Hi Hippyman,

Yes, I have been in places where I had the sense of the walls closing in around me, and it was indeed because I felt stuck in other areas of my life, not because there was anything inherently “wrong” with where I lived. What got me out of that place (both physically and mentally), was first recognizing where I was stuck. For me, it was my job (I hated where I worked), my finances (I was deeply in debt at the time), and my social circle (the people who I surrounded myself with were not very compatible or supportive). At the time this was very overwhelming, and more than I could bear, but with the assistance of my family and others, I started taking small steps everyday to break out of where I was. (As the old saying goes, “how do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.”) I got rejected a lot by prospective employers, potential friends, and missed out on several opportunities…but I was persistent and eventually I saved enough money to move, got a new gig, and met some wonderful new souls who I have in my life to this day.

So take on what you can in the meantime but work toward the ultimate goal of moving on. Sounds like gardening has brought you a lot of comfort, but is also bolstering the message in your mind of “well, guess I’m stuck here.” Maybe do this, keep tending to the backyard, but start putting plants in pots that can come with you when you get your new home. Buy some outdoor furniture that could be used for entertaining when you invite your new friends over (nevermind the fact you haven’t met them yet). See what that does? By making these tiny changes to your space, you are setting into motion bigger changes and demonstrating to yourself that you are capable of moving forward, even if you can’t make the leap of moving…yet. I don’t know what your feeling are about things like feng shui or space clearing (I’m not 100% sold on it), but there’s a lot of truth to the overall concept our space is a reflection of ourselves.

I hope that helps! Best of luck to you. Don’t be afraid to reach out to a professional therapist if possible. Often when we’re stuck there are deeply rooted fears and reasons we are unable to break free. They may be able to assist you in identifying those issues so you can work through them.

• This reply was modified 8 years, 4 months ago by Miniature Bodhisattva.