Escaping the Rut

I seem to have fallen into a rut lately. Blame it on the night studying for exams, prepping for a new job, summer.... It really doesn't matter what caused it; what does matter is how to get out of it. So, how do you get out of a hole that was so insidious that you never saw it forming beneath your feet? 

Allow me to explain what happens to me when I 'fall into a rut.' 

1. I feel tired and restless.
2. I don't want to work out.
3. My insecurities creep up on me tenfold.
4. Eating becomes an afterthought. I don't eat too little or too much, but find myself feeling sluggish as if anything in my stomach is weighing me down [weird, I know].
5. My emotions either are out of hand or nonexistent.
6. Overall, I feel terrible.

Here's the main problem with these [excuse the term] symptoms: if I feel bad, feel tired, don't feel like working out, then I don't do anything. When I don't do anything, I feel worse. It's a cycle, and a very bad one if I don't break out of it. So back to the question I posed earlier: how do I fix it?

Exercising is honestly the best remedy for everything almost anything you can think of [if you're realistic]. I am not a health professional, but from personal experience, I can attest to the fact that exercising during the day gives you a better night's sleep, a healthier appetite, a better view of yourself, a more balanced emotional state, and a more positive outlook on life. So why have I not exercised 'lately'? Refer to symptom #2. So working out is the answer (for me anyway) and yet one of the problems is that I don't want to. How do you make yourself motivate yourself to work out? 

1. Use a little fitness inspiration. I've cautioned against overusing Pinterest and other sources of "fitspo" but a little isn't so bad.
2. Buy put on workout gear. I strike through 'buy' because while discussing this topic with my sister, she made the valid point that she certainly wouldn't buy workout clothes that she doesn't feel like wearing. Put them on and get to it, as she would say.
3. Set goals/deadlines and use a reward system. You should work out for the ultimate goal of being healthy, but at the same time, treating yourself to something special after a rigorous workout session isn't a terrible idea.
4. Get outside. Toss around a baseball, jump rope, chase some birds, just do something to get your heart pumping and your sebaceous glands secreting!
5. Do a little soul searching. Figure out what started your slump and try to work through it or get past it. Sometimes it just takes a little time to heal your wounds, whatever they may be. But in the meantime, try to stay healthy.

I'll definitely be using some of these techniques. It's good to also use your support system as well [my sister in times like these bears the majority of my complaints and insecurities, and she does it mostly like a champ]. Sending love from the hole I'm climbing out of! Hope everyone is having a wonderful Memorial Day and enjoying the ever-approaching summer.