I experienced that trapped feeling recently. It was awful. I felt as if I was cornered and unable to move in any direction. What could I do? Then, after considerable outreach, I found a number of positive avenues that freed me.
A friend also experienced that trapped feeling. Her constraints were much greater than mine, and the way out included toughter decisions. I tried to help, but clearly, my friend has to do the thinking herself to figure how to free herself from the tight, unexpected constraints.
That trapped feeling is horrible. Some ways to deal with it include the following:
- Take the long view--what will serve you best in one year, five years, ten years? Short term struggles seem far less challenging when you take the long view.
- Think about your happiness and vision--what will serve your life's values, goals, and dreams best?
- Reach out. Sometimes you are trapped because you don't have the answers and can't solve the problems at hand by yourself. Don't be afraid to reach out to those who have the expertise, insights, and outlook you need to free yourself.
- Remember that you are not superhuman and you can't control everything--do what you can, and celebrate the small wins. For example, I could not solve the big problem, but I could mitigate the problem and create some positivity.
- Stay true to your values. Staying true to your values serves you well in the long run.
- Be humble, be kind, be helpful--big problems humble us, frustrate us, and can even anger us--as much as possible be helpful and kind.
In life, we are all trapped now and then. To treat ourselves and those around us with humanity, love, understanding, and grace helps to free us in positive, productive ways. Onward.