Often times, most of us feel lost and there’s no one to guide. In such distressful times you wish and pray for some divine help. Ever wondered what causes this feeling of lostness?
We, as spiritual beings get, so engrossed in the worldly aspects of life and fall into the abyss of worries and anxieties of past and future events. Hence, we lose hope of the future and feel lost in life . You may feel this way after multiple traumatic events, like the death of a loved one, break ups, or flunking in an important exam. These events can change your life into a chaotic and misguided direction. Or worst, if not acted immediately, it can cause detrimental health effects.
However, the first and foremost thing to realize is that you are not alone! We all have at some point of life felt this way. So, there’s no need to be ashamed of it. Identifying and admitting that your feel lost, is the first step to the journey of finding yourself again.
Here are some top tips and techniques that may help you when you feel lost in life. It’s no on-size-fits-all guide but a combination of the following techniques may guide to your true self.
1. Breathe- You are alive and that’s what matters the most
When you feel lost and confused, the brain perceives it as a life or death situation. The panic that it induces directly impacts the heart rate, thus resulting in shallow or sometimes really fast beat.
The best thing you can do to calm and ground yourself is to watch your breathing pattern. A common breathing technique that’s effective in a panic mode, is to exhale longer and deeper than your inhale. The trick is to breathe out longer than you breathe in. When you inhale, it contracts and create pressure in the body, while when you exhale, the pressure and tensions are released, conveying a message to your brain to relax.
Thus, the more conscious and slower the rate of inhales and exhales are, the calmer you’ll feel.
2. Acknowledge and Accept Your Emotions
Denying your emotions will lead you to the journey of self-destruction. When a person accepts the failure, they’ll realize that it’s human to fail. Many failures have eventually found their way to success through perseverance and overcoming their shortcomings.
Remember that feeling of disappointment and being helpless are natural consequences when our life changes abruptly in an unexpected direction.
There are times you need to be alone but when you aren’t habitual of it, the loneliness may seep into your mind. However, spending some time in solitude will help you unwind and understand your emotions better. This will also promote self-reliance and boost your confidence. Take this time to identify the cause of your problematic situation, sit with the problem and feel the underlying emotion. Avoiding and denying your emotions is a bigger problem than the emotion or problem itself. Find an outlet for releasing your emotions. Some people are good at expressing their feelings through writing. So, they can scribble their thoughts and feelings on a journal until they find the resolution. Others are good at music, art or speaking their emotions out, so they can do accordingly. It’s to be noted that you don’t necessarily have to be a pro at something to use it as an emotional outlet. The point is to not keep it in, just let it all out to free yourself from the prison of your mind and thoughts.
Once you have given considerate time to your emotions, try to untangle the problem and do better. You don’t have to go into self-depreciating thoughts only because you’ve failed doesn’t mean you are a failure. You have to give regular positive reaffirmations and a boosting self-talk to yourself.
3. Mindfulness and Meditation
Solitude is good for your wellbeing. The time spent when you’re alone is a fertile ground for introspection to recall life-defining decisions and simply get your way out from excessive amounts of stress. Being alone makes you the center of your universe standing away from outside stimuli. The benefits of solitude include:
- A balanced body and mind
- A rest and a clear head
- An inner strength that will help you cope with stress
Moreover, loneliness serves as a warning signal and a life compass that redirects you to something you’ve been looking for. In the solitude, we introspect and find the real answers to our needs.
The idea is simple: go in your happy place, where you feel relaxed and away from the chaos and noise of the outside world, this could even be your room or a backyard. Shut your eyes, sit back and relax. Observe the sounds you hear, both the ones in your mind and from your happy place. How does it make you feel? What things can you see in the vision of your mind? Are you alone or with someone? Is this the place you’ll like to live in? What aroma are you surrounded with? Is it your favorite scent? Can you feel the softness of that flower or your fluffy pet bunny? Are you happy in this world? Are you enjoying yourself? Appreciate and practice gratitude in this state of mind. Let yourself relax and sit there till you feel comfortable enough to come back to reality.
If you find it hard to do this drill yourself, try guided meditation. There are loads of guided online meditations which can help you guide you towards the metta meditation, which may prove wonders in times when you feel lost.
4. Try Yoga or Exercise
The Yin Yoga is a particular yoga where deep floor stretch is observed for extended time, ranging anywhere from 1 minute to ten minutes. The trick is to not only stretch your muscles, but also the connective tissues that surround the muscle. This deep stretching can help untangling the knots in mind, and reconnect with yourself. Once you practice it mindfully, you’ll feel revitalized and more grounded.
Similarly, light exercise or simple walking can help you feel calm. It’s said that a 20 minutes daily walk can help you in boosting your energy and induce happy mood.
5. Establish Routines
Sometimes, we feel lost because everything is too exhausting and overwhelming. How can you establish a daily routine when you already have a maniac schedule? Perhaps in addition to your daily office work, you need to slice in 20-minute walk, 10-minute journaling, and listen to guided meditation before bed time regularly. You’ll feel grounded with this positive and healthy regimen.
6. Incorporate Hobbies
Sometimes the monotonous routine can trigger the lost feeling in our lives. You’re lost in the perfectly constructed loop, where you go to work, eat, sleep and repeat. Hence, there’s no room for happiness and excitement.
The obvious solution is to find something that breaks the monotony. For instance, a new hobby like biking or camping. You can try the things you’ve always wanted like ice skating or traveling new places. Keep in mind, you can also go back to your old hobbies to find pleasure you once felt doing it.
Break the monotony with slight changes and you’ll find that it works for you. Trying something new may help you learn more about yourself.
7. Make Self-Care a Priority
When you feel lost, it’s an important reminder to treat yourself with the respect you need. This implies having a good self-care routine. Have a relaxing day at spa and treat yourself with the massage or get a manicure. You can even reward yourself with a perfect pair of shoes that you always wanted to have. The idea is to get the concept of “I am worthy enough” inside your brain.
By treating yourself with respect and admiration, you’ll also be able to treats others with the same compassion.
8. Seek Professional Help
The feeling of being lost is common to everyone and usually lasts for a relatively short period of time. However, if the problem persists and your ability to consider things rationally becomes impaired, then face the issue and seek medical help. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Consider joining a support group or working with a therapist that will help subside the problem. Another way is to research on whatever issue you’re trying to solve. For example, looking for self-help books with topics on addressing misery if you’re struggling with grief.
The use of hypnosis is another form of therapy. The process of clinical hypnotherapy brings the client in a trance-like state. The process can help clients with anxiety, addiction, and illnesses. Also, it can be used to enhance the sleep cycle, learning disorders, and relationship issues.
Hence, hypnosis can help you with the goal of finding yourself. It’s important to secure your mental and physical state in the best condition during the process of hypnosis to achieve desirable results.
Final Thoughts
The above tips can help you find your way and eventually gives you a better version of yourself. Don’t hesitate to ask for professional guidance in achieving a sense of freedom and create a good support system to help you move forward.
Feeling lost can be the initial step to creating a more fulfilling life. The hardships and lost situation can redirect you to the real essence and can be the strongest driving force to achieve your goals. Above anything else, love your life and fill it with gratitude and compassion!