Are you in a rut?! How do you get out of it? You don’t know exactly what’s happening to you, but you feel that you just don’t like life that much the last few days, weeks, or even months.

You are not unhappy, but you are certainly not happy either. You find yourself in a kind of terribly stagnant no man’s land. You don’t know what to do with your life. Going out or just resting? And is that walk going to pull you out of this mood?

When you’re caught up in a rut, life temporarily loses its luster. You just don’t feel anything, you don’t know what you want, and you don’t feel like doing anything either.

What you need: meaning

Although many people try to improve their mental health by doing ‘fun things’ but this does not address the root cause of being in a rut. Because why is this happening to you? Why are you suddenly tired of your daily routine? 

It has to do with one simple fact: your life needs meaning.

What does that mean? It means that you want to feel that you are achieving something, that you are doing something useful, and that your actions have meaning. You have to feel that your actions are adding value to your life (or are valuable to others), otherwise, they will be a waste of time and you will fall back into a loop of endless inertia. 

A life without a reason, without meaning, is neither fun nor motivating. 

Doing only fun things will not be enough, you need to do something meaningful.

1. Clean up something

You start to feel better when you feel useful when you can do something meaningful. Do you want to feel useful quickly? Then go tidy up or clean something that makes you happy.

Is the household the cause of your rut? Then tackle something you don’t usually get around to, such as redesigning your office or clearing your attic so you can turn it into a fun playroom.

When you clean up, you don’t have to think so much, you just have to do it. You are physically active for a while, and after an hour or two, you will have a result that you can be proud of!

2. Exercise, preferably in the open air

Is the weather nice outside? Then put on your running shoes and go for a run! Of course, you can also go hiking, cycling or skating.

A good workout is undoubtedly the easiest and most effective way to immediately feel happier when you’re in a rut.

Exercising helps you to look at the world positively again. It gives you a satisfied and happy feeling and you also get tired.

3. Relax and enjoy your day

Realize that you don’t have to. You may feel the way you feel right now, so don’t worry. Let it go. Don’t focus on your routine, focus on enjoying the moment. After half an hour of exercise, you will feel a lot better, and now you can use this positive mood to make the rest of your day fun!

Do something that makes you feel useful. Cook a tasty recipe, plan your vacation, decorate a cake, teach your dog a trick or read an inspiring book. Leave your routine behind and enjoy the moment!

4. Plan for the coming days

Give yourself some grip. Set two or three small goals you want to achieve tomorrow, and the week ahead. Realize that you don’t necessarily have to do nice things to be happy, you have to do useful things. Useful here means that the tasks you perform ultimately bring you closer to your ideal life. 

Ask yourself, what do I want my life to look like in the end? An overall picture of your ideal life can quickly give new meaning to your life. You will inevitably get into a rut if you do tedious work without knowing why. However, if you decide to do this work for another three months so that you can start your own business or go on a long journey, it’s much easier to stay happy and motivated!

So, what are you going to do in the coming days, and how does that align with your long-term vision? Write it down and start enjoying your day again. You have successfully dragged yourself out of your rut!