"When I just notice my feelings, they feel lighter. I don't have to solve them right away."

"My phone reminder to do some gentle movement wouldn't go away until I completed it, so the annoying notification badge motivated me to get it done."

"I like the podcast Hidden Brain to get new ways of looking at things."

"Accepting 'good enough' helps me relax. It helps me sort out the essentials from the extra stuff."

"I told my sister how I didn't know how to move forward with mental health tools, and she told me some tips that work for her."

"Seeing something new outside, even a leaf, makes me feel a bit more open and grounded."

"A gratitude list was too much for me, but one thing a day worked pretty well, even if I wrote down 'my dog, Anchovy' daily."

"Five minutes of quiet resets me a bit. It reminds me I can find calm, even if it's brief."

"I focus on compassion a lot. It lets me feel like I'm living with purpose, even on hard days."

"Researching the culture in Bali gave me ideas on what kind of life I wanted to live when I was in a major rut."

"When I'm hard on myself, I repeat, 'I deserve kindness too.' It softens my self-talk enough to keep going."

"Thinking about small steps I could take makes change feel possible, not forced."

"This practice calms me and pulls me into the here and now, even when I'm feeling anxious. Sometimes I call a friend to help me if I'm having trouble doing it."

"Desperately trying to find answers was exhausting, so I put 'Taking a break' on my calendar for a month and ironically got unstuck during that time because of the decreased pressure."

"It felt really cheesy, but I found visualization meditations on YouTube, which actually gave me the push I needed to try new stuff."

"Starting with washing my face gives me a small win. Just a small way to tell myself I'm worth caring for."

"I say, 'It's just a thought.' It stops my mind from holding on to it, and I feel less weighed down."

"I remembered when I was terrified of public speaking and overcame that, so I knew I could make progress with my mental health, too."

"I'd tell myself, 'Everyone has been stuck in some way before,' and it helped a little."

"Daily walks on different routes eventually brought me to a senior dog center, so I decided to volunteer and now feel like I'm progressing."

"Body scans remind me I can listen to myself. It's a way of reconnecting that feels gentle."

"I picture myself getting up. Even imagining it helps me feel like movement is possible."

"I stretch in bed, and it reminds me I'm not stuck; I can still choose to move a little."

"When I make tea mindfully, it's like a tiny break. I get to enjoy one moment just for itself."

"I read a few subreddits where people talked about getting out of a rut and making adjustments, and I got some great ideas."

"Starting with washing my face gives me a small win. Just a small way to tell myself I'm worth caring for."

"I created a corner in my room that was decorated in a cozy, quirky way where I'd sit when I wanted a new perspective."

"I figured out that the main reason I felt stuck was that I only tried one mental health modality, so I started exploring more."

"I used to think that if I acted opposite from an emotion then I'd have to stop feeling it. Sometimes, it's important to let the emotion stay for as long as it needs, while I also go about my day."

"I try to savor my coffee. Noticing it gives me a tiny sense of joy, which helps ground me."

"The big picture was scary, so I focused on practicing just living by one of my values for 6 weeks and nothing else."

"When I'd 'mess up,' I'd practice thinking, 'It's unrealistic to think mistakes aren't going to happen.'"

"I tell myself, 'It's okay to go slow.' Giving myself some kindness makes trying something new feel safer."

"ChatGPT made me a whole guide of things to try daily for 6 weeks to shake things up a bit--it was awesome."

"I scheduled 'venting time' 15 minutes max daily to let it all out in my journal or voice notes, and when I wanted to complain outside of that, I'd remind myself to keep it within the vent sesh."

"Every day, I set a timer for 10 minutes to practice the mental health tools my therapist gave me, and that actually helped!!"