9 Tips for Breaking Out of a Rut

a post by Margarita Tartakovsky for the World of Psychology blog



Lately, you’ve felt utterly uninspired. Lately, your days have been bland, dull and boring. It’s as though you’re a robot stuck on the same setting and program. Every. Single. Day.

Maybe everything feels like one big slog. And you’re not sure what to do about it. You feel trapped, restless, frustrated, or overwhelmed.

In other words, you’re in a rut.

Ruts can have a variety of causes. Sometimes, something has simply gotten old. For instance, a once healthy and fulfilling routine, over time, can become unfulfilling, said Stephanie Dobbin, LMFT, CGP, a relationship and group psychotherapist who specializes in helping busy healthcare professionals have happier relationships and less stress in Rochester, NY.

Sometimes, you haven’t spent enough time and energy thinking about what you truly want, and your life takes you into a direction you didn’t intentionally choose, she said.

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Oh boy, I needed this today. Really needed it. Following on from an hour with CBT therapist yesterday I was concerned that the boxes didn't fit me. This does so I can now start making the match. No changes yet, just recognising where change might be required.

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Changes in undergraduate students’ psychological well-being ...

as they progress through university

an article by Bridgette Bewick, Gina Koutsopoulou and Esther Slaa (University of Leeds), Jeremy Miles (RAND Corporation, Santa Monica, USA) and Michael Barkham (University of Sheffield)

Abstract
This article investigates the psychological well-being of students from all faculties across their undergraduate degree from pre-registration to semester two of year three at one UK university. Data were collected on seven occasions, with 66% of students who began their studies between 2000 and 2002 taking part in the project. Psychological well-being was assessed using the General Population Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation (GP-CORE). Results show that greater strain is placed on well-being once students start university compared to pre-university levels. Levels of strain are generally highest during semester one, with significant reduction in levels of distress from semester one to semester two being observed in both year one and year three. At no time did levels of distress fall to pre-registration levels. Given these results show university to be a time of heightened distress, there is a need to ensure that students receive the support necessary throughout their studies to enable them to successfully complete their degree course, enabling them to negotiate the transition to university and then ultimately into the workforce.

Hazel’s comment:
Stress is always higher than it was before you went to the university – is it worth it?

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