Ways to Rediscover Yourself When You Feel You Have Lost Who You Are
Life is tough. Plain and simple. Throughout life, many events and circumstances can cause you to lose sight of who you are. Maybe these are trying times that make you feel like you can’t succeed in something you want. Perhaps a huge change has happened in your life such as transitioning to being a parent, losing a loved one in the family, or losing a job. No matter the immense change that life has thrown at you, self rediscovery can be rough when you feel you have lost who you are.
It’s going to be a long process, but there are many ways that you can rediscover yourself in these instances. All it takes is gentle baby steps to get started with one of these ways to rediscover yourself explained below.
Take A Risk
Of course, taking risks should be done within reason. The right amount of it can spike your adrenaline wondering if it’s going to pan out to your desired outcome. Hence, it’s best to take a calculated risk as a way to find more about yourself than a hasty one that could end in disaster.
Playing a casino game could be considered a calculated risk. You can make the monetary bet you are comfortable with doing and if you win, that’s great! And if not, don’t keep betting until you are in the hole. Just find another way that can help you rediscover yourself while having fun.
Start A New Hobby
Maybe you’re bored of your current hobby or have trouble setting aside time for yourself to even have one. Sure, life can get busy. However, prioritizing the responsibilities and tasks you have to handle while finding at least a little time during the day for yourself isn’t a crime. Filling your cup with something you love to do can invigorate you to have the strength to tackle the challenges of daily life.
With that being said, try prioritizing taking at least 30 minutes out of your busy day to begin a new hobby you may have wanted to start. Whether that’s playing a trading card game, scrapbooking, baking, gardening, or another hobby journey, do the research necessary on what you need to start it.
Take Time for Self-Care
Self-care can do a number for rediscovering yourself while enhancing your mood. It’s almost like having your hobby time in choosing what you want to do, but it’s a little different in that you are choosing things you want to do to take care of yourself.
If you have a bad habit of skipping showers, prioritize taking one. Do some extra relaxing things while you bathe whether it’s opting for a bubble bath instead, giving yourself a facial with your favorite products, or scrubbing your body with your favorite scented sugar scrub.
Besides showering, other ways you can practice self-care are:
- Getting to sleep at a proper hour at night to wake up feeling well rested.
- Have a cup of tea before bed to calm your nerves.
- Reading a book or an article on your favorite topic before bed.
- Practicing meditation to reset your mind.
Connect With Your Inner Child
As children, we are happy and carefree beings with no inkling of the stresses of life around us. Connecting with your inner child can be a key way to rediscover who you are because reconnecting with the first things you used to like to do early in your life can enhance your mindset of who you are in your adulthood.
For me, I used to love playing video games on old game systems like PS1, PS2, and GameCube. When I feel like I’m losing myself, I jump into my proverbial time machine and choose one of the games I used to play on PS1 or GameCube, and I start feeling much better. I have yet to repurchase a PS2, but one of these days I will.
In my adulthood, I realized my love of video games as a child has enhanced my new hobby of playing primarily retro video games many years later. This reconnection experience is even better when my eldest daughter jumps in to play one of the retro games with me.
Get Out and Socialize
Sometimes when you’ve lost yourself, all you need to do is talk to someone. Take yourself or a few friends with you for a night on the town like playing at a local arcade or a round or a round of bowling. Maybe attend a poetry night or a local trivia night at a cafe or restaurant.
If going to a social setting like a bar or a group at your local library seems daunting, start small. Become a regular at your local cafe and see if you build any new bonds with baristas or other regulars that go there. Find a support group at a community center that can empathetically listen and help you to get your life back on track.
No matter what you decide to do, the key is to get away from the norms and overall commonplace habits of your daily life. Surround yourself in fresh, new, or sometimes even familiar places where you feel comfortable to open up, be yourself, and socialize a little bit to get out of your shell.
Volunteer At An Animal Shelter
Caring for an animal has a knack for self-healing and rediscovery. Help animal shelters by bathing the dogs up for adoption, taking them on walks, feeding the cats, bonding with them, or whatever else the shelter needs you to do for it to run smoothly.
Volunteering even once or twice a week can open up the door for you to discover that you possibly have a new favorite animal. Heck, you might even build a close bond with one of the animals, consider adoption, and eventually gain a forever friend.
Caring for something like it’s your own when volunteering can help you melt away the stress you are feeling within yourself and focus on something even bigger than yourself.
Get Organized To Feel In Control
Sometimes when you feel you have lost who you are, it’s best to get your life organized so you can take control of what you can control and let go of what you cannot control. While you may feel a lot of your life is out of control, there are some things around you that you can get streamlined so you have a clearer headspace to go about your daily activities and responsibilities.
Keep a daily planner either in notebook form, on your phone, or both. Make a list each day of everything you have to do. Of course, especially note if you have any special events, doctor’s appointments, or other prescheduled ventures you have planned so you don’t forget.
Getting organized also means clearing your physical space so that your mind has the focus, attention, and capacity for rediscovering yourself. If you have junk drawers throughout the house or clutter spots in your space, try to work at least 10 to 15 minutes a day to declutter these areas.
Following common clean-up practices in your home can get you into a routine and clear your mind on your journey of rediscovering yourself. Even if you can’t get everything done on this list all the same day, trying to at least make one or more of these cleaning tasks a daily routine can help you clear your mind as your space physically becomes more organized.
- Make your bed after getting up each morning.
- Wash at least one load of laundry from start to finish. Wash, dry, fold (or hang up), and get that entire load away before your bedtime.
- Wash, dry, and put away dishes before your bedtime.
- Tidy up one or two rooms throughout your house each day. If any items don’t belong in that specific room, take the things to their home.
Take 15 Minutes A Day To Just Breathe
Sometimes we are so caught up in the daily demands of life that we don’t take the time to just slow down and breathe. Take at least 15 minutes per day to close your eyes and focus on your breathing.
Breathe slowly in through your nose and out through your mouth in careful paces. You can set a timer if you’d like, but letting the time you breathe free flow would yield the best results, especially if you get into a calming rhythm and don’t want to stop after the 15-minute mark.
Start the Journey of Rediscovery Today.
Self rediscovery is a step-by-step process. For everyone, it’s a different journey because you are a unique person. It may take more steps for someone to rediscover themselves while it may take someone else fewer steps. No matter what, it takes patience, willpower, dedication, and a build of confidence to embark on a personal journey of self-discovery. Don’t give up and trust the process!
