Clicky

HomeLifestyle7 Quick Methods To Get Out Of A Rut

7 Quick Methods To Get Out Of A Rut

How To Get Out Of A Rut

how to get out of a rut 2

Feeling demotivated? Has the day to day grind got you both physically and emotionally beat? When encountering a rut the key is to recognise it and take action immediately - I'm a strong believer in the
"you're either on an upwards trend or you're spiralling down" ideology when it comes to life.
There's no stagnation, if it's not onwards and upwards you're on the way down. The lower you allow yourself to remain in a rut the harder it is to take action and get out. No one can honestly say they've never faced adversity, felt mentally burned out, questioned why they were expending so much effort to chase their goals or felt like giving up. As cliché as it sounds the successful individuals are the ones who recognised their rut and fixed the matter, but how?

Use The Following 7 Methods To Get Out Of A Rut

how to get out of a rut 1

Run

 Running is the ultimate way to clear your mind and relieve stress. After a period of fairly intense running the 'runners high' kicks in. This feeling, unlike any other is a euphoric feeling that allows us to think faster from my experience. Problems, issues and thoughts run through your head far quicker and are easier resolved. Sitting around at home or in your office in frustration racking your brain will 99% of the time not lead to the result or solution you desire. Get moving and your brain will too.

Float Pod

 If you're in a creativity or stress related rut the sensory deprivation tank is a fantastic tool to use.
An hour and a half without hearing, seeing or feeling anything will have your body and mind in an extremely 'fixated' state.
It's just you and your mind - if you've got any underlying issues the float tank is a fantastic place to go to think, create and explore.
Not to mention the thought processing benefits of spending time in a float tank, but the immense relaxation after a float tank session lasts anywhere up to 72 hours from my experience.

Set Micro Goals & Crush Them

Big, audacious goals can become overwhelming.. especially when we're grinding away day in, day out and are seeing very little progress.
Instead of trying to jump through a proverbial hoop elevated in the sky sometimes we need to lay the bar down and just jump over it - set yourself some small, micro goals and crush them.Winning a hundred small battles will build that positive momentum back up behind you and you'll be ready to crush the war, which are your big goals.
This is all about saying what you're going to do and then just doing the damn thing.

Perform Power Poses

 Power poses are a godsend.
There's no other technique I know of that can be performed literally anywhere in a minute or two and result in an almost instant increase in testosterone levels and a decrease in anxiety and anxiousness.Fake it 'till you make it.
Power poses take up space - spread your arms in the air, raise your head up as if you were Arnold and had just won the 1975 Mr. Olympia competition., you'll almost feel like you did!
At the same time it's worth noting the opposite, sitting, standing and conveying yourself in a closed in, protective and vulnerable state will increase cortisol levels and place you further into your rut. Open yourself up, convey power with victory poses.

Record All Open Loops

 This is a technique I discovered from the fantastic productivity book, 'Get Things Done' by David Allen.
Any and every thought running through your head that you haven't draw closure to or decided what you're going to do is consuming your time, energy and often inducing unnecessary stress.
Deciding where you're going on holidays next month, debating whether to get a new rubbish bin, remember you need to buy a new pair of gym straps... these are all open loops that're inducing stress and killing your productivity.
Most of them are trivial too!
The most efficient way to deal with your open loops is to:
  • Set several 'collection bins' for your loops, a location you can record them (phone, notebook, whiteboard etc.)
  • List every conceivable open loop you may have, places to look for these loops include your computer, car, office, phone, drawers, kitchen, workplace, gym bag
  • Once you've listed all loops it's time to decide upon the desired outcome
  • List and proceed to take just the next step to bring you closer to that outcome for each loop... (this could mean making a phone call, going and buying a replacement item etc.)
  • Record in your collection bins regularly, take action and empty those bins to reduce mental clutter
See also
On The Other Side Of Pain (Want To Be Successful? Read This…)

Stand On The Shoulders Of Giants (Read)

A letter to Robert Hooke, dated 15th of February, 1676 from Sir Isaac Newton contained the quote:

“If I have Seen Further It Is By Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants”

Newton didn’t start from square 1, he was smart – he took over from where others left off. He learnt from both the success and shortcomings of those before him to ensure he wasn’t going to repeat the exact same thing, resulting in frustration, wasted resources and most importantly, a waste of time.

  • Decide what you want
  • Find out who has achieved that which you want
  • Find content produced by this select group of people, whether they’re bankers or bodybuilders
  • Read, consume, take notes. Find out what works and what doesn’t work
  • Take action, ensuring you’re not wasting time falling for the same mistakes that those who have already reached the echelon of success have

Cold Water Therapy

 Cold showers is undoubtedly the topic I've written about the most on this blog.

The cold shower puts everything into perspective.

You no longer give up when it comes time to push out that final rep on your bench press, because you successfully endured a cold shower a few hours earlier that day which makes this last rep a breeze in comparison.

See also
The Most Precious Commodity And My Own Realization

Writing 1,000 words a day is hard and the majority of the time you probably don’t feel like doing it, but you rose early that morning and took your 5 minute freezing cold shower which, without a doubt is harder and more uncomfortable than inking your thoughts on a notepad.

Find Out More About Cold Showering

Besides the mental conditioning and rut-relieving benefits of your cold shower you'll also discover...

  • Improved Hair & Skin
  • Increased Testosterone
  • Aids Post Exercise Recovery
  • Relief of Depression
  • Insane Energy

After stepping out of the shower you’ll feel like you’ve just ingested a double-shot espresso. Regardless of how lethargic you’re feeling in the morning, the moment that ice cold water hits your skin your heart and breathing while dramatically increase. As your body attempts to adapt to the situation at hand you’re left feeling completely energized.

You know what you have to do, you know it’s going to suck but you grit your teeth and do it anyway. Your rut disappears.

What's your go-to method to get out of a rut? Let me know in the comments below! 

Scott J.
Scott J.https://ignorelimits.com
I’m SJ. I’m a fitness enthusiast and published author. I transformed my body from a skinny fat 135lbs with 18% body fat to a solid 192lbs at 8% body fat. I became qualified in a field I was passionate about. I founded several online businesses that allow me to pursue ideas and projects in my life that I am passionate about without having to constantly worry about money. I published several eBooks explaining the training and dieting techniques I used to achieve the body I have today. I learnt a plethora of new information on dieting and fitness by reading and applying what I read, to find out what does work and what doesn’t work, because as I’m sure you’ve noticed the health and fitness industry is full of non-sense claims and BS. I found out what was true and what worked for me and applied that knowledge. And you bet I had fun during the whole process.

Stay in Touch

To follow the best weight loss journeys, success stories and inspirational interviews with the industry's top coaches and specialists. Start changing your life today!

Related Articles