How To Love Yourself Out Of Being Stuck

Sometimes we get stuck in old patterns. We procrastinate, numb out, overwork, or find ourselves doing things we said we were done with. And then we make it worse by criticizing and punishing ourselves.
But what if getting unstuck doesn't mean you have to fix everything?
Maybe it means just getting curious and coming back to yourself, with love.
In this teaching and meditation, we'll explore self-love as a practice to get you unstuck and reconnected to yourself. You'll be invited to meet yourself with compassion and curiosity rather than criticism and find a path to taking one small step forward.
A gentle practice for when you are feeling stuck, disconnected, out of alignment, or just kind of bleh.

Transcript

Getting unstuck without fixing yourself. Yesterday, I found myself in a rut. I have plans. I had things I wanted to do. I had work I was excited about. Instead, I found myself watching TV. I felt that familiar blah feeling. And my first instinct was probably the same instinct many of us have when we're stuck. I need to get myself out of this. I need to figure out what's wrong. I need to get motivated. I need to get back on track. I need to stop wasting time. But something different happened this time. A few of those thoughts might have run through my head. But then I remembered something I've been practicing for a long time. Self love. I put my hand over my heart. And I felt compassion for myself. This wasn't just a feeling. This is a way of relating to myself. And instead of criticizing myself for being stuck. I got curious. And instead of asking what's wrong with me. I asked, What do I need right now? And instead of trying to solve my entire life, I did something small. I interrupted the pattern. I've caught up. I changed my environment. I went for a walk. I gave myself a little space. And eventually, I came back. And today, I'm here recording this meditation. And that's what struck me. The practice didn't prevent me from getting into the rut. That helped me find my way out of it. I think sometimes we imagine that if we're really doing our inner work, We're growing, We're doing our practices, We'll eventually become these people who never get stuck and don't procrastinate. Never lose our way or fall back into old patterns. But that's not necessarily what happens. Life is messy, And it doesn't always feel like it's linear. Especially when we're in it. Life is gonna life. We're still going to have days when we don't feel like ourselves. When we get overwhelmed. We're going to avoid things, And we're going to lose momentum. I think the difference may be in how quickly we can pick ourselves back up and recover. To notice. And I believe self-love is the way back. And it can be really simple. A hand on your heart. Notice, Accept yourself just how you are. You're a beautiful human being that deserves love. Choose one small thing. Always give yourself another chance and begin again. You have something in your back pocket that you know will shift you. Like a wok. Or calling a friend. Or listening to a meditation. Something that will lift your spirit, Even if it's a tiny bit. You don't have to feel completely ready. You don't have to be perfectly aligned. You don't even have to feel like you're in the flow. You might not know exactly what's wrong. Maybe you don't want to take too much time trying to figure it out. You can simply be willing to take the next small step. And I think that's one of the deepest forms of self-love. When you don't abandon yourself. Just because you're not where you think you should be. So let's take a moment to settle in. You don't need to change anything about how you're feeling right now. If you're energized, Let yourself be energized. If you're tired. Let yourself be tired. If you're distracted. Let yourself be distracted. And if you're feeling a little stuck or disconnected, You don't have to fix that right now either. Just notice. Take a slow breath in. Be here now. Let it out. Notice what it's like to be here exactly as you are. No performance. Nothing to accomplish or get right. Now bring to mind a recent time when you felt stuck. Maybe that's right now. Maybe you were procrastinating. Maybe you're avoiding something. Maybe you found yourself falling back into an old pattern. Maybe you simply feel blah. See if you can remember how you were talking to yourself in that moment. How are you talking to yourself right now? Is there criticism, Frustration? A sense that you should be doing something else. And now imagine meeting that version of yourself. With a little more kindness. You're not making excuses or telling yourself everything's fine. Get over it. Just say, I see you. You're having a hard moment. And I'm still here. Take another breath. Notice what happens when you don't make the moment mean something about who you are. You are not your rut. You are not your procrastination. You are not your lack of motivation. You are not your butt. Who are a person having an experience. That is the human experience. And remember that experiences change, As does everything. So ask yourself gently. What do you need right now? Put your hand on your heart. You don't have to force an answer. Just listen. Maybe you need rest. Maybe you need movement. Maybe you need connection. Maybe you just need to change your environment a little bit. Maybe you don't know, And that's okay. If a next step comes to you, Let's let it be a small one. So small that you don't even have to be ready for it. You don't have to be perfectly aligned. Perfectly in the flow. You just need to be willing to begin. Take another deep breath in. Be here now. And repeat to yourself. I don't have to fix myself. I can meet myself with love. I don't have to be perfectly aligned. I can take one step. I don't have to get it right. I always give myself another chance. And perhaps most importantly, I don't abandon myself when I'm stuck. Come back to myself. With love. Take one more slow, Full breath. When you're ready. Begin to bring your attention back to the room around you. Remember that maybe today self-love doesn't have to be something you feel or overcome. Maybe it can simply be the next small thing you do. With yourself. Rather than against yourself. And whatever happens today. Remember. You can always begin again. With love.