3 BIG Mistakes People Make When They Feel Stuck in Life

Feeling stuck in life is something most of us can relate to—whether it’s staying in a job that no longer feels right, repeatedly putting off personal goals, or noticing day after day that you’re simply not as fulfilled as you want to be. It’s a disheartening, sometimes frightening feeling, one that can creep into almost every corner of life and cast a shadow on your confidence, motivation, and overall well-being.

Yet when life seems like it’s at a standstill, many individuals try to cope in ways that, while understandable, can actually drive them even deeper into that sense of being stuck. Rather than guiding themselves back on track, they make choices that provide only short-lived relief or push them into a state of isolation—gradually building up more frustration, confusion, and, in some cases, a cloud of guilt or hopelessness.

Let's examine three of the biggest mistakes people often make when they’re feeling stuck in life: seeking quick fixes through unhealthy vices, isolating themselves and bottling up their fears, and avoiding the real underlying problems through procrastination and denial.

If you resonate with this blog, don’t worry—awareness is a major step toward changing the situation. You don’t need to figure it out on your own, either. If after reading about these mistakes you recognize you’re ready to step out of this cycle, consider reaching out to me and I will shed light on your blind spots. I’m a confident coach who specializes in guiding people through these very struggles, without shortcuts or temporary patches, but with the clarity and support that can make all the difference.

Understanding the “Stuck” Feeling

Before we dive into these three big mistakes, let’s take a moment to clarify what it really feels like to be “stuck.”

Often, people describe it as waking up each day with a sense of dread or resignation: the job doesn’t feel meaningful, personal relationships may be tense or disconnected, and the spark that once drove you to set goals is barely flickering. You might sense something’s not right, yet you can’t quite pinpoint the source. ...Or you do know the source but feel unable to act on it, as if you’re frozen.

When we feel we have none of these—or only a fraction of what we desire—life can become a repeating loop of the same routines and the same emotional states. That repetitive cycle can make the stuck-ness feel permanent, pushing us to search for relief externally in ways that often backfire.

It's surprising how often people make the same mistakes in different situations. It doesn’t matter if you’re stuck in a career plateau, an unfulfilling relationship, or a period of low self-confidence: the same patterns of behavior might show up. Even though everyone’s specific situation is unique, these three overarching pitfalls can appear again and again.

Mistake #1) Quick Fixes, Going to Unhealthy Vices

When caught in the thick of feeling trapped, it’s tempting to reach for instant ways to numb or escape the discomfort. Quick fixes are alluring precisely because they promise a moment of relief from the stress, anxiety, or sadness. You might get a temporary "high", "relief", or "release" from the emotional burden, but it seldom lasts and often carries a heavy cost.

Seeking Instant Relief

Imagine someone who, at the end of a draining workday in a job they've long since stopped finding meaningful, cracks open one drink after another to "relax." Another example might be an individual who repeatedly overindulges in comfort foods, sweets, or junk food to gain fleeting moments of pleasure. Alternatively, someone who keeps themselves occupied with constant scrolling on social media, staying up late to play video games, or binge-watching TV, all the while disregarding the ongoing feeling of disconnection.

These behaviors, by themselves, aren’t inherently “bad.” It’s the frequency, intensity, and reason behind them that can turn them from occasional treats or harmless hobbies into genuine vices. Over time, these quick fixes become coping mechanisms. You start to rely on them just to get through the day, losing sight of healthier or more constructive ways to address the real issues.

Short-Term Numbing, Long-Term Consequences

Why is this a mistake? Because while these methods might dull the pain or frustration temporarily, they don’t tackle the root cause of why you feel stuck. In fact, using them as consistent crutches can breed new problems—health issues, escalating financial costs, strained relationships, or lingering guilt and shame about your habits. The mind might still be screaming that you’re unhappy or stuck, but those signals get muffled by whatever vice you’re using to tune them out.

Additionally, “quick fixes” can ironically prolong the feeling of stagnation. They can keep you in a state of suspended animation: you never quite hit rock bottom (because you’re relieving stress artificially), yet you never rise above your challenges either, because you’ve become reliant on avoidance through temporary pleasure or numbness.

Mistake #2) Isolation: Keeping Fears and Feelings Bottled Up

Another major mistake when feeling stuck is choosing isolation—shutting down, saying no to events or experiences, and refraining from sharing time with anyone else. This isolation can manifest in different ways. You might push away friends or family who sense something’s off. You might decide it’s better not to “burden” others with your problems, or believe that “nobody can really help anyway.” You could also stop engaging in activities that once brought joy, drifting into a more solitary routine.

The Weight of Isolation

Isolation may seem like a form of self-protection. Some may think it’s best to bottle up your fears because talking about them can be uncomfortable or even shameful. You might worry that admitting you feel stuck is an admission of weakness. Others might fear that no one will understand, there may be thoughts that there's something wrong with you or that you’ll be judged. Some might have tried to express their feelings in the past and received dismissive or hurtful responses, reinforcing the belief that opening up is pointless or unsafe.

Once isolated, you lose connection and access to potential support networks—people who may be able to share helpful insights, or who could just lend a listening ear so you feel less alone. By believing you're going to be a burden, you may inadvertently shut off access to people who genuinely care and understand.

Cutting Off Joy

One subtle sign of isolation is withdrawing from activities that once provided a sense of fun or belonging. Perhaps you no longer go to that weekly group fitness class you once loved, or you bail on coffee dates and social gatherings. On the surface, it might be justified by a busy schedule, exhaustion, or just “not feeling up to it.” It often goes deeper. When you’re stuck, you might feel undeserving of fun or worried that your gloom will dampen everyone else’s experience.

Unfortunately, by eliminating positive influences, you deprive yourself of moments that could balance out your stress or sadness. This not only intensifies the feeling of being stuck, but if you're drifting into the darkness, it often detracts positive individuals and draws in the doom and gloom, further reinforcing and normalizing isolation.

Isolation can truly feel like a form of torture, especially for us humans who thrive on connection and interaction with others. The need for connection is deeply rooted in our nature, and the level of connection we require varies from person to person. Some may find solace in solitude, while others may feel deprived without constant social

interaction. There's a huge difference between solitude and isolation; one brings joy, the other brings negative emotions and is harmful to one's mental and emotional health.

Mistake #3) Avoidance: Procrastinating Dealing With the REAL Problem

The third major mistake, and one that often underpins the first two, is the conscious or non-conscious act of avoidance. This can look like procrastination: maybe you’re delaying that important conversation with your boss, or you keep pushing back that doctor’s appointment, or you never quite get around to addressing an ongoing conflict in a significant relationship.

You know something needs to change, but you sidestep it, day after day. We are seeing a significant rise in Anxiety and chronic avoidance is a huge factor in panic and anxiety attacks.

The Cost of Neglecting Underlying Issues

Skipping the root cause of your stuck-ness often leads to an endless cycle of frustration and possibly anger. Suppose the real issue is that you’re deeply unhappy in your work, but you keep telling yourself you just need more coffee or a better time-management app (or some other external fix). Eventually, those minor improvements do little to fix the actual dissatisfaction. You might see fleeting improvements, but the foundational tension remains.

Over time, avoidance can breed regret. You might start noticing that you’ve lost weeks, months, or even years dancing around the same problem. It can erode self-trust—since every missed opportunity to face reality might make you doubt your own ability to handle life’s challenges.

Signs You’re in Avoidance Mode

• Always “Too Busy”: You juggle tasks that don’t really move the needle, leaving no space to tackle your deeper worries.

• Chronic Indecision: Even small choices become monumental because you fear making the “wrong” move.

• Excuses: You frequently find reasons why now isn’t the right time to deal with the real issue.

This avoidance often pairs with the coping mechanisms from Mistake #1, plus the isolation from Mistake #2. Each one can reinforce the other, creating a web that feels more and more challenging to escape.

Navigating Forward Without Quick Fixes

By now, it’s hopefully clear that these three mistakes—quick fixes, isolation, and avoidance—come at a significant cost. They might offer fleeting comfort or a way to dodge discomfort, but in the long run, they keep you trapped in that feeling of being stuck.

Recognizing these patterns is a powerful step. If you see a bit of yourself in any of these descriptions (or all of them), it doesn’t mean you’re doomed to stay stuck. It simply means you’ve identified some core behaviors that may be perpetuating your situation.

Once you see them for what they are, you can begin to consider alternate ways of handling your challenges, ones that may feel less familiar but far more constructive.

One critical point is that being stuck doesn’t mean you’re incapable or weak. Often it means you’ve been cycling through the same limited set of coping methods. With fresh insight, you may realize there are other paths that haven’t occurred to you yet or that seemed too daunting to try on your own.

Need an Outside Perspective?

If any of this resonates and you feel that you’re continually bumping up against these mistakes—whether it’s quick fixes, isolation, or avoidance—sometimes it’s not a matter of willpower. Sometimes it’s about having someone outside of your usual circle who can

look at your situation objectively.

That’s where reaching out to a coach, like me can be pivotal. A coach with confidence in guiding people through tough transitions can illuminate blind spots, help you see past unproductive behaviors, and offer a structured way to navigate forward powerfully without relying on fleeting remedies. Since this post isn’t about giving you the solutions outright, I won’t detail those here. But I will say that you don’t have to keep spinning your wheels if you’re ready for something different.

In Conclusion

Feeling stuck is never a pleasant experience. It can zap your energy, hope, self-esteem, and optimism. But it’s essential to recognize that sometimes the very actions you take to cope—those quick fixes, the decision to isolate, or the tendency to avoid the real issues—may be contributing to the cycle. Instead of resolving your stuck-ness, these habits might be solidifying it.

The greatest takeaway is awareness: simply seeing that these three mistakes are common and understanding how they manifest. Noticing these behaviors can help you realize you might not have to keep repeating them. Indeed, there are other ways to handle life’s inevitable hurdles and times of stagnation. You may not see them yet, but they exist.

If you're at the point where you suspect you need a fresh perspective, consider working with me. My objective is to guide you out of these limiting patterns. As a coach who values clarity, I'm here if you decide to step beyond the comfort zones these mistakes provide. Connecting with someone you can trust could illuminate your path in ways you haven't imagined. You can rebuild a sense of momentum, reawaken your motivation, and rediscover that spark that makes you want to greet each day with possibility rather than dread.

No matter what you decide, know that being stuck isn’t a life sentence. Asking for help is an act of bravery.

You're not a tree, you have the capability to change. It starts with seeing the patterns, acknowledging them, and then choosing not to stay confined by them anymore. And if you ever feel like you’d benefit from someone who understands these pitfalls and knows how to guide you around them, you’re always welcome to reach out to me. I’m here to help you break free of the cycle and gain the clarity, confidence, and renewed sense of purpose you deserve.