What To Do If You're Feeling "Stuck"

Oct 18, 2024

Are you feeling “stuck” right now?

➡️ Maybe you’ve just been diagnosed with breast cancer, and you’re stuck in a fog of disbelief and an overwhelming amount of information coming at you.

➡️ Maybe a family member has just been diagnosed, and you're stuck in worry for your family member and your own future health.

➡️ Maybe you’ve just found out you have a genetic mutation that puts you at high risk for breast cancer, and you feel stuck in denial or in the “I’ll worry about that later” mentality.

➡️ Maybe you just finished treatment for breast cancer, and you feel stuck in the “what now” phase.

➡️ Maybe you’ve read EVERYTHING out there about how to decrease your risk, and you still feel stuck in overwhelm and confusion.

➡️ Maybe you have a history of breast cancer, and you feel stuck in the fear of developing a recurrence.

You’re not alone. Feeling stuck is a normal reaction to receiving not so great news or going through a difficult or traumatic life event. It takes time for your brain to process everything.

So how do you get “unstuck?”

Well, here's a few things that can help:

1. Accept your current reality.

It may not be fun or pretty, but before you can move forward, you gotta accept where you currently are. You don’t have to accept staying there forever— you just have to make peace with your current situation right now. I love the quote by Robert Frost: “The best way out is always through” because it speaks to facing whatever situation you’re in head on in order to move through it, eventually get beyond it, and come out on the other side a better, stronger version of yourself.

2. Just take one small step.

Pick one small, easy thing you can do RIGHT NOW that will take you even one baby step in the direction you want to go. You might be surprised how much more motivated and how much better you feel after doing this. One small step can lead to more small steps, and then one day you’ll look back and see how all those small steps added up and just how far you’ve come.

3. Seek guidance.

I understand that when you’re in this “stuck” state, it can feel impossible to make any decisions or plans. Sometimes you just need someone to tell you exactly what small steps are possible, point you in the right direction, or help you come up with a plan. Sometimes all you need is guidance to move forward.

4. Find a supportive community.

Having a community of other people that are going through the same situation as you are or that are currently “stuck” or have been “stuck” in the past can be so beneficial to becoming “unstuck.” First, you see that you’re not alone. Second, it gives you motivation. (“If she can do it, then I know it’s possible for me to do it too.”) Lastly, it gives you support and encouragement, which makes taking any first steps (and any following steps) so much easier.