There are a lot of ways we can feel blocked – mentally, emotionally, physically. Maybe you’re having trouble dealing with an event in your past or you’re feeling uncreative at work or you just can’t get started on that new, healthy lifestyle you keep promising yourself.

You can work and work and let your mind go around in circles, but sometimes it’s better to do “nothing.” Just as it’s important to give your body recovery time between workouts, it’s also essential to let your mind and soul recharge. I usually need both tons of sleep and alone time. Spending time with yourself is essential for living!

Here are a few things you can do to get “unstuck”:

• Rest. Exhaustion can be a major contributor to that “stuck” feeling. Rest is so important; it cleanses the mind, recovers the body, and restores function. Take a power nap, luxuriate in a bath, or do anything that feels relaxing to you.
• Breathe. Close your eyes, take some deep breaths, and feel how your body begins to reach a state of calm. Your thoughts may start to wander in all directions, but continue to breathe deeply, wind down, and try to shut out the flood of thought. Concentrate all your attention on your breathing. Then focus on an image – a beautiful flower, an experience in nature, the sky, the sun, or something else. When you feel yourself completely relaxed and calm, open your eyes and take a few deep breaths.
• Take a walk. Just a simple, leisurely one. Go to the woods and sit down in nature to inhale the scents of your surroundings. In the big city, walk around your own neighborhood, but do it slowly and pay attention to little things you don’t usually notice.

Image: Hartwig HKD