Ep. 46 Why Do I Feel Stuck? How Can I Break Free from My Emotional Blocks?

Are you feeling stuck in life, like you’re trapped in a never-ending storm? 

In this episode, we dive deep into the emotional blocks that keep us spinning in cycles of frustration, fear, and self-doubt. Through the story of Angela, a woman who felt trapped in both her career and relationships, we explore the root causes of stagnation and how they show up in our lives.

From unresolved past trauma to subconscious limiting beliefs, fear of the unknown, and nervous system dysregulation, we uncover the reasons why you might feel paralyzed despite your best efforts to move forward. But here’s the good news: feeling stuck doesn’t mean you’re broken—it means there’s an opportunity to heal and grow.

We’ll walk you through practical steps to break free from these emotional barriers, including:

• Identifying and acknowledging what’s holding you back.
• Understanding how trauma impacts your nervous system and how to regulate it.
• Rewiring your mindset to shift from limitation to possibility.
• Taking empowered action with small, manageable steps.

This episode is packed with insights, somatic practices, and actionable strategies to help you release the chains of fear and self-doubt, so you can step into the life you’ve always dreamed of.

Plus, we’ll introduce you to Module 1 of the Breakthrough to Authenticity Program: Overcoming Barriers & Their Effects on Your Mind & Body. Join us as we guide you through somatic practices and neuroscience-backed tools to release emotional blocks, regulate your nervous system, and unlock your true potential.

Free Training Module 1 Sneak Peak - Overcome Barriers

www.krystaljae.com/sneakpeak

Enroll in the 6 month All-Inclusive Breakthrough to Authenticity Program

www.krystaljae.com/breakthrough

Use Code: Empower3500

Chapters

• 4:21 Introduction: Angela's Experience with Feeling Stuck
• 24:31 The Dream Job Dilemma: Struggling with Fear and Doubt
• 1:06:11 Toxic Cycles: Relationships Reflecting Internal Struggles
• 2:10:41 Emotional Blocks: Why You May Feel Stuck
• 3:27:32 Join the Program: Transform Your Life with Empowerment
• 21:33:59 Steps to Break Free: Awareness, Regulation, and Action

Transcript

Krystal Jae: 0:03

are you feeling stuck in life? I know I've been there personally and my client, angela. She felt like she was trapped in a never-ending storm. She was overwhelmed and unsure of her next step and, no matter how hard she tried, it felt like she was always hitting an invisible wall. For years, angela dreamed of changing her place of employment for something more fulfilling, a step she knew would bring her closer to the life she wanted. Now that she had this, that opportunity to step into a career that she really loved, right in front of her, she had fear and doubt wrapped around her like chains, holding her back, voice in her head whispering. Her relationships mirrored the same pattern. Angela longed for deeper connections, yet she found herself stuck in a toxic cycle with her partner and other relationships, and she was unable to break free. She wanted more love, more joy, more fulfillment. Instead, she felt like she was just spinning in the same tornado, unable to escape. No matter how hard she tried to bust through the cycle or through the storm, she would just get sucked right back in. And Angela would go all in, determined to change her life, making progress until suddenly it all slipped away. Have you been there? Have you felt like you was making progress in your life and then, all of a sudden, it just was like dang. Like what happened to everything? I thought I was moving forward, but now here I am. I'm 10 steps behind where I even started. Have you been there?

Krystal Jae: 1:45

Every time Angela thought that she was moving forward, she found herself right back where she started. It was as if she was trapped in the eye of a storm, making mistaking the frantic motion for progress when in reality she was just spinning in circles. When she finally realized that, no matter what she was doing, she wasn't really moving forward. She was just keeping herself busy, stuck really in the same emotional and physical storm that she has always been in, and she was getting tired and, honestly, she was almost at the point of giving up on life being better for her. But she didn't want to let go of what she knew that she could do. She knew that she could have a better life and she knew it had to be possible. But she wondered how can she make it possible when she's tried everything that she knew? But what she learned working with me is that she wasn't stuck because she wasn't trying hard enough. She was actually stuck because, deep down, something was keeping her from breaking free, and she's not alone in this feeling of just feeling stuck and not knowing why you can't move forward. We felt stuck and wanting and feeling the need for change, but held back by fear, self-doubt.

Krystal Jae: 3:13

So today we're going to talk about why we feel this way and, more importantly, how we can break free from the emotional blocks that keep us trapped. So welcome to episode 46, why do I feel stuck and how can I break free from my emotional blocks? If you know someone who has experienced something like Angela, who feels stuck and they keep trying to move forward but for some reason they keep going backwards or they're not moving in that forward progress that they see and they're just really trying their best, we all know at least one person, I ask you, I dare you, to share this episode with them right now. Let's help them, let's give them the tools and help equip them in their journey of moving forward, of answering the question of how they can move past being stuck, how they can get past the emotional barriers that are limiting them. It's time for those walls to come down. So go ahead right now, share this episode with that one person or with that group chat of friends. Let's do it.

Krystal Jae: 4:41

As you know I am Krystal Jae, the who Am I expert, the empowerment goddess and your certified somatic trauma-informed coach, who knows how it feels to wonder who am I? Am I good enough? Is this what life really is about? Dealing with the suffering and silence, wondering who can I go to or who will understand me, feeling like I'm having to people please, and keep everybody else happy but silently suffering. Welcome to the who Am I podcast with me, , because this podcast is for you. It's great reminders for me, and so I encourage you to embrace this journey of empowered transformational healing. And if you want to go deeper, to www. krystaljae. com/sneakpeek and get your free access to module one of the program of the Breakthrough to Authenticity program put in the changes to for lasting transformation, for you to gain the tools and the skills and the knowledge to have lasting, true transformation. This is for you.

Krystal Jae: 6:19

So what are some of the root causes of feeling stuck? One is unresolved past issues and emotional blocks, traumas, barriers, past experiences that we've been through that have been difficult. Does this relate to you? No matter how much I try to move forward, I feel like something deep inside me is holding me back. I don't even know what it is, but it feels like I'm carrying a weight that I can't put down or I keep attracting the same kind of toxic relationships. I don't know why and I don't understand it. It feels like I'm stuck in a cycle, repeating the same painful patterns, or maybe it's this one. I know I should set boundaries, but when I try I feel guilty, like I'm doing something wrong and I'll end up all alone. Who wants to end up that way?

Krystal Jae: 7:13

You see, these emotional blocks can show up in your relationships, your career or even in how you see yourself, keeping you stuck in patterns you desperately want to break free from. You don't want to continue to live to where you're suffering in silence, or to where you're stuck and that you can't move past the life that you've been living for the last 5, 10, 15 years. You know and see the vision that there's something better, but you're like dang, how can I get to that? Is it even possible? Because why? You constantly have that voice whispering to you, asking you am I good enough? You see, failure of a fear of failure, success or even the unknown may will limit you as well, and those things might sound like what if I go after this new opportunity and fail? I don't want to embarrass myself or waste my time, or it may sound like I've been stuck in this job for years, but at least I know what to expect. What if I leave and it's something worse on the other side? Or how about this?

Krystal Jae: 8:34

Every time I start to see progress, I self-sabotage. It's like I don't trust myself to handle success. I've been there, especially with that last one, but it wasn't that I could. I didn't think I could handle success. It's what if it brings in the people who aren't in my life on a regular basis? But now it's bringing all these other people in because of success and not because of real relationships. That's hard for someone who used to experience a fear of abandonment, a fear of failure, a fear of not having real relationships or not being appreciated for who you are.

Krystal Jae: 9:18

And so you know, even though we have to know, trust and believe in ourselves to know that I can do this and I'm equipped with skills and tools to help me through right. Because at the end of the day, that's what they're for. They're to help us to continue to move on, even when we feel like we can, or even when we start doubting ourselves, we have tools to pull out to where we can kind of gain that clarity and that believe in ourselves. So, you know, I just took that moment to be vulnerable, because I lived in this place for a long time, fearful of failure and success. The unknown frightened me, partly because I needed to know the reaction to my actions, but I also needed to know that I was doing something that was safe. But, at the end of the day, what it did was it halted my growth, it halted my business and it halted my life for way too long, way too long. And even now, when it tries to creep in, I'd be like and I don't allow it like it once did, because at one point in time it took over my life, and I know that fears can feel paralyzing and it can keep you in a cycle of hesitation and preventing you from taking leaps, and that could potentially change your life. And that is why I'm here to walk with you, teach you skills, help you gain tools for your tool bag. So fear can no longer take over your life. Because fear can't take over my life.

Krystal Jae: 11:04

Now are you experiencing limiting beliefs? You might say well, what is that? What does that look like? Let me share that with you. So you may be saying I've always been told that I have to work twice as hard to be worthy of success, or something like people like me don't get to live a life of freedom and joy. It's just not realistic. Or if I stop taking care of everyone else and put myself first, I'll be selfish. And if I don't do it, then who will? Or here's another one, and I know that a lot of people say these I'm not good enough, I don't deserve this, I can't do it. You see, these thoughts might feel like truths, but they're actually limiting beliefs that, over time, you've picked up, maybe from past experiences, things people have told you, or even being out in society. These subconscious beliefs can quietly take control over your actions, keeping you from the life that you truly want. So now we're going to how our nervous system can also help keep us stuck. Then what can we do about it?

Krystal Jae: 12:24

Being stuck can cause you to live in survival mode or in the mode of honey. Put my big girl panties on is what I used to say to myself. I'm in this whole survival mode, trying to take care of everything and some things that you might say when you're going through this one, I can't ever fully relax. Even when things are good, I feel on edge, waiting for something to go wrong. Have you ever felt like, dang, life is going good, okay, what's about to happen? Or everything in my relationship is good, okay, what's going to happen? We're no longer living in that space. It may also look like when I get overwhelmed, I either shut down completely or going to overdrive, working myself into exhaustion. Is that you? Then there's another phrase, let's see. Um, sometimes I don't even recognize my own reactions. I'll snap at everyone or completely freeze, and later I wonder why I reacted that way.

Krystal Jae: 13:35

You see, when you're in survival mode, it feels like you're always on edge, like your body and mind are stuck in overdrive. Maybe you're constantly anxious or exhausted or swinging between your fight, flight freeze responses. I want you to know that this isn't your fault, because it's really your nervous system, your body, trying to protect you, because that's what our body does it works to keep us safe. So, but the only thing about staying in survival mode or staying in your fight flight freeze is that if you stay in this state for too long, it makes it hard to focus, it makes it hard to connect or even feel safe in your own skin. And you see, this is why, in my six-month all-inclusive Breakthrough to Authenticity program, we start with overcoming barriers. We immediately get to it, and we start with one of the most important lessons. It was just overcoming barriers and their effects on the neurological system. We work on lasting transformation. That is real okay, and so, of course, if you want more information, go to breakthrough to learn more about that program.

Krystal Jae: 15:12

Now some examples of being stuck right. We went through some of the things we might say when we're feeling stuck, so let's go over a few more because I want you to really have the understanding or have the clarity of like this might really relate to me Because I want you, at the end, to start implementing some of these actions to where it can help you better your life and help you live the life that you envision for yourself, to help you discover who you are, so you no longer have to ask the question of who am I In In your career. You may know that you are capable of more, but you hardly ever take action. You might tell yourself I know I'm meant for something bigger, but every time I think about it, I get stuck in overthinking and in the end I do nothing. Or I've been in this shop for years and I keep telling myself I'll leave. But here I am still stuck, waiting for the time to come, and honestly, I don't think that that's going to happen. Another one I see people less qualified than me getting ahead and I know I could do it too, so why do I keep holding myself back? You see, you know deep down that you're capable of so much more, yet you find yourself stuck in the same job or role day after day. You dream of pursuing something bigger, starting a business, asking for a promotion, doing a pivot in your career, right To something that actually excites you, that you have a purpose and a passion for right, but you never take action. Instead, you stay where it's safe and you're like, uh, it'll'll happen. I may be able to do it next year, but not this year. This isn't the right time. I'll do it next year. Well. But instead of you doing next year well, when the next year comes you'll be like, oh, I'll do it next year, then it's next year, and the years just keep passing you by.

Krystal Jae: 17:25

You see, this also can be happen in our relationships Like we continue repeating toxic thoughts and feeling disconnected, and so that might sound like I keep attracting the same kind of partner emotionally unavailable, inconsistent or just not right for me. Why does this keep happening? Do you ask yourself that? Or do you know someone who's asked themselves that? Another one? I want deeper connections, but I always end up feeling like I'm giving more than I'm getting. I feel unseen, I feel unheard and I feel unappreciated. How about that? Do you feel that? Has that been you about that? Do you feel that? Has that been you? Or maybe it's this one? I know this relationship isn't good for me, but leaving feels impossible. What if I end up alone? What if this is the best I'll ever get?

Krystal Jae: 18:27

You see, I know what it's like to long for deeper, more meaningful relationships, but you feel stuck and you're afraid to let go of what's familiar and unsure, of how to break free from the cycle that you're in. And this cycle isn't just a relationship cycle with work news, because, as I shared with y'all before a lot of times, when I say relationship, it's deeper than your spouse or your boyfriend or whoever your partner is, but it's also about your family, your friends, your associates, co-workers and everything else your friends, your associates, co-workers and everything else. And you see, even in friendships or in other family dynamics, right, you might feel disconnected, like something is missing, but you don't know how to fix it. So what that may look like is that you're wanting change, but in the process you're self-sabotaging. And so what that might sound like is that you're wanting change, but in the process you're self-sabotaging. And so what that might sound like is I'll start strong, whether it's a new habit, a goal or even therapy, and then, all of a sudden, I lose motivation and I slip right back into old patterns.

Krystal Jae: 19:43

Is that you? Have you started changing your, your habits, started trying to implement new things into your life, only for you to just lose the momentum and go back to everything that you used to do. Is that you? Is that a friend? Is that a sister, a brother, brother, an aunt, an uncle, a cousin? Who is that that you know? Is it you? Or, if it's none of those, maybe it's this one?

Krystal Jae: 20:23

I invest in courses, books and workshops, but when it comes to actually applying what I learn, I freeze or make excuses Okay, if not that one, how about this one? Every time I start to see progress, I get scared and find a way to mess it up. It's like I'm afraid of actually becoming the person that I want to be. You see, maybe it's procrastination, giving in to fear, or convincing yourself that you're just not ready. You're stuck in a cycle of wanting more for yourself but never quite following through, leaving you frustrated and disappointed. You don't have to feel that way. You don't have to live in this place of stuckness and emotional blocks keeping you from moving forward.

Krystal Jae: 21:23

Now that you understand why you may be getting stuck, let's talk about how to break free from these emotional barriers, you know. So I have several steps for you. Okay, are you ready? Do you have your pen? Do you have a paper? Have you shared this with your one person or your group chat? Have you downloaded this for later? Are you ready?

Krystal Jae: 21:53

Step one is awareness and acknowledgement. It means identifying what's keeping you stuck. You can do that with journal prompts. You can do that with reflection. If you need journal prompts or something to help you do some self-reflection, just pop me a message on one of the socials, pop me an email at services at crystaljcom. I will happily give you the link to the self-reflection journal, to where you can really start digging deeper into that. But let me know what you need I got you.

Krystal Jae: 22:34

When you take time to acknowledge, acknowledge and identify what's keeping you stuck, then you're able to realize different patterns in your thoughts, emotions and behaviors that are also keeping you stuck. Now step two I want you to regulate your mind and your body. It's time to regulate your mind and body because these barriers that are left behind the difficult experiences that you've experienced in your life, they make changes to our nervous system and then they put us in that fight flight freeze, okay. So taking on different somatic practices will help you release the stored emotional blocks by using just simple breath work or grounding exercises, and so I've shared some of those in plenty of episodes. So once you get comfortable, close your eyes, focus on your breath, and just doing that alone can help calm you down. Not even having to take in that deep breath, not even having to hold or release, just really sitting in a comfortable spot, focusing on your breath, eyes closed, thinking about your day, how you can improve it All that can help you kind of relieve, okay. All that can help you kind of release, okay.

Krystal Jae: 24:36

Then we have step three, which is rewiring your mindset, changing the way that our neuroreceptors fire and what our subconscious mind alarms, our conscious mind to right. And so we begin that by shifting from limitation to possibility, challenging and reframing our limiting beliefs and using affirmations, incantations, and basically using intentional, positive, encouraging, motivational self-talk. And then step four this is not an option, okay, you have to take empowered action. So that's small, manageable steps to help you move forward, setting clear boundaries and having self-accountability, creating an environment that supports growth. And so I just want to tell you that I am honored to be with you on this journey and I'm proud of you for even tuning in to this podcast, because why?

Krystal Jae: 25:47

It's full of skills, tools and knowledge that will help you determine who am I, to help you know that you are good enough and that you can accomplish the things that you put your mind to, and that you're not alone and feeling like you're suffering in silence, that you're being misused, you're confused and you're lost and don't know what to do. You don't have to be that. We have to live that way. You're not the only one in this world. That's, that's living in that space, because I know that a lot of times you may think that you are, because I know that's how I felt. I know that's how a lot of my other clients have felt and that's why I try so hard to get the message out, because I want you to know that you're not alone, even in those times that it feels like I'm alone and no one understands me, when you feel like you're not equipped to live your best life. We're giving you tools, skills to implement in your life. So I encourage you to take empowered action. I want you to remember that the empowered transformational healing journey is lasting transformation because of the tools, the empowerment and the guidance that you will be receiving. So if you're feeling stuck and you're ready to take action, I want you to take empowered action and claim your free access to module one of the Breakthrough to Authenticity program.

Krystal Jae: 27:27

Module one goes into overcoming barriers and their effects on your mind and body. You see, module one is actually part of the Breakthrough to Authenticity program. You will get access to video lessons, workbook, and then I share a couple of ways that you can actually get in touch with me, because, since this is free access, you don't get the one-on-one weekly coaching that you would get in the program, but you still get support, because I'm not just going to leave you hanging. So module one is all about overcoming barriers. We dive deep into understanding the effects that limiting beliefs or these barriers have on your mind and your body. Beliefs or these barriers have on your mind and your body. We go through some somatic practices and under and really get into understanding the neuro, the neurological system. I help you release the. I help you release the blocks and move towards a more authentic self. So join the two-week free. Join the two-week free access module one um program. And you can do that at wwwcrystaljcom.

Krystal Jae: 28:48

Forward slash sneak peek. That's wwwk-r-y-s-t-a-l-j-a-ecom. Forward slash sneak peek. Or if you are really ready for a lasting change and you're like, no, I'm ready to go in, I want change. I want the next six months to be so much different from the life that I've been experiencing now and in the past. This is my year, so I'm going to make this lasting change and I'm going to implement the things in my life and I'm going to keep them in my life. And I've tried over and over and over and over again, but I will not fail. This is for me. If that's you, I want you to go over to www. krystaljae. com Forward slash breakthrough. That is www. krystaljae. com Forward, slash breakthrough and join the six-month all-in exclusive program where you get the video lessons, you get the workbook, you get even bonus surprises that you receive directly from me, some in physical form and then you will also receive one-on-one weekly coaching with me.

Krystal Jae: 30:20

Okay, so go and take action, empowered action, and as we end this episode, I invite you to reflect on what you learned today. What was your one takeaway? How do you feel about setting clear boundaries and choosing yourself? Consider if you are living in a constant state of fight or flight or not. So pull out your journal or use your video or use your voice note, because it's time for you to take empowered action. Remember, you have the power to choose how you feel and how you respond to challenges. You can break free, you can unlock your true potential, and you don't have to do it alone. It's time for you to answer that question that you keep asking yourself who am I?