Being stuck in a rut happens at some point for everyone, and can manifest in a number of ways.

From stress and irritability to pain and anger, emotional and mental stagnation throws us off. Even among close friends or family, it's not always obvious. But when someone is using certain phrases, there's a good chance they're feeling stuck.

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Emotional numbness is a tell-tale sign that you could be suffering from feeling stuck in life. "I'm so drained" is very telling, but for it to be said in casual conversation is usually a cry for help.

When we're feeling exhausted or burnt out, it affects our mental health in a negative way. So, when someone admits to this level of fatigue, they have nothing left to give to the most important parts of their life.

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This phrase actually has a double meaning. "I'm just tired, that's all" means the speaker legitimately feels physically tired. But it's also their way of protecting their true feelings.

Without growth, stagnation can result in depression. Perhaps this person doesn't want anyone to know how they truly feel, so they use tiredness as a distraction to cover up the truth.

Feeling mentally and emotionally stuck may make people believe they're living the same day over and over again. They ruminate and replay what they're doing wrong, attempting to solve their problems despite stagnating. It's likely they're burnt out and exhausted.

"When we are truly exhausted or in a state of acute burnout, our thoughts are often so restless that something as simple as deep relaxation seems completely out of reach. While we're in that state, even if we do nothing, we cannot really rest because we ruminate and catastrophize and worry," burnout coach Anna Katharina Schaffner explained.

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Someone suffering from emotionally and mentally stagnation will have a difficult time understanding how to change their lives. They want to break the loop they're stuck in, yet are unable to do so without getting to the bottom of why they feel that way.

This seemingly unbreakable loop may be a result of their negative thoughts triggered by fear and anxiety. A stagnant person may dwell constantly on their out-of-control feelings, which only continues that cycle.

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At times, a burned out person may admit their problems openly. They won't get into the whole truth of it, thought, because they don't even fully understand why they're feeling this way.

They may feel overwhelmed by their workload at their job or are dealing with relationship problems that stress them out. It's all become too much to juggle at once, and it's beginning to weigh on them.

While this phrase seems concerning, it doesn't necessarily carry a darker meaning. Yes, being mentally and emotionally stuck in life is serious, but someone saying this doesn't always feel like they're past the point of no return.

When you've been feeling stuck for a long time, there comes a point where you want to escape from it all. Crawling into a hole isn't literal, it's just that person's way of expressing how helpless they feel.

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Allison Peterson contributes to YourTango through her writing on love, lifestyle, and relationships.