Here’s How To Tell If Your 9-To-5 Routine Is Killing Your Passion For Life

Odds are, whether you realize it or not, you're in some form of a rut.

As you probably know, a rut is a habit or pattern that has become a dull over time, and we all get into ruts, no matter how hard we try to avoid them.

You can be in a relationship rut, a gym rut, a friend rut or any other type of life rut.

Unfortunately, most of us fail to realize when we're in a boring routine. And maybe if we actually do realize it, we fear changing it.

Noticing you're in a rut takes some courage because once you're aware that your life is pretty dull, you suddenly feel an obligation to do something about it.

Hey, I'm right there. Over Thanksgiving weekend, I realized my life has turned into one big, boring routine. (Yep, Turkey Day had me feeling some type of way.)

Don't get me wrong; routine is good, and having consistency in your life is part of the recipe for success.

However, when do we know if our consistent routine is actually causing more harm than good? Well, I have you covered.

Here are four ways to help you realize you're in a rut, even if you're in denial:

1. You don't look forward to the weekdays at work.

OK, TBH who really looks forward to Monday morning?

However, it's one thing to dread the start of a new week for obvious reasons (the weekend is over and it's back to reality), and it's another thing to completely, utterly hate the weekdays so much that you are miserable at the thought of waking up each morning.

Maybe you don't feel challenged enough at work, or your heart really isn't into the work you're doing.

If this is the case, try taking on a new responsibility at work. Maybe you can look into moving to a different department at your company or talk to your boss about a potential promotion.

2. You only hang out with the same people because you push others aside.

Juggling a full-time job or a school workload with a social life is a difficult task I think most of us are still trying to figure out how to do. (If you find a solution, holla at me.)

However, as my wise mother often tells me, "Where there's a will, there's a way."

Maybe you complain that you don't go out and catch up with your college friends enough.

Odds are, you're not seeing this group of people not for the reason that you're "so busy," but for the reason that you're in such a rut of only hanging out with either your significant other or your usual go-to friend who is always down for a wine night.

Expand your friend horizons and catch up with an old friend you haven't seen in a while. You and your SO can go on a double date with another couple you've been meaning to get together with.

All I'm saying is, try to think outside your friend box. Reconnecting with old friends and building on those relationships is imperative.

3. You used to love working out, and now you hate it.

If you're someone like me who actually enjoys exercising (I can't be alone here), and now you suddenly despise the thought of changing into your workout clothes and working up a sweat, you, my friend, are most likely in what I like to call a gym rut.

If part of your everyday routine consists of working an eight-hour day, then dragging yourself and your duffle bag to the gym to mindlessly watch "Keeping Up With the Kardashians" reruns while you power walk on the treadmill, you need to make a change.

You're not doing yourself any good by just going through the motions at the gym.

I know from first-hand experience when I got my first full-time job, and I felt I had no choice but to work out at night after work. I hated every minute of it.

I would much rather be curled up on the couch, sipping my peppermint tea than being in a crowded gym. I decided to take a break from the gym because it was making me super cranky, quite the opposite of what exercising is intended to do.

Since I really prefer working out in the morning to get my day going, I found zero motivation going to the gym alone at 8 pm at night.

So, I decided to get out of my gym rut by joining a fitness studio that offered super early morning and late-night classes so I had no excuse. Now, I can squeeze in a workout early before work to jumpstart my day.

Explore your workout options to get out of your boring gym routine. Your body will thank you.

4. Your life just feels pretty mundane.

Life has been feeling pretty boring to you lately. That happens to all of us at one point or another.

You're not sure where to start about making changes, and you feel like you're in a funk. Don't overwhelm yourself with huge life changes.

Start small by pick up a new hobby, starting a new show on Netflix or getting a new haircut. Little changes in your life can go a long way and really make you feel great about yourself.

Sometimes, we just go through the motions in life and without realizing it, our lives can fall into monotonous rut.

Sometimes, we can even be in denial that life is feeling kind of stale. You're not alone, as I'm currently trying to make some life changes myself because the current rut I've been in is doing me no good.

All it takes is some reflection on your current situation and thinking about how you can make it that much better to simply spice things up.

You can thank me later.