We’ve all been there — feeling stuck, unsettled and unsure of how we feel or the direction we’re heading. We may have spent hours racking our brain for the answers to our questions.

Whether we’re struggling with a problem, lacking motivation or have some big decisions on the horizon, in order to help bring the answers to the surface and keep ourselves moving forward, it’s important to find ways to process our thoughts.

Below are just a few ways you can encourage clarity in your day.

Write it out.

This allows you to put your unfiltered thoughts on paper and express your feelings and emotions in the absence of any judgement. If you find you need to gain more insight into how you’re feeling, journal prompts such as the ones found here could be a great start! Perhaps you’re feeling challenged in a relationship. How about writing a letter to the other person or to yourself as a way to express how you feel? Whether you choose to deliver the letter or not is completely up to you! Getting it out can help to dissolve some of the emotion surrounding it.

Read about it.

Grab books, magazines or any literature on the topic you need further guidance on. The greater understanding we have, the greater power we have to help ourselves. Books such as The Power of Now, You Can Heal Your Life, How to Stop Worrying and Start Living, and Awaken the Giant Within are examples of books that may help point you in the right direction!

Seek advice.

Talk to a friend, family member or specialist in that area. Sharing our thoughts and talking through our feelings can help us gain a different perspective and provide some much-needed clarity! Listening to inspirational talks or podcasts can be another great way to help us sift through our thoughts, and draw valuable conclusions. Podcasts such as this one on greater self-awareness, this TED Talk on Choice, and this on making hard choices could be a great place to start!

Listen to music.

Music affects our mind and physical body through the release of certain chemicals that have the propensity to amp us up or calm us down! The lyrics may provide you the very answers you’re seeking, or at least bring you to a state where you’re able to think a little more clearly. Creating go-to playlists to suit your moods on Spotify or iTunes could be your game changer!

Give yourself a break.

Sometimes the best way to find the answers to our questions is to stop trying. Overthinking can create an even bigger blockage, and delay the flow of important information. Take a break by getting reconnected to nature, meditating, coloring in or gardening. Whatever activity allows you to switch your brain off, go and do it!

We are not always going to know the answers right away, and that is totally okay. Don’t try to force them: just create the space and let clarity flow naturally.