Good day, Purposeful Hearts! Welcome to our second installment of comparing stuck versus still mindsets. Today, we’ll specifically focus on the factors and variables that lead to a “stuck” feeling from a physical, psychological, social, and spiritual perspective.
Physically, we naturally ramp up the whole-body tension when we’re feeling stuck or trapped. Have you ever had your seatbelt lock up on you while you’re riding in the car? One of the first reactions is to push back against it, as though that will somehow fix the situation! We often have similar reactions to feeling stuck in life – we push back with a physical form of tension, as though we’re going to counteract the stress source. Any chronically tight shoulders out there? Any teeth grinders? Anyone with frequent tension headaches? All of these signs and symptoms can result from cyclic stress and stagnation.
If we move deeper, we can often trace the physical consequences inside to psychological sources. When life circumstances make us feel stuck or burned out, we can feel like the victim. We feel like our existence was “put upon” us, and our patience runs short. This victim or martyr mentality comes with sensations of anxiety, resentment, dread, and even jealousy or longing for what someone else has. But it’s a trap!
Beyond the physical and psychological, feeling stuck affects our social lives as well. If you’re feeling burned out and your patience is running short, guess who often feels the effects? The people right around you – the very people who should receive the best of who you are and offer you social support in return. A trapped or stuck life can also drive us to withdraw from social interaction, because we just don’t have the same energy or zest for life we once had.
Finally, it’s important to recognize that this whole flow from our insides to outsides traces all the way back to our spiritual health. Are you being fed by the words of the God who made you and designed you for your very life? Feeling stuck, restless, and trapped often results when we’re not trusting that there’s a way out of our current circumstances. Only by hearing God’s Word can he remind you of his loving, watchful eye over your life. He delights in you!
Next week, we’ll compare today’s discussion of feeling stuck with the physical, psychological, social, and spiritual effects of feeling still – in a place of peace and contentment. Until then, take inventory of your tensions in these four areas and do some reflective work to determine the real root cause. You’ll be ready to dive into a new mindset next week!
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