in my career. I’ve worked hard to build a career that I love, but I’ve started to feel disconnected from work. The original meaning was no longer there. I felt tired and unmotivated every time I started a new project.
At first I thought it might be burnout. So I took a few weeks off to reset myself and see if I could get excited about work again. But when I came back, I felt the same way. What I had built my career on, what used to give me energy and meaning, no longer resonated.
I thought about what I was doing every day, but I couldn’t imagine myself doing the same job 10 years from now.but what can I imagine myself doing I had no idea.
I struggled and worked hard to understand what a career change was like. I read some books. find meaning in the second half of life A book by James Hollis, Ph.D., whose ideas resonated with me, but I felt that I was nowhere near the answer.
I have become consciously aware when things give me energy. One time, I went to a dinner party and someone brought out a deck of Tarot cards and gave me a fortune teller. I feel so much better! I got home and immediately ordered the same set of tarot cards. I started learning about them and reading at parties with friends.
“What does this mean? Should I become a tarot card reader?” But it didn’t resonate for various reasons.
At this point, I was telling everyone who would listen that I had no direction. It was a new label that I used often. When someone asks me what I do, I say, “Well, I have no direction.”
Well-intentioned friends and acquaintances started pitching in on what I should do next. I even googled “how to change jobs”. I felt like I was walking through a black fog with little idea of what was in front of me. Sometimes I could see a faint form, a glow of something, that gave me energy. But what does that mean? And how can that information be used to:
I moved across the country to a place where I had no friends. Thanks to that, I have more time for myself than usual. I spent each day going inward and connecting with my body through simple physical exercises like meditation, vagus nerve stimulation, and part work.
Finally, I realized that the answer was never in my head. it was in my body. It was the wisdom that had been blocked by all the thoughts and old beliefs that had formed, the part of me that wanted to protect and keep me safe.
In my heart, I realized that I didn’t want to change jobs because it was too scary and unstable. Instead, we wanted to stay with what we know, what we trusted, and what was safe. I got along with this part and overcame my fear. As we spent more time moving inward, the answers became more and more apparent. It’s been there all along, but I finally have access to it.
If you’re feeling stuck, try the following:
1. Identify the part that might be trying to tell you something.
If you’re feeling stuck, there may be a “part” of you that stays there to protect you. These parts were often created in childhood when there weren’t as many resources as there are now.
For example, you may have learned early on that being seen by others can be unpredictable and dangerous. Therefore, a “part” of you may have been created that helps you make decisions based on that information. As an adult you probably have more resources, but that information never made it to the “parts” that were created.
So let’s say you want to write a book, but are having trouble moving forward. No matter what I do, I am stuck. why? One reason may be that this “part” knows that writing a book will be seen by others, and that, based on experience, it can be unpredictable and dangerous. not. This prevents them from taking risks by going out into the public eye. You may not be consciously aware of this part. But it may be working day and night to protect you.
2. Meditate.
A dead end can trigger negative thoughts like, “What if I’m stuck forever?” or “I’m not good enough.” These thoughts can lead to negative emotions, making you feel even more stuck and overwhelmed. It’s a vicious circle. Meditation helps you break out of this cycle and gain clarity, find direction and move forward.
Set aside a time each day to meditate. It doesn’t need to be that long. Even 10 minutes is enough. If you have trouble sitting still, search for guided meditations on YouTube.
Make this part of your routine and do it at the same time each day to keep the momentum going. Doing it at the same time every day will make it a habit and make it easier to remember.
It’s okay to sit quietly and start thinking! Just go back to breathing. It doesn’t have to be perfect. You just need to cultivate stillness and silence. This practice will help you get out of your mind and back into your body where so much wisdom is alive.
3. Stimulates the vagus nerve.
The vagus nerve regulates the entire nervous system. When the vagus nerve is activated, it calms the nervous system and allows us to move into a more creative and open state. From this state, you can more easily access the wisdom within you.
There are various ways to stimulate the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve is connected to the vocal cords, so humming or singing is one way he accomplishes this.
- Focus on your breath and notice everything you feel in your body. You may feel a tightness in your chest, pain in your neck, or a burning sensation in your throat.
- Please take a deep breath.
- As you exhale, say “boo” out loud the entire time you exhale.
- Sit down and notice how your body feels right now. Is there any difference?
- Continue steps 2-4 until you feel a change.
4. Change your environment.
Have you ever traveled to a new place or gone on a hike and found yourself with new inspiration, clarity, or presence? Because we thrive when we are outside our comfort zone. It’s from
New surroundings, meeting new people, and new experiences take us out of our comfort zone and give us the opportunity to open up, grow, and learn more about ourselves. It shakes things out of our everyday experience.
Get out in nature or spend the night on vacation. It doesn’t have to be flashy. Anything that can get you out of your current space will help you change the impasse.
Are there areas in your life where you feel stuck or don’t know what to do? Which of the following actions resonates most with you? Do you have any actions?
About Patti Bryant
Patty Bryant is a somatic business coach and author dedicated to breaking dead ends by using somatic techniques to tap into your nervous system and intuition.Feel lost or confused about “what happens next”? Sign up for tarot clarity session.
