5 powerful ways to reset your mindset when you’re stuck

Finding perspective is primarily about mental flexibility, the willingness to question assumptions and examine situations where we feel stuck from a fresh perspective. That means being prepared to see what is present, and also seek out what might be conspicuously absent. But what does this look like on a Sunday night when you feel fatigued and don’t want to go back to work? What if you’re dealing with a personal dilemma? Or you don’t know when to move on after an argument? How do you find perspective when you’re in these kinds of circumstances? Here are five useful methods for getting started. 1. Reframe your experience It’s easy to get down on ourselves when we’re in the depths of struggle. We get disappointed and discouraged, and we start forming a negative view of the world, and sometimes ourselves. Giving ourselves care and compassion is a great antidote for self-loathing. It’s good to remind ourselves that challenge and a sense of struggle often signal that we are moving beyond the obvious and comfortable. Remember, the best results rarely come easily. Reframing productive struggle as a normal part of the human experience can alter our perspective and propel us forward. 2. Ask powerful questions We can all fall into the trap of overlooking (or minimizing) our own responsibility for the struggle we are in. For example, we whine about being busy and overwhelmed, but we don’t learn to set better boundaries and how to say no. Venting about how unreasonable your boss is might feel good in the moment, but it isn’t particularly helpful or useful. What would help is asking a powerful question like “How might I have a better relationship with my boss?” This detangles emotions, releases your mind, and reorients the conversation. You can start to release your frustration, let ideas flow, and explore new possibilities. 3. Embrace your curiosity Teachers will speak softly to calm a classroom full of noisy kids. When they make it harder to hear, students must be