Okay, so I’m going to stray a bit further from the usual articles I’ve written and write this one up as a reminder to you all who feel lost and aimless. We all have been there, or currently are at that point.
Sometimes life feels so messy and overwhelming, especially when you have a bulk of responsibilities up your shoulder, have a ton of work to complete , have expectations that you have to live up-to or have lost a loved one, whatever the reason maybe . It just feels so easy to quit and give up.
I’m certain at some point you might have felt that life bears no meaning anymore, feeling of hopelessness, a feeling of void does linger around at times . You feel numb , lost and you miss your ‘old self’ , who was full of aspiration, wonder and energy.
I empathize with you, if you are going through this right now. For the past month I’ve been fighting this battle . I felt I had lost myself and who I was . And this feeling was so alien to me as I have always been so driven and proactive when it came to my goals , and all of a sudden I started feeling so empty and hopeless .
But guess what? It gets better! As the saying goes ‘Time is the best healer’.
And it definitely is , but when you go through times like this. Do not sit around waiting for things to get better, it might get worse if you isolate yourself, and I understand you no longer have the enthusiasm to engage in tasks that previously gave you that adrenaline. Your body feels like it has ‘shut down’ and that’s completely fine. But you must ensure it doesn’t get the better of you, whether it comes to your goals, job , academics, relationships etc.
You can certainly take baby steps at a time to feel better and get past this. That’s what I’ve been doing, and I’m hoping these steps do help you get by this episode.
TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY BE THERE FOR YOURSELF!
The feeling of hopelessness can more often than not make us give up on ourselves when it’s actually the most crucial time for us to have our own back and be there for ourselves. But on the positive side, it does give us a lot of understanding about ourselves and can be an opportunity to rebound and improve ourselves.
I know! Sounds a little off, but when you feel lost and when things don’t make sense is mostly when you find yourself and get to improve and re-evaluate!
Also, make sure you eat the right food, engage with people that bring out the best in you and make sure you always keep yourself as a priority!
Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.
– Henry David Thoreau
1. Take a break from reality! Pamper yourself.
Take a break! Indulge in what you may find cliché, “self-care” but it truly works! You have to set time aside for yourself, take a day off, order your favourite meal , binge watch your favourite show! Just pamper and love yourself because you truly deserve it.
“Well, but how does that help?” if you may ask, You are PRIORITIZING YOURSELF! Shutting the curtain from yourself and the world. Try it out for a day, where it’s just a day spent on yourself.
2. Exercise!
Go out for a jog, try out meditation and yoga. There’s a reason why exercising is so beneficial towards your mental + physical health.
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym, start with just 10 mins and progress further! And observe the positive impact it has on you.
3. Acknowledge your emotions
Don’t suppress your emotions , even though it’s a very effective way to cope but trust me in the long run , it bites back .
Journal your emotions , talk to your friends and family about what you are going through. But make sure you accept what you feel. Acceptance goes a long way in the path of healing .
4. Get in touch with what you’re good at .
And I don’t mean sleeping all day xD . It’s the things/ activities that make you feel alive, whether it was playing your favourite sport, painting, annoying your siblings (jk , jk or am I? XD) or even helping someone out!
Anything that brings that happiness out of you .
5. Forgive yourself
What you are going through doesn’t define you or your past. It’s life ! It’s all messed up ! We tend to get a lil messed up in the process and IT’S OKAY !
You’re trying your best . You must remember to forgive all those bad decisions you’ve made , those cringe moments too ! Imagine if life was completely perfect? How boring would that be?!
6. Reach out!
If you feel you need professional help you should definitely seek for it, there’s nothing wrong in asking for help. You always have your friends and family you can talk to or a medical counselor.
But never bury your issues within, make sure you always have someone to talk to when you feel low .
In the end, always remember, this too shall pass by, things get better with time. Feeling low and aimless are a part of life and is quite inevitable, so don’t beat yourself up , instead take this opportunity to learn more about yourself and to improve more as a person. Because it’s when we are lost, we find ourselves.
