What To Do When You Feel Lost — Gareth Michael
There are times in life when you may find yourself wondering, ‘Why do I feel so lost?’ Perhaps your motivation has disappeared, or you’re feeling lost when it comes to your work or daily life. Often you might feel numb, or not know which direction to take, causing you to feel overwhelmed and out of control. During this time, you may have many questions, but not know what to do when you feel like you lost yourself
Feeling lost in life, whilst unsettling, is a normal human experience. When you are feeling lost in life, you’re forced to face emotions that have been buried away. When your feeling lost, it can act as a signpost, alerting you to changes that need to be made.
If you’re wondering what to do when you feel lost in life, then read on to learn more about why you might be feeling this way, how you can acknowledge these feelings, and what to do when you feel completely lost, so that you can move on to a more positive place.
Feeling lost in life, whilst unsettling, is a very normal human experience. In some ways, it can actually act as a signpost, alerting us that there are changes that need to be made. It can also help us to face emotions that we may ordinarily bury away.
If you’re wondering what to do when you feel lost in life, then read on to learn more about why you might be feeling what you’re feeling, and how you can cope when you feel lost in life.
Understanding the Feeling of Being Lost
If you’ve ever uttered the words ‘I feel lost in life’, then you may have found yourself feeling emotionally and mentally strained. Symptoms such as mood swings, tearfulness, indecision, loss of interest, overwhelm, irritation, feeling disconnected, and negative thoughts can all be indicators that you are experiencing feeling lost.
Perhaps you’re wondering, ‘Why do I feel lost?’ There are many different reasons why you might be feeling this way. Difficult situations such as the loss of a loved one, divorce and separation, or even the loss of a job, can all cause us to lose sight of where we are going. If you’ve ever hit a crossroads in life, you may have felt lost, as you deliberated which road to take.
Sometimes, we experience a conflict when it comes to our values, and that can cause us to begin to question our own purpose and place in the world. We may become overwhelmed and dissatisfied with life in general, which can then cause us to suppress emotions, and become frustrated and numb to life around us.
Feeling lost in life may even indicate an existential crisis, which often occurs during times of change, or when we feel a lack of safety and security. This can cause us to feel confused about our purpose and long for more meaning in life.
Acknowledging Your Feelings
Admitting to yourself, ‘I feel lost’ takes courage. From a young age, we have become used to brushing away the emotions that we feel, often not recognising what we are feeling. When we experience negative emotions such as feeling lost, overwhelmed or confused, paying attention to the feelings and expressing these in a healthy way can help us to process them and move forwards.
If you aren’t used to holding space for yourself to feel what you’re feeling, then a practice like journaling can be a good place to start. This gives you a private and non-judgemental space to become comfortable with opening up emotionally. This time also gives you a chance to reflect on life, and even receive new perspectives.
Accepting your feelings is an important part of the process. You might also find it helpful to share how you’re feeling with a trusted friend or family member. If you can become an observer of your emotions, and hold a non-judgemental space for them, this will help you to process them more easily.
Seeking Support
You might be wondering, ‘What should i do when i feel lost?’ Having a support system in place such as online or in-person support groups, friends or family, can help to support your mental health. Finding a community of like-minded people can be an important way to connect with others sharing the same values and experiences.
Therapy or life coaching can be a useful space for self-reflection, support and guidance. If you ever feel you cannot cope with the feelings that you are experiencing, please reach out to professionals who can facilitate the help that you need.
Practical Steps to Navigate Through This Phase
It can be hard to know what to do when you feel lost. Firstly, concentrating your attention on the present moment will help you to accept that it’s ok to feel lost. When it comes to what to do in life when you feel lost, here are some ideas for helping you to navigate this phase:
Spend time in self-reflection
Use this time to get to know your inner world. This might look like refining your values, or working out what it is you want from life. When you’re thinking about life purpose, it can be helpful to ask ourselves these questions.
Set yourself some small goals
Encourage yourself to dream big! Having goals to work towards can help boost motivation levels, build self-trust, and provide a sense of achievement. You could even create a vision board which will get the creative juices flowing and help you to connect with your passions.
Try something new
Change up the energy and explore a new hobby or interest. This will allow yourself to get out of your comfort zone and even meet new people, which can open up all sorts of possibilities that you’ve not yet imagined for yourself.
Focus on self-care
We all deserve to feel good and looking after yourself is a priority. Whether it’s exercise, meditation, or giving your diet an overhaul, check in with yourself and listen to what you need.
Lean into personal development
Try reading books or listening to our Practical Spirituality podcast to help inspire and uplift you. This also opens your eyes to possibilities for your own growth, and can guide you towards transformation.Turning a Negative Into a Positive
Feeling lost can leave you feeling helpless, but often, transformation occurs right when we are least expecting it. The path of self-discovery will lead you towards your own personal growth, as you seek to understand your potential, and find your purpose. Challenging times will lead you towards a greater understanding of yourself, and what you want from life.
Turning a Negative Into a Positive
Feeling lost can leave you feeling helpless, and it can feel impossible to know what to do when you feel all hope is lost. It is in the darkest moments that transformation occurs, right when we are least expecting it. Whilst challenging times feel uncomfortable, they will lead you through many stages of personal growth, and towards a greater understanding of yourself, and your purpose.
Key Takeaways
It can be hard to know what to do when you feel like you've lost yourself. One moment life can be flowing nicely and the next, we hit a bump in the road and we’re faced with all sorts of feelings that we’ve never experienced, and we feel unsettled.
Acknowledging your feelings is vital when it comes to navigating what is happening for you. You are not alone - there are lots of coping strategies and support networks available to you, as you move through this confusing and challenging time. Next time you find yourself saying, ‘I feel so lost’, remind yourself to trust the process. Challenging times often lead to exponential growth and possibilities that you may never have imagined.
If you would like support navigating this period of your life, spiritual coaching provides a personalised approach to examining your life goals and purpose from a higher perspective. Working with Gareth can help focus on what you want from life, and get your back on track with renewed purpose and meaning. Get in touch today to book your session.
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