Has this ever happened to you? One day, life seems to be going great and
everything seems to be progressing well. But the next day, you wake up with no motivation
whatsoever and you suddenly feel stuck. Just going through your daily routine is a
struggle and it feels like a chore. And to make matters worse, you beat yourself
up for not being as productive as you'd like to be. What happened is you've entered a mental rut. It's basically a state of mind where you feel
stuck, purposeless and you're unable to motivate yourself. And doing anything that day can be difficult. Days like these will come unexpectedly, seemingly
out of nowhere, and can last for days or even weeks. However if you've been having these symptoms
for months or even years now, then you're probably not just in a rut, but you might
be experiencing a form of depression. The tips in this video will help you with
that, however if the symptoms persist, you might want to talk to your doctor. Now, there could be plenty of reasons for
a rut. But often it happens to the most ambitious
people. Because they have set high expectations for
themselves, they tend to work too hard, for too long. If you're someone who has recently been crushing
it, and you've found yourself in a rut, then this might be your body's way of telling you
that you need to take a break. Taking a day off might seem like a waste of
time, and you might feel like you don't deserve it. But in reality, relaxing a little, will allow
you to sustain your productivity for much longer. If all you do is work, work, work and you
don't let yourself take a break, then you're on your way to burnout. So allow yourself to take it easy once in
a while. But most importantly don't beat yourself up
when you do. Often someone who is taking it easy, is torturing
himself mentally for not meeting his own expectations. And like a negative loop, this drains his
motivation even more, because he is taking a break, but he thinks he should be working. Just like a lot of other people, I'm guilty
of this myself. I tend to get thoughts like: "Oh, I should
be working right now." "I could be doing this or that..." etc. However we need to understand that we're only
human and we have a limit. We're not machines that can keep on going
day and night. One thing that has helped me personally, to
stop torturing myself, is giving my mind a logical reason for a break. Whenever I get those thoughts telling me I
should be working, even when I really shouldn't, I simply tell myself: "Resting will allow
me to be more productive in the future." "For that reason, taking a break is the productive
thing to do." I basically give my mind a valid reason to
relax. And often I'm able to return the next day
with recharged batteries and a lot more motivation. Another possible reason for a rut, is not
taking care of your physical health. In today's society, a lot of people are stuck
sitting at their desks, which often results into being inactive all day. The remedy for this is exercise of course,
or any form of physical activity. Most people when they hear the word "exercise",
first think of losing weight, but exercise actually has another effect. It makes our brain function at its best. It's already well known that exercise increases
levels of serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine. All are important neurotransmitters that affect
thoughts and emotions. Because of that, exercise has a profound impact
on mental health and even doctors prescribe exercise as a treatment for depression. So if you haven't started an exercise regime
yet, I highly suggest you do, as it can prevent any future depressive states. But if you're in a rut as we speak, then you
probably don't feel like exercising at all. If that's the case, you could apply the 2
minute rule to it. Tell yourself you're going to go for a short
2 minute walk outside. When those 2 minutes are up, you can go back
inside and be done with it. The point is to get yourself up and moving. Usually when the 2 minutes are up, you'll
be able to continue for longer. But even if you don't continue, 2 minutes
of movement are better than nothing. Of course, we mustn't forget about sleep and
diet, as they are also a part of our physical health. There's a reason why the gut has been called
the second brain. 90% of serotonin is made in the gut. And if you don't know, serotonin is considered
a mood stabilizer, as it has a huge impact on our emotions. If you keep eating junk food, the gut's microbiota
will become unbalanced and your serotonin production will get messed up. So it's wise to stay away from foods that
are obviously sub-optimal, like: fried fast food, candy bars, white bread, ice cream. Anything with added sugar basically. Instead, I suggest you try to create a balanced
diet that consists of plenty of vegetables, proteins and healthy fats. But let's not forget
about drinks. Alcohol, energy drinks and sodas are also
harming your gut. Besides tons of added sugar, they tend to
have artificial dyes and other harmful ingredients. Plus they have zero nutritional value and
are full of empty calories. So replace those sub-optimal choices with
plain water or tea. And make sure to hydrate regularly throughout
the day, as being dehydrated often leads to mental fatigue. Sleep also plays an extremely important factor
in our mental health. If you've been recently sleeping less than
the recommended 7-9 hours per night, this could be another reason for a rut. Getting insufficient sleep has been linked
to many mental problems such as anxiety, depression and ADHD. Often fixing your sleep, will fix your mental
state. I have made plenty of videos about sleep and
how to improve it, that's why I won't be talking about it here. There's a link to sleep videos down in the
description. As I mentioned before, you should go outside
for a walk, however not just to get physical movement, but to get a change of scenery. Going outside is something that can cause
a massive shift in your mental state, especially if you surround yourself with nature. Humans are animals. I know this sounds weird, but we need to move
around in the landscape to feel good. If you've ever seen an animal in the zoo you
know they don't look too happy. In fact, they look bored and sluggish. Why would humans be any different? If you're usually stuck in your house or cubicle
all day, you need to get outside every once in a while. You can't just expect to be happy if you're
stuck in a box all day. You need sunshine, fresh air and nature. Specifically regularly spending time in nature,
has been associated with decreased depression, lowered stress, and increased mental well-being. But even if you live in a big city, just changing
your location and your scenery can help a lot. For example, whenever I feel stuck, I go for
a walk around the block. This small environmental shift already helps
me feel better. Another thing that might be causing a rut
is having the same routine, for far too long. If every single day is the same, it's hard
to be excited or motivated. You don't really have anything to look forward
to, because you already know what to expect. If that's the case, then it might be time
to spice up your routine. It doesn't have to be a drastic change. You can try something as simple as taking
a different route to work, ordering something new at a restaurant, or switching up your
exercise routine. Just do something differently. You could even try picking up a new hobby. Something you've always wanted to do, but
never really got around to it. This will give you something to look forward
to in your day. For example: going to a martial arts class,
maybe learning how to code your own software, or learning to play an instrument. Just don't pick a trumpet or your neighbors
will dislike you. Yeah, I'm talking to you neighbor. But if you really want to have a solid reason
to get out of your bed in the morning, then you need to set new goals. If you don't have any goals you don't have
any direction and you're basically purposeless. That's why I suggest you take out a piece
of paper and write down some of your goals. And make sure to make a plan on how you'll
achieve them. For example, I didn't start running seriously,
until I made it my goal to run a marathon. I always had this idea in the back of my mind,
that I should go for a run whenever I could. But that rarely happened, because I didn't
have a reason to do so. However, once I made finishing a marathon
my goal, my running had purpose. I had a reason to tie my shoes and go for
multiple runs per week. Before, there really was no real reason for
me to run. It was merely wishful thinking. So set some daily, monthly or even yearly
goals. This will give you motivation and fuel to
get up in the morning, as you'll have something to aim for. Now, when you're returning back to your work,
studying or whatever you usually do, it's important to start small, so that you don't
get overwhelmed. Imagine you're a weightlifter who just came
back to the gym and is recovering from an injury. You don't want to load up 300 pounds on your
bench press. Just because you could lift that weight before
the injury, it doesn't mean you can lift it now. You need to start small and build up again. If you try lifting the same weight, you'll
just injure yourself more. It's the same with productivity. When you're recovering from a rut, you don't
want to suddenly jump to 10 hour workdays. Instead start slow and just like an injured
weightlifter, build your productivity up. Do 15 minutes, then 30 minutes, just to get
a feel for how long you're currently able to work on your desired activity. If you have
complete resistance towards your work, you can use the 2 minute rule to gain some of
your momentum back. At the end of the day, you are not alone. Everyone goes through a difficult time sooner
or later. Even if you feel stuck right now, and even
if you feel like this is how your mood will be from now on, it won't last forever. Mental
ruts are temporary, and this too, shall pass. Our moods are in constant ebb and flow. It's unrealistic to feel amazing all the time. Just like Bob Ross would say: "You gotta have
a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come." "You're just waiting for the good times right
now." Thanks for watching.
