Feeling Stuck? How Slow Living Can Help You Move Forward

Introduction: Why Feeling Stuck Might Not Mean What You Think

In my last blog, I wrote about how I’d been feeling stuck, navigating my own wintering. I had been hibernating, bear-like, through the winter. It sounds cosy, but the reality was different. Life still carried on. Responsibilities didn’t pause. The world expected me to keep up.

But I also wrote about a sense of reawakening as spring approached. That sounds dramatic, doesn’t it? As if one day everything was frozen and the next, blossoms burst into colour, birdsong filled the air, and branches stretched out fresh, green leaves.

Except, that’s not really how spring arrives. It doesn’t rush in. It unfolds. Slowly, steadily, in its own time. And that has left me thinking about slow living. We can create space to pause and ease back into life instead of being swept up in its urgency. If busyness led to feeling stuck, isn’t it counterintuitive to rush straight back into the hive?

Maybe, instead of the worker bee, we take a cue from the butterfly - drifting for a while, pausing to savour moments rather than measuring productivity.

Why We Feel Stuck: The Overwhelm Factor

Most of us assume that feeling stuck means we are doing too little. That we have lost motivation or direction. But what if it is actually the opposite? What if we feel stuck because life is too full? Too many responsibilities, too many decisions, too many expectations pulling us in different directions.

Modern life thrives on speed. Busyness is praised. Productivity is rewarded. There is always something more to do, another goal to reach. The pressure to keep up can be relentless. And when the mind and body are constantly in overdrive, they eventually resist. Not as a failure, but as a form of protection.

When we feel overwhelmed, we can freeze. Not because we are lazy or unmotivated, but because our nervous system is overloaded. This is not inaction. It is exhaustion. And the solution might not be to push harder, but to slow down. As Anne Lamott says, “Almost everything will work again if you unplug it for a few minutes, including you.”

What is Slow Living? A Mindful Approach to Moving Forward

Slow living is not about doing nothing. It is about doing things with intention. Instead of rushing from one thing to the next, it is about making space for what matters. It is a shift from urgency to presence.

I have always found it fascinating how different cultures have embraced this philosophy in different ways:

• Hygge (Denmark) – Finding warmth and comfort in small, everyday moments. A cosy atmosphere, a candlelit evening, a cup of tea with a friend.

• Lagom (Sweden) – Striving for balance. Not too much, not too little. Just enough.

• Wu Wei (China) – The art of effortless action. Moving with the natural flow of life instead of constantly pushing against it.

Even in cultures without a named philosophy, the idea of slowing down is woven into daily life. In Italy, for example, the evening meal is more than just eating dinner. It is a time to pause, leave the rush of the day behind, and connect with loved ones over food and conversation. Just think Eat, Pray, Love - but with less drama and more pasta.

At its core, slow living is about letting go of the pressure to do more, be more, achieve more. It is about creating space to breathe.

How Slow Living Helps You Move Forward When You Feel Stuck

Slowing down might seem counterintuitive when you are desperate to move forward, but it is often the very thing that helps. 

• It clears mental clutter. When life is too full, it is hard to see a way forward. Slowing down creates space for clarity.

• It restores energy. When we rest and recharge, we make better decisions and move forward with more confidence.

• It encourages intentional action. Instead of rushing into change, we take small, meaningful steps that actually feel right.

• It prevents burnout. Moving slowly and steadily is more sustainable than pushing too hard and crashing later.

Feeling stuck is often a sign that we need to change our pace, not our direction.

Practical Ways to Embrace Slow Living and Get Unstuck

If slowing down feels difficult, start small. Tiny shifts can make a difference:

• Create grounding rituals. A quiet morning coffee, a mindful walk, a few deep breaths before starting the day.

• Prioritise deep rest. Sleep more. Take time away from screens. Let yourself pause without guilt.

• Simplify decisions. Reduce overwhelm by setting gentle routines and removing unnecessary choices.

• Make space for joy. Notice small pleasures. Fresh air. A favourite song. A vase of flowers on your desk.

These moments might seem insignificant, but they create the conditions for movement. When we feel less overwhelmed, we are more likely to take action.

You Are Not Behind

If you have been feeling stuck, it is easy to believe that you need to catch up. That you have lost time and must make up for it. But there is no race. No deadline. Growth happens in its own time. As Thich Nhat Hanh reminds us, “We will be more successful in all our endeavors if we can let go of the habit of running all the time and take little pauses to relax and re-center ourselves.”

Perhaps you are not stuck. Perhaps you just need a little longer to unfurl.

And if you need support as you navigate this, I am here to help. As a counsellor, I work with people who feel overwhelmed, lost, or uncertain about their next steps. I am also a fellow human who understands the internal seasonal shifts we all experience. I get it. Together, we can explore ways to move forward in a way that feels right for you.

If that sounds like something you need, head over to the contact me page of my website. I look forward to hearing from you.