A rut is when you are stuck in a repetitive mindset that is hurting your well being. It’s common for college students to find themselves in a rut. It can be brought on by a number of different things like stress, homesickness, heartbreak, loneliness, and many other things. Here are some tips to beat the rut next time you find yourself in one.
Figure out what the problem is.
Listen to your heart and your body to figure out what is causing you to be in the rut. You won’t be able to work your way out of it unless you know what is causing the problem. Take some time alone, away from your phone and computer, and think through what could be causing you to feel the way you are feeling. You can do this by taking a hot bath, going for a walk, writing in a journal, meditating, or whatever else you like to do to clear your mind.
Solve The Problem.
Now that you have a better idea of what is putting you in a rut, you can start taking steps to solve the problem. Make a plan with steps to follow to get you back on track. If you are stressed about school work then break down everything you need to get done into smaller chunks and schedule time to work on it. If you are homesick or lonely take steps by figuring out times to see friends and family and schedule FaceTime dates with the people you want to talk to who are far away. Whatever the problem is, you can break it apart and work through it piece by piece.
Prevent It From Happening Again.
After you have figured out what is getting you down and have solved the problem it is important to recognize what you experienced so you can prevent it from happening again. Continue with the steps you took to solve the problem to keep it from happening again.
The best way to get out of a rut and stay out of it is to set goals and then break down steps to achieve those goals. This will keep you busy and it will keep you constantly moving in a good direction.