Finding yourself in a rut? Here are 3 suggestions to liven up your routine.

Sometimes one may find themselves in a bit of a mental and/or emotional rut. This could be for a particular reason (i.e. feeling more down than usual, life transitions like being in between jobs), or one may find that there is nothing particularly going on but the feeling still comes up.

Over the years, there have been times when I have experienced feeling like I am in a rut myself. In addition to a time of personal reflection and prayer I strive to incorporate, the following suggestions are ways I have found helpful in getting myself through this particular but normal experience that we will experience at some point in our lives.

1) Explore your interests - Recently, I have rekindled a desire to explore the things that I find most interesting to me at the present. For example, I have had a slight interest in learning how to code for a couple years now. This month, however, I finally decided to be proactive and take a coding basics workshop. Let me just say how refreshing it was to dive into something new and totally different from my current field! Though one might be afraid to take the plunge into something unknown to them as I initially did with my coding workshop, it is often so worth it to put oneself out there. Who knows? You may pleasantly discover that what you end up exploring interests you and it may end up sparking a new hobby or something more.

2) Wake up earlier than usual - Yes, I did just write that. And, yes, that is not typically my own preferred time of day. Though, note that I did say "wake up earlier than usual" not "wake up early." Waking up early is pretty subjective, so it might just be a good start to wake up earlier than you typically do depending on various factors which might include when you find yourself more productive and how much sleep you find yourself needing each night. Though I find that I am more awake in the evening hours, I do enjoy the peace and quiet that comes from waking up at a time when most others are still asleep. During these times, one might find that a time of prayer, reflection, or meditation may be helpful in preparing oneself for the rest of the day.

3) Express your gratitude - Sometimes when I find myself in a rut, I find that it might be hard at times to find things to be thankful for. I am trying to start with at least three things that I am grateful for each day with the eventual goal to be able to list at least 10 items of gratitude. Ideas might include anything from loved ones to something that you appreciate about yourself. Happy gratituding!