Feeling Stuck? Why So Many Women Feel This Way - And How to Begin Moving Forward

Neena Saith
Jul 16
3 min read

“I just feel stuck.”

It’s one of the most common things I hear from women when they reach out to work with me.

Stuck can look like many things. You might feel like you’re spinning your wheels, unable to gain momentum or direction. Maybe you’re caught in the same emotional patterns over and over again— relationships that drain you, anxiety that spikes out of nowhere, or a lingering sense that you’re not showing up in life the way you want to.

Or maybe it’s more subtle. You’re functioning, showing up at work, caring for others, keeping things running. But inside, you feel disconnected, weighed down, or overwhelmed. You’re in your head more than your body, more reactive than you used to be, and less able to be fully present—with your kids, your partner, your friends, or even yourself.

The reality is, these are not women who lack strength or motivation. Far from it.

These are smart, capable, resilient women. Often the go-to person for others. Women who’ve been doing their best to “move on” and “stay strong.” But still… something feels stuck.

Why So Many Women Feel This Way

The common thread I see? Almost always, these women have been through a lot.

Often over the past few years (and sometimes much longer), they’ve faced a mix of grief, stress, and change:

The loss of a loved one
A difficult or toxic relationship
A demanding job or major life shift (hello, motherhood, moving house, or career upheaval)
Caring for others while neglecting their own needs

In the middle of all that, there was no time—or space—to process. Instead, the default became “just keep going.”

And because women are so good at pushing through, they often do. But that doesn’t mean the impact disappears.

The Hidden Cost of Unprocessed Stress

Unprocessed emotion doesn’t vanish once life “calms down.”

It stays stored in the body and nervous system. And it shows up in unexpected ways:

Heightened anxiety
Emotional reactivity
Fatigue or burnout
Numbing out or disconnecting from your own needs
Health problems (unexplained pain, digestive problems, eating disorders...and more)

When this happens, most of us lean on coping strategies; some healthy, some less so.

These strategies can keep us afloat for a while, but they rarely help us understand why we feel the way we do, or how to truly heal.

Looking Back Isn’t Going Backwards

Sometimes, in order to move forward, we need to look back.

Not to dwell, or to relive old pain. And definitely not to blame ourselves or others.

But to acknowledge what we’ve been through and most importantly, to feel what we couldn’t feel at the time.

To give our nervous system permission to let go of what it’s been holding for far too long.

This is where real healing begins. This is where we create space. This is where we begin to feel like ourselves again.

Processing the past allows us to reclaim our energy, clarity, and capacity. We become more present, more grounded, and more in tune with who we truly are, outside of the roles we play or the expectations we’ve carried.