How to Get Out of a Rut in Life: 4 Ways
I’m sitting along the creek, pondering how to get out of a rut in life, on a cloudy spring afternoon.
I feel divided between life as a mother, a wife, a friend, a Bible study leader, a writer, and more. I am weary, and I’m not sure I’m doing a good job in any area of my life.
Gazing at the creek, I remember the truth: Before I am a wife, a mother, a friend, or a writer, I am a child of God.
I belong to Jesus, and he belongs to me, and this is what matters most in life.
I chew on the words and gaze at a pile of debris that washed onto the shore when the water was high last week. Suddenly, my eye catches what I can’t believe I missed. Rising from the center of the debris, a small white flower pokes its head out of the mess. Beauty is rising from the brokenness.
How to Get Out of a Rut in Life
Like the white flower springing from the debris, the reminder that I am, first and foremost, a child of God breathes life into my soul. Like a tiny spark of beauty amid the brokenness, this truth refreshes my heart.
It reminds me of the one thing that matters, the only role that will never be taken away or changed.
Every other role could be stripped away, and this one thing would remain: I belong to Jesus, and he belongs to me (Song of Solomon 2:16, my paraphrase). I am in a relationship with the Creator of all things, and this is the single role that permeates every area of my life.
Because I am his and he is mine, I can love my children imperfectly, and it is enough.
Because I am his and he is mine, my struggles don’t define me.
I can receive a thousand rejections from the publications for whom I long to write, and I am not crushed.
Because I am his and he is mine, the laundry can pile high, we can have frozen pizza for dinner three nights in a row, and the sticky fingerprints can stay on the window all month.
Are you wondering how to get out of a rut in life today, friend? Christ is calling you to remember: Above all else, you are a beloved child of the Most High God. If you know Jesus as your Savior, you belong to him, and he belongs to you, and this can never be changed.
Here are a few more practical ways to get out of a rut.
Practical Ways to Get Out of a Rut:
1. Put something fun on the calendar.
Knowing there’s something to look forward to boosts morale. It doesn’t have to be a huge event; it simply needs to be something you enjoy.
When winter starts to get me down, Darrell often encourages me to go to the woods on a Saturday afternoon. We plan it a month in advance. A long walk in the woods, a little bit of time lingering by a creek, and even an hour in my car with worship music refreshes me.
Some of us are refreshed by an afternoon at a coffee shop with a good book, a long visit with an old friend, or an evening of shopping in the city. I find that having something enjoyable to anticipate is deeply satisfying and helps lift my head.
2. Get outside.
Even if it’s cold, even if it requires bundling up, time under the open sky is refreshing. Stepping outside opens our eyes to God’s creative work. Even if you only walk around the block, time outside is good for the soul.
Scientific research indicates that time outside is good for the body and the mind. In Japan, they call it taking a “forest bath.” If you’re feeling stuck, get outside.
Breathe deeply.
Move your body.
Look to the sky and take your mind off yourself for just a few minutes.
The heavens really do declare the glory of God, and we all need this reminder of his glory from time to time. (Read here for a post about what happens to your body and mind when you get outdoors.)
3. Create something.
This might seem frivolous to those who aren’t creative types, but activating the creative part of the brain stimulates energy.
Try painting an inspirational quote on a piece of cardboard so you can hang it on the fridge.
Download a coloring page and get to work with your child or by yourself.
Try a new recipe.
Paint the chair that’s looking weathered.
The sense of accomplishment is uplifting.
For the past eight years, I’ve painted a different room of the house every time February rolls around. My February painting projects are an immediate countenance booster.
4. Encourage a friend.
Proverbs 11:25 reminds us that we are refreshed by refreshing others.
When I’m feeling down, it helps to take my eyes off my circumstances and pray about which of my friends might need a word of encouragement. Sending a text, email, or an actual card in the mail will brighten someone’s day, and it will brighten yours as well.
Feeling stuck in life? Reach out to encourage someone else, and you might find yourself climbing out of the rut. #stuck #refresh #encouragingothers Share on X
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