General Health

Feeling “Stuck” Is Part of Healing

Feeling stuck, frustrated, and “back to square one” is a normal part of the healing and growing process. But the feeling doesn’t actually mean you’re not making progress.⁠

As we heal and grow, our nervous system will naturally resist change. It’s not trying to sabotage us. It’s just trying to keep us safe in the ways it’s most familiar with. And so the healing and growing journey may feel something like this:

Photo Provided by Author

Whenever I hit one of those moments when I feel stuck, frustrated, and like “it’s never gonna get any better!” — here’s something I remind myself of:⁠ ⁠

I’ve been here before, and I’ll be here again. When I’m in the thick of it, it always feels like it’ll last forever. But that story is just a feeling — not a fact. In truth, it always passes. The periods of stuckness are punctuation marks on a journey of growth.

🌱🌱🌱⁠ ⁠

This moment of stuckness will pass. And there will be other moments of stuckness up ahead. But the stuckness is not the everything. The stuckness is a speed bump on the road of healing and growing, preventing your mind-body system from transforming at a pace faster than it can handle.⁠ ⁠

Healing and growing is a complex process that doesn’t happen in a straight line or on a predictable schedule. What if feeling “stuck” is actually a delicious, loving, life-serving invitation to slow down and be kind to yourself?

With love, admiration and unlimited belief in you,

Anna

Anna Holtzman

Anna Holtzman is a chronic pain recovery therapist and coach based in New York City.

Recent Posts

Rethinking vaccine costs: how the “more expensive” vaccine can actually save health systems millions

An exclusive article authored by Ignacio Olivera, Eduardo Lopez, Carlos Grau Pérez, Luis Lazarov and…

4 days ago

Patient Dies by Suicide After ‘Insurance Issue’ Delayed Medicine for Lung Disease Flare-Ups

By Lauren Sausser and Renuka Rayasam KYLE, Texas — Kenney Blewett was diagnosed with lung…

1 week ago

Tom Lawry’s AI in Health Asks the Question Leaders Need to Answer

Tom Lawry’s second edition of AI in Health arrives at precisely the moment health leaders…

2 weeks ago

I’ve Treated Breast Cancer for Decades. Here’s What I’ve Learned About Radiation

Early in my career, a woman asked me something I couldn’t answer well. Her surgeon…

2 weeks ago

A Few Minutes of Intense Exercise Can Change Your Body

We all know that exercise is good for us. It lowers the risk of cardiovascular…

2 weeks ago

Boys Are Risking Their Health to Look Like Influencers, and Almost No One Is Checking

Dalton was 14 when he stopped eating his mother’s cooking. He drank two protein shakes…

2 weeks ago

This website uses cookies. Your continued use of the site is subject to the acceptance of these cookies. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more information.

Read More