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10 Things To Do When You Don’t Know What To Do

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Life and its up and downs can lead us to be in some undesirable situations. Most of us at some point in our life, will experience feeling lost, trapped, stuck and we simply don’t know what to do.

Perhaps you are unhappy in your current job/career and want to change, but you are unsure what it is you want to do.  Maybe you are trying to find your passion and purpose, or maybe you are experiencing difficulties in your personal life. Whatever your situation, it can be a very anxious time when you are unsure of what to do next.

Luckily, there are plenty of things you can do when you are unsure of what to do that will enable you to make the right decisions to help you with your situation.

1. Confide in friends and family

As the saying goes, ‘a problem shared is a problem halved.’ Confiding in friends and family can help us through the darkest of times. We rely on our loved ones to provide us with love, support and a shoulder to cry on in times of need. You may feel relief having talked your issues through with a friend or family member you can trust because you no longer have to go through your issues alone. 

When you are struggling with what to do next you might even find that your loved ones have been feeling the same or has been through what you are going through before so you will have someone you can empathise with.

One of the best benefits to confiding in your loved ones is the advice you can gain from them. This can lead to you making decisions about what you are struggling with.

Our loved ones can be great at making us see things clearer and seeing the positives when we are lost and focusing on the negatives.

2. Prevent acting on a temporary emotion

Not knowing what to do can leave you feeling helpless, and even desperate to find a solution. It can also lead to feeling other negative emotions such as sadness, anger and jealousy.

It would be unwise to make a decision that will impact your life, which is permanent when you are experiencing these emotions, wait until they have settled down and take time out to think things through properly. If you act on a temporary emotion (especially a negative one) There is a chance that your decision will not serve you best in the long run, could be extremely difficult to reverse the changes you have made or you will likely have more chance of regretting your decision.

3. Reflect

When you do not know what to do, take some time to reflect on your situation. Reflection is a vital part of growing and learning. It allows us to examine exactly where we are, our progress, strengths and weaknesses. It enables us to look at areas of our life that we feel we could improve or change and examine how we can do things better.

Continuous reflection will also help to find some clarity with your situation and determine where you wish to be in the future. It is also great for self-awareness; it will help you to gain a deeper understanding of yourself and therefore this can enable you to determine what you want from life.

what to do when you don't know what to do next: A pic of wall art saying 'reflection'
pic by @jontyson

4. Know it is okay to not know the answer

In society, it seems like we are always chasing something. As we achieve one goal we are planning our next one, we always know our ‘next move’ to more success, progress and happiness, so when we experience times when we feel stuck and we do not know what to do next, it can be a really anxious time, as we are not used to not having a clear vision of what we want to do next.

By believing that we have to have it all figured out just places a huge amount of pressure on yourself and when you experience pressure it can lead to stress and poor decision-making (something that you certainly want to avoid when you are struggling with what to do next)

You have to learn to be okay with not having all the answers, this might be uncomfortable for you first but the more you come to terms with the fact that you don’t have the answers, the more you will be okay with it.

Life is full of surprises and unexpected things happen all the time, you have to trust that they will come to you in due course.

5. Meditate

Meditation is amazing for helping us be ‘still’. When we are unsure of what to do our thoughts can get overwhelming and it can be really difficult to see things clearly. Meditation will help you to block out those overwhelming thoughts, quieten the mind and focus on your inner voice.

We have to be mindful of our well-being when we are struggling with not knowing what to do because it could lead to stress and anxiety and in some cases even depression. According to headspace the part of the brain that regulates how we feel stress and anxiety responds to meditation by shrinking, meaning meditation can be effective for managing these emotions.

6. Talk to a professional

Seeking help from a professional is an effective way to assist us when are unsure of what to do in life. Professionals can help us view things from a different perspective and coach us to find the answers that we seek.

Maybe you are unsure of what to do in your professional life, or perhaps you are trying to find your purpose; whatever your issue, a professional will help you work through it.  

A career coach:  

If you are having a difficult time finding what it is you want to do in your professional life, perhaps you hate your job, or have been in your career for a while and have lost the passion for it and would like to do something else but you are unsure of what. A Career Coach can assist you by helping you to determine what it is you want to do, helping you meet your career goals and helping you overcome any challenges you are having in your career.

Therapist:

a Therapist is a qualified professional that can help individuals with their problems, they may not be able to eliminate all of our problems but they can help us manage them better and will often help us to look at things from a different perspective.

They will help you to find the answers to your problems and be non-judgemental and respectful.

Life coach:

verywellmind states that a life coach is a wellness professional who can help people to progress and achieve greater fulfilment.  

If you are struggling with knowing what to do, a life coach can help you through the challenges you are facing in life. They can help you to see things from a different perspective and help you to achieve your life goals.

what to do when you don't know what to do next: therapist and client having therapy session
Pic by @wocintechchat

7. Trust you intuition

According to psychology today, intuition is a ‘gut feeling’ which can arise holistically and quickly.

When you are unsure of what to do and find it difficult to make decisions, trusting your instincts can help you make the right decision for you.

If something is telling you that your relationship is not right for you or to start that night class, you should always trust and follow it.

Following your instincts isn’t always easy because our rational mind can cause us to mistrust it.

You can strengthen your intuition by:

  • Meditating
  • Journaling
  • Spending time in nature
  • Pay attention to your dreams

8. Network

Networking can lead you to meet new people and come across new opportunities. It is also a great way to explore ideas and gain inspiration when you do not know what to do.

Networking can also help you to build your confidence and access information to help you make decisions about your future.

what to do when you don't know what to do next: Group of people networking
pic by tributarystudio.co

Other benefits to networking include:

  • Learning new skills
  • Socialising
  • Build relationships
  • Build business links

9. Take action

Nothing comes to us, we have to take action to get what we want. If you don’t know what to do, it will usually help to actively do something to find solutions to your problems.

It may also be a good time to do something you have never done before, as you can discover so much about yourself that can lead to great things when you step out of your comfort zone.

10. Stop procrastinating

It can be easy to fall into the trap of procrastination when you are struggling with knowing what to do. Putting it off means that we don’t have to think about it or find solutions to our problems, so instead we will find anything to distract ourselves.

Procrastination will be counterproductive in the long run as, A.) our problems will still be there and B.) it won’t help our morale and feelings of helplessness when we are struggling with what to do.

It’s time to put your phone down, turn off the T.V and take action to planning the life you want!

Final thoughts

We all like to have control over our lives, and it can be an incredibly anxious time in our life when we do not know what to do, especially in a society where we feel that we have to have it all figured out.  it’s okay to be lost and not know where we are going, you have to trust that you will figure it all out and following the above steps will help you along the way.

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