Why do I feel stuck?
We often feel stuck when we we’ve tried everything we can think of to change our situation, but it still doesn’t seem to make much difference. You might notice yourself thinking the same negative thoughts over and over again, until you start to feel powerless, helpless or hopeless.
Remember, how you are feeling right now is valid, but you won’t always feel this way. Things can get better, and there are things you can do that will help.
There are lots of different situations that can make us feel stuck.
Illustration by Liz Fosslien. There are two line graphs, one showing how it feels right now and the other showing what's possible in the future.
These can be things like:
- a difficult living situation
- not having friends or family around to support us
- a difficult relationship with family, friends or partners
- believing that we don’t deserve to feel good or that we’re not good enough
- money worries
- dealing with grief and loss
- pressure to act in a way we don’t want to, or pressure to hide who we are
- trying the things people recommend, but none of them seeming to work
- experiencing abuse
- depression
- being a carer, or feeling responsible for someone else’s wellbeing
- dealing with trauma
Things that can help if you feel stuck
Talk to someone
That stuck feeling is really hard to deal with alone. Talking with someone you trust about how you feel and what’s worrying you can be a massive relief.
They may be able to offer you a new perspective, but even if not, sometimes just getting your worries off your chest can really help you to feel less alone.
If you don’t know who to turn to, there are trained professionals who can chat to you online, by phone or by text. You can find a list of helplines and services on our urgent help page. Or if you need support on how to reach out for help, take a look at our guide.
Illustration by @iamhayleykaye. There is a lightbulb in the centre of the image with ideas around it on what to do when you feel stuck.
Mental health can be difficult to navigate at times. Sometimes you may feel like you're making a lot of progress and sometimes it feels like you're going around in a circle. But it's a process that's different for anyone who experiences it. There is no set time that you have to feel better nor is there a set way of feeling better.
Therapy and counselling
Therapy and counselling can be really helpful if you're feeling stuck. Therapists and counsellors can help you get to the bottom of what is really going on with you, so you can start to feel empowered, confident and excited about life again.
Read our blogs and guides if you want to know more about what therapy and counselling is like.
Speak to your GP
If how you’re feeling is affecting your everyday life, then your GP may be able to help. They can give you information about different things you can try to help you get better, as well as what support is available in your local area. If you’re not sure what to say, we have tips and advice on talking to your GP about your mental health that can really help.
Journalling
If you’re feeling stuck, or even if you’re not sure exactly how you’re feeling, it can really help to get your thoughts out on paper. Whether that’s by writing them down, like in a diary, poem or song lyrics, or by expressing yourself in other way like drawing, keeping a journal can be a really good way to organise your thoughts.
Mindfulness
When everything else in life doesn’t go right and it all feels a bit hopeless, I open up my laptop, or my sketchbook, or my craft draw. I write whatever comes to my mind.
Try something new
Trying something new and finding a hobby which excites us can be a great opportunity to take our mind off our problems, meet new people and give us space to focus on something else, which can be really helpful when we’re feeling stuck.
You could start by seeing if there are any clubs in your area, or if there’s anywhere you could volunteer. You never know, you might discover a new passion!
More help and advice
Take a moment to think about what else might be behind your 'stuck' feeling. Are there other emotions you are trying hard not to feel, or issues you don't know how to deal with? Take a look at our guides for more advice.
Real stories
Read real stories from young people like you.
Whether you love the page or think something is missing, we appreciate your feedback. It all helps us to support more young people with their mental health.
Please be aware that this form isn’t a mental health support service. If you are in crisis right now and want to talk to someone urgently, find out who to contact on our urgent help page.
At YoungMinds we take your privacy seriously. If you’d like to read more about how we keep the information we collect safe, take a look at our privacy policy.
