The Science of Stuck: Breaking Through Inertia to Find Your Path Forward

by Britt Frank, Sasha Heinz (Foreword)

A research-based tool kit for moving past what’s holding you back—in life, in love, and in work.

We all experience stuckness in our lives. We feel stuck in our relationships, career paths, body struggles, addiction issues, and more. Many of us know what we need to do to move forward—but find ourselves unable to take the leap to make it happen. And then we blame and shame ourselves, and stay in a loop of self-doubt that goes nowhere.

The good news is you’re not lazy, crazy, or unmotivated. In this empowering and action-oriented guide, you’ll discover why we can’t think our way forward—and how to break through what’s holding us back. Using an eclectic approach and a customizable plan that’s as direct or as deep as you want, this life-changing guide empowers you


Bringing together research-backed solutions that range from shadow work to reparenting, embodied healing, and other clinical practices, along with empowering personal stories, this book is a hands-on road map for moving forward with purpose, confidence, and the freedom to become who you’re truly meant to be.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Science, Personal Development, Personal Growth

272 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 2022

Reviews

[AHA · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was one of the best self help books I've ever read (and I've read a lot). The title doesn't really do it justice. I don't feel stuck in the traditional sense of the word, but so much of this book felt relevant to me anyway. Frank distills a lot of research, clinical experience, and personal experience into digestible, concrete, actionable tools for living.

I found the philosophy of change outlined by Frank to be much more compatible with my values and personality than that of the 12 steps and other psychological modalities I've tried. I learnt about the book through an interview on the podcast "you are not so smart." If you are on the fence about the book, I suggest you listen to the interview to get a sense of what you are in for.

Finally, I really appreciated her disclaimers acknowledging that this book is not for everyone.

[Lena · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited about this book, until I was one chapter in.
First, the claim of “science” in the title is just false, a lot of citations are missing and many quotes are of scientifically highly disputed theories that the author seems to purely pick to fit her narrative.
Second, redefining and appropriating an already defined term like “trauma” into “overwhelm” to spin it into a narrative of “aren’t we all a bit traumatised?!” is absolute bonkers imo, and not doing anyone favours - neither traumatised, nor overwhelmed people.
Lastly, a lot of what she presents as her novel and revolutionary ideas has been common practice of many progressive psychologists’ practice and discourse for a while.
Overall, it’s too long, far too self-aggrandising, and lacks actual scientific backing and substance.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sometimes you have to wonder if white people ever look around and see their bubble. I can't get past the fact that virtually all of the author's academic and cultural references are white, famous, and kind of over-played IMO. There are so many other viewpoints out there, do I really need a rehash of what is already written and podcast-ed to death?

The second very large issue is that she asserts that most of neurodivergence is due to trauma, which I believe to be highly inaccurate. Where is the discussion of how marginalized identities experience trauma and literally can't get 'unstuck' due to lack of systemic power? Racism appears only as an 'incident' rather than a lifelong experience.

Despite these issues, I found some really great nuggets that I will probably use with clients and loved the writing style and structure of the book. Her 5 minute challenges and journal exercises are good.

[Gohnar23 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Books read & reviewed: 1️⃣6️⃣9️⃣🥖4️⃣0️⃣0️⃣
Date: Monday, April 14, 2025
Word Count: 72k Words, average sized short novel. oh wait shit no, its a non-fiction book

╔⏤⏤⏤╝❀╚⏤⏤⏤╗
૮꒰ ˶• ༝ •˶꒱ა ♡ My 20th read this month (⁠^⁠-⁠^⁠ ⁠)

1️⃣🌟, "Before you throw this book across the room in protest, remember that the~"

immediately throws the book across the room
——————————————————————
➕➖0️⃣1️⃣2️⃣3️⃣4️⃣5️⃣6️⃣7️⃣8️⃣9️⃣🔟✖️➗

This is not a science book... This is a book made by a white author disguising the unseriousness of this book as scientifical. Whoever recommended this, learn that just because a book helped you doesn't mean its even scientifically accurate or even just accurate to real life at allll.

4. Count backward from the number 31.

What the fuck is that advice??? You don't even need a context on what problem it tries to solve but What the fuck is that advice???

We All Have Multiple Personalities

When I first introduce the idea of different parts to clients, almost everyone immediately panics and asks, “Are you saying that I have multiple personality disorder?”

No.

Having multiple personalities is not the same as having multiple personality disorder. Every complex system contains multiple parts.

"Having multiple personalities is not the same as having multiple personality disorder."

Say that again?
Or even just read the entire chapter dedicated to this that you wrote.

:/// I don't know about you but that chapter itself is pretty much fucking offensive to people who have that disorder innit? 🙋‍♂️🙋‍♂️
Such thoughtless statement to the conditions of the human mind without even giving any remarks for scientific sources.

OH??? AND ALSO...IF YOURE GOING TO BLINDLY ACCUSE THE ENTIRE HUMAN POPULATION WITH HAVING MULTIPLE PERSONALITIES AT LEAST GIVE THE CORRECT NAME 😭😭

woman, its not called "Multiple Personality Disorder" anymore... Its called DID aka Dissociative Identity Disorder. THIS BOOK IS PUBLISHED IN 2022 AND DO YOU KNOW WHEN THAT NAME CHANGE FROM MPD TO DID?

in 1994 with the publication of the fourth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) by the American Psychiatric Association....

1994!!! GIRL YOU'RE 28 YEARS LATE AND U STILLL MANAGED TO WRONGLY NAME THAT DISORDER 😭

This just proves how little to no research has been done in the making of this book.

[Valerie Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book. I'd give it 6 stars if I could. One of the most interesting, most helpful, and most innovative approaches to several issues. I especially love the concept that there is no such thing as self-sabotage and how Britt Frank breaks down each chapter with examples from real life. My favorite, however, is the chapter about how to use the fundamentals of flying a plane to break bad habits. This is one of the rare books I'll read again and again.

[Lee · Rating 1 out of 5]

While the book had helpful nuggets in almost every chapter it was a lot of work to dig through the garbage to find them.
The author is completely submerged in her ideology and can’t come up for a breath to get a different perspective. Every chapter contains non sequiturs that eventually made me question every conclusion or piece of advice given.
If you drank the woke koolaid this is your book. Otherwise I would recommend reading something else, maybe one of Dr Caroline Leaf’s books.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yeah, the "science" in the title is pretty much non-existent in the book, so I will not be adding this to my "science" related Goodreads shelves. I was expecting a book with "the science of..." (plus the word "inertia") to, you know, have science as a prevalent thing in it. I wasn't expecting a full on neuroscience examination of human motivation, but I was at least something a little more in-depth than what I would find in a 3-minute article on Vox or Medium.

Nope.

This is basically a compilation of Instagram captions, quotes from well-known other books and authors (Body Keeps The Score, Malcolm Gladwell, etc.), occasional citations that are from things like Encyclopedia Britannica (that was my go-to source in third grade, so cool?), with an occasional footnote that might be a study in a journal. But the latter is few and far between, and tbh I question the legitimacy of some of those (reminder: not everything that is published in a journal is actually high quality). Even in the first chapter she stated her position on some things that I strongly disagree with (and, you know, so does science and medicine), so that wasn't off to a great start.

Each chapter is about 5% potentially interesting/useful content and 95% sludge to wade through to get to the point.

Also, her footnotes annoyed the hell out of me. They were random, tangential, and wholly unnecessary. I think she was trying to be clever, but it was distracting and made me get more and more annoyed each time there was one (and often there were 3+ per page), so there's that.

Maybe some of the "Takeaways" at the end of each chapter may help some folks, so that's why I'm giving it 2 stars instead of 1, but if you are looking for a book that is actually based on science, this ain't it.

This book tries to do too much at once and at the same time does absolutely nothing.

If you have trauma, read The Body Keeps The Score.
If you have anxiety holding you back and making you "stuck", read The Anxiety Toolkit.

Read a book focused on your issue, rather than this hot mess of nothing.

[Kara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how to rate this book. I liked it but also didn't like it. Embarrassing to admit that I used to be a 'self help' and 'pop-psych' fan, (which part of me still is or I wouldn't have been intrigued by it...all cringe welcome), but I kinda expected it to be more sociology/psychology non-fiction, but was very much a self help book that doesn't bring a lot new to the table of the genre other than it has a lot more practical to-do's. So I guess that way it's a nice upgrade than a lot of the what's and why's that are more common. Kinda more of a work book than a information book.

[Kimberley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thoughtful, warm and compassionate toolkit that anyone can easily use to understand and move through the feelings of stuck.

A book for anyone who has felt:
~ lost
~ like an imposter
~ the mother wound
~ perfectionism
~ the need to be a ‘good girl’
~ frustrated with friendships/relationships and aren’t sure how to move forward

Highly recommend 🫶🏼

[Christiane · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was excited about this, but turned off by its breeziness. Felt like I was reading blog posts from 2011.

[Karina Howard · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Such a good book if you are struggling with understanding and working through anxiety with tangible ideas! Felt a little repetitive at times, but would absolutely recommend!

[Lars Ankile · Rating 2 out of 5]

Absolutely worthless. Just a long list of platitudes and quotes from other people loosely strung together. She constantly invokes big-S Science as if it was scripture, and worse of all misrepresents Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle. Also, I deeply resent writers who self-gratulate after every half-witty remark. Yeah. Got 2 stars because she obviously tried. Not everyone needs to write a book (yes, I’m looking at you, Espen Nakstad).

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - easy to read and super actionable. Wish I read this sooner, but it’s a new book 🤣

[Cj Newton · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running in circles, knowing what you *should* do but struggling to actually DO it.. read this.

It is so real and relatable, and I really appreciate that it isn't full of our world's overused toxic positivity. It actually unpacks the psychological, emotional, and even biological reasons behind our lack of action. And, as the book says, "it is not because you are lazy, crazy, or unmotivated."

I loved that it actually gives actionable steps to get yourself out of a funk right now. And that it is genuinely helpful without being overwhelming.

There were a few parts that weren't very relatable to me. But almost every chapter was full of tons of great takeaways, and fresh new perspectives which I always appreciate.

Strongly recommend reading this one over listening because there lots of lists and so many real excercises and techniques that you may want to highlight, take notes on, or bookmark to come back to later!

[Imi J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pewnie każdy z nas miał kiedyś uczucie, że utknął w miejscu, że nie potrafi wyrwać się z marazmu i beznadziei. Książka „Jak ruszyć z miejsca, kiedy utkniesz w życiu” to poradnik, który powinien przeczytać prawie każdy. Oczywiście nie jest to żadna „magiczna różdżka”, za pomocą której znikną wszystkie nasze problemy, jednak w ciekawy sposób przedstawia, jak można podejść do problemów ze stagnacją, które mogą dotknąć każdego z nas.
Autorka w przystępny sposób przedstawia psychologiczne aspekty naszych zachowań i potencjalne źródła naszych problemów. Podaje również możliwe rozwiązania i ćwiczenia, które mogą pomóc nam w wyjściu ze stagnacji. W kilku miejscach podkreśla, że jej książka nie może być traktowana jako remedium na wszystkie problemy.
Osobiście odnalazłam w tej książce kilka istotnych dla siebie informacji, które pomogły mi zrozumieć niektóre z moich trudności. I choć samo przeczytanie poradnika zapewne nie rozwiąże ich w magiczny sposób, to fajnie nakierowuje na potencjalne rozwiązania.
Autorka ma lekki i przyjemny styl pisania, dzięki czemu książkę czyta się dość szybko.

[Melissa Medley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read. Very practical and informative.

[Gillian Oshatz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this! Taught me so much and was so insightful. Definitely a new favorite neuroscience specialist

[Claudia Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this. And the narrator for the audiobook has a fun voice. She sounds like someone with a great sense of humor.
Imo the pros: not your average self-help or pop psych book aka. doesn’t repeat the title 5,000 times and call it a book. Some great insights on getting unstuck and many ideas that are useful and can be applied right away without a therapist. I really liked the first part of the book and the way she uses humor and her own experiences to connect with the reader/listener.
Cons: Way too many lists. I don’t think Frank knows enough about chess to use it as a metaphor like this. And she is way too trigger happy about pharmaceuticals. WAY too trigger happy. Overall though I liked it.

[Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this book was fantastic. Hands down best self-navigation book for self mastery, and I’ve read A LOT in this genre.

It took me months to finish The Science of Stuck because every other page there would be some golden nugget that would stop me in my tracks, and kick off hours of contemplation and journaling.

Fortunately, the author builds on a number of greats in this space - Brene Brown, Julia Cameron, IFS work, trauma therapy, and loads more - with the secret sauce of distilling actionable concepts. This is not an academic resource. It’s a hands on, relatable guide.

I hope it’s as useful to you as it was to me!

[Annie Wildemann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was going to rate this book 3 stars because although the writing style is great I found a lot of the info in this book pretty surface level (but maybe that’s just because I’ve read quite a few self help books and taken a lot of Psyc classes) BUT OHMIGOD the last chapter is amazing. It was exactly what I needed and made me cry.

[Ellis Hyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm still feeling sticky, but the book had many good points about managing your mental health

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A blend of "CliffNotes" meets "Choose Your Own Adventure," Britt Frank's book is an absolute gem. The book is a succinct meta-analysis of all self-help research, presented in a palatable fashion, where readers can skip around to the chapter that resonates with them the most.

From covering unhealthy family dynamics to elucidating what shadow intelligence is and how to approach addiction, the book is divided into 10 distinct chapters filled with actionable items that the reader can easily follow and use. The book is well-organized with clear subsections and bullet points to highlight key points. Each section has research, a myth-busting section, Do's and Don'ts tables, final thoughts, bottom-line takeaways, and 5 minute challenges where the reader can directly applied the learn knowledge from the said chapter.

There are A LOT of mnemonics in the book so that readers can more effectively memorize steps to help themselves. For example, in the chapter on shadow intelligence, Frank describes a self-leadership approach to allows the reader to occupy psychological space so they are connected to all of their parts, using the mnemonic P.A.R.T:
1. Pausing- remembering that one is comprised of multiple parts
2. Acknowledging different parts of oneselves
3. Removing shame for this process
4. Taking control back and making a plan.

Vocabulary is italicized and defined clearly. Similar terminologies that might be conflated are also clearly discerned. For example, Britt Frank discusses how *boundaries* are meant for preservation whereas *ultimatums* are deployed for power. Another example includes whereas *apologies* are just words, *amends* follow the 4 O's where one 1) OWNS their behavior, 2) OBSERVE how they behavior impacted others, 3) OUTLINE their plans to not do the behavior again, and 4) OFFER to listen if to the person they hurt in case they need to share anything else about their hurtful behavior.

Myth-busting popular pop psychology sayings, from trauma to grieving, Frank also showcases empirical data to provide clarity of the reader on how to better approach aforementioned topics. She discusses how despite the pervasive belief that habits are formed in 21 days, studies have actually shown that that are between 14 days to 200+ days.

Overall, this book is a superb self-help book that will be instrumental in helping ANYONE! I would highly recommend this book to everyone as self-reflection will be conducive for anyone's growth.

[tereza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have now read the whole book, but haven’t done the exercises yet.

I would give a 3/5 for the book as is, I may do another rating after the exercises.

I like the idea of “stuck” and it covers a lot of topics unexplored in other self-help books (incl. age regression). I also appreciate the idea of 5-minute exercises (even though I haven’t touched them 🥲).

Main issue for me: very millennial “relatable humour”, which kind of fucks up the vibe.

One thing that really made me 🥴 was this chess-like exercise you are supposed to do at the end. I couldn’t understand what I was supposed to do AT ALL, which then brought negative feelings towards the book as a whole. If I can’t even do the final exercise, how can I benefit from the book?

[Adele Lo · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10!!! so good and easy to read too!! fav quotes:

p20 we are wired for survival, not happiness. we are wired to seek safety, not serenity.

p26 But it takes a herculean amount of strength to tolerate the feeling of anxiety-and an even greater amount of courage to listen to the message of anxiety.

p130 you can be in a relationship only with a person, not with potential.

p133 there are no “mixed signals” when it comes to dating. if someone is interested and available, they will not play games. if someone is not interested and not available, you’ll know quickly. if someone is interested but is not available emotionally, you’ll feel confusion and unease. interested + unavailable = mixed signal. a mixed signal from them is a clear signal for you to pass.

[Maya]

This book has some great info about "feeling stuck" why it happens, what it is, and how to get past it. I learned about it in a writing resistance workshop and I actually felt like reading this book was more useful to me than the workshop! Very engagingly written and easy to understand the concepts. There were certain topics I wished she went into more, but I think that just gives me areas specific to me to seek out other more in depth content.

[Lavin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cw: discussions on trauma, abuse, addiction, eating disorders (particularly binging)

One sentence summary: A summary of evidence and techniques to understand, reframe and manage emotions, including trauma responses.

Writing: 4/5
Accessibility: lay person
Anecdotes vs data: predominantly research though not particularly well-cited or critical (appropriate for book)
Application: lots to apply to life

Favourite quote: “Any healing approaches that value positivity over authenticity become breeding grounds for dishonesty. Wholehearted living requires curiosity and compassion—not denial of our shared humanity.”

NB: good recognition that the advice does not apply to systemic oppression and abusive environments.

Disclaimer: this is my opinion.

[Lindsay Giacomino · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best self help books I’ve read, especially if you have mental health difficulties. Well written, summarizes a lot of information in a succinct, relevant way.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

same thesis different book but I liked this one

[Abby · Rating 5 out of 5]

Recommended reading for being human. Therapy 101, even I learned several things. Very accessible and approachable tips. Great metaphors. Mental health primer.

[Rebecca Davis]

10: “You have a right to take up space on this planet.”

180: “Any time you think you don’t know what you want, it’s because your social self has decided you shouldn’t want it.”