Life can throw curveballs that will leave us feeling lost. During these difficult times, it’s important to remember who you are. Major life changes like a relationship ending, entering into adulthood, new environments, losing a job, and even death can cause you to lose yourself. In those moments when you’re feeling lost in life, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone.
Everyone goes through periods of confusion and a lack of direction in life. It’s how you handle these moments that count. So, no matter what life changes you’ve endured, there are steps that you can take to get back to remembering who you are.
10 Steps to finding yourself when you're feeling lost in life
We all have lost ourselves a little bit along the way. But with these steps, you can get back to your true authentic self.
1. Identify where you are now
A part of figuring out how to get back to yourself is knowing where you are now. How are you feeling at this moment? What has changed about your life? What areas of your life seem unclear? Write these emotions and thoughts down.
Being able to articulate your feelings is important for two reasons. First, it allows you to pinpoint the areas of your life where you need clarity. Secondly, it will help you communicate those feelings to others who can help you on your journey.
Articulating emotions can be difficult for some people. Perhaps you don’t feel like you have the words to express them.
In this instance, leverage self-awareness journal prompts or even the wheel of emotions to put your feelings into words. Journaling is a key step in self-discovery when you are feeling lost in life.
2. Take a trip down memory lane
What do you do when you’ve lost something? You retrace your steps in hopes of finding it. It’s no different when you’re trying to find yourself again. Sometimes you just have to take a trip down memory lane to find reminders of who you truly are.
Go to familiar places that you once went to and even look at old pictures! Do things that will help you spark your memory to a time of happiness and clarity.
Identify how these moments brought you joy, peace, and clarity, and reintroduce them into your life. These memories will pave the way to remembering who you are.
3. Talk to loved ones when you're feeling lost in life
Others can often see things in us that we don’t see in ourselves. So when you’re feeling lost in life, it’s important to get another perspective from someone you trust. These people can remind you of who you are and affirm your identity.
These should be people that you’re comfortable being vulnerable with. After all, you have to share that you’re feeling lost and not like yourself. Allow them to support you and help you get back to yourself.
4. Recite affirmations
Words play a very powerful role in our lives. What you say about yourself or a situation will shape your beliefs and, ultimately, your behavior. That’s why it is so important to speak positively.
One way to do that is by reciting affirmations. Affirmations are positive phrases that are often contrary to what you may be feeling or experiencing. For example, if you are sick, an affirmation that you may adopt is, “I am in great health and my body is well.”
Your brain will believe whatever you tell it, so tell it something positive. Try reciting these morning affirmations to change your life.
5. Step away from social media and other influences
Sometimes feeling lost in life comes from comparison. We see what others are doing and think that we aren’t on the right path.
Social media can further perpetuate this comparison and thwart your perception—causing you to feel inadequate and to desire things that you don’t truly want. That’s why it's so important to take a break from these negative influences.
This means disconnecting from social media and any other influence that makes you feel inadequate. Once you’re away from distractions, you can think more clearly and feel more confident about your life.
6. Get on a routine
When there are lots of changes in your life, having a routine will bring the consistency that you need. A routine also helps you feel more in control of your life and less lost or overwhelmed.
Consider adopting a new routine that helps take away the overwhelm in your life. Or, if you’ve neglected one that worked in the past, get back to it!
Be sure to include all of the things that keep you feeling like yourself. Whether that’s working out, meditating, or even self-care practices. Either way, consistency is the key. Once you have a routine, remember to stick to it.
7. Do things that make you happy
Feeling lost in life can be a result of not doing things for yourself. When you’re constantly doing things for others, it's easy to lose yourself in helping them. This can be especially true for moms and other caretakers.
It’s important that you take time to do things for yourself that make you happy. Make the time to show yourself love and refuel. This is important for both your mental and physical health.
Short on ideas? You can check out these ideas for pampering yourself on a budget.
8. Get the support you need
Sometimes you may need help getting back to yourself. Getting the support and help that you need is completely okay. This can be in the form of a counselor, therapist, or trusted advisor.
These people can keep you encouraged and advise you on how to get out of your emotional rut. Though talking to loved ones can be beneficial, professionals are trained to help you work through these situations in a productive and non-judgmental way.
9. Document your journey
After you’ve written down where you started, continue to document your journey. When we’re in the middle of tough situations, it’s often hard to see the progress that we’re making.
Writing down your wins and the steps that you’re taking allows you to actually see how far you’ve come. You’ll be able to look back on your journey and celebrate your growth and success.
10. Be patient with yourself and give yourself grace
We’ve all found ourselves lost at some point. The reality is that life doesn’t have a roadmap, and it can be challenging.
That’s why you should give yourself the grace and patience to grow out of your situation. It’s ok if you don’t figure things out today or even tomorrow. Just be proud of the effort and progress that you’re making.
Lastly, remember to be gentle with yourself and your journey. You aren’t the only one who has gone through this, which means that it won’t be this way forever.
Remembering who you are when you’re feeling lost in life
Remembering who you are when your life doesn’t seem to be together can be hard. We’ve all gone through times when we’ve felt overwhelmed or unsure of what to do. In moments like those, the best thing that you can do is to keep going.
You can find yourself again, so don’t get discouraged. Remember that life is a journey. Embrace the ambiguity of it all. Part of finding yourself and figuring out what you want in life is setting goals.
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