When in the middle of a crossroad, with no clarity on the path, we feel mentally and emotionally trapped in a maze, with no guidance on the right direction, feeling astray and disoriented. When one feels lost in life, one begins to question so many things and delve into deeper questions about life in general. It is only fair then to feel disconnected from everything around you, helpless, emotionally numb, and frustrated.
Feeling lost in life is a state, though not commonly communicated by people, is one that many among us can get and experience. Maybe not knowing how to label it is the reason why we don’t share it with those around us. While it can give a sense of relief to know you are not alone and that many might have experienced the same, it is crucial to know why one can feel lost.
There are many life experiences that leave us feeling lost such as:
• Major life changes
• Loss of loved ones
• Not having a support system
• Societal pressure
• Suppressed emotions
The thing is, sometimes we are unable to identify the feeling; we know very well that we are not being ourselves, but can’t quite pinpoint the problem. When we feel lost we feel a rush of emotions including:
• Inability to take decisions, even when it comes to the smallest things.
• Feeling like crying without knowing why.
• Losing interest in the things you normally enjoy.
• Withdrawing and being out of touch with people, even the closest.
• Feeling unhappy and dissatisfied with yourself.
• Giving in easily to others’ opinions or influence.
• Losing excitement about the future.
• Can’t find the ‘why’ behind the things you do or the decisions you take.
Identifying and being able to name an emotion, is the first step into managing that emotion and overcoming it. So, coming to the most important part, what to do when you feel lost in life?
1. Use this feeling of lostness to rediscover yourself. For you to know where to go, you need to know where you are first. Feeling lost is a good starting point to dig deeper into yourself, to understand yourself more and better so you can know what you want or what you need to work on to put yourself on the right track.
2. Keep a journal. It is important to record your thoughts at times when you are feeling the most lost or lonely; it will give you a closer look at your feelings. You will become more aware of your feelings, triggers, patterns, and surrounding circumstances; and of course with more self-aware you become, the more grounded and guided.
3. Focus on self-care. Because of all the bad moods and down times that you’d normally get in such a phase, it is important to prioritize self-care. Take the time off when you need it, spend more time in nature, read a good book, or whatever things that give you an instant good feeling.
4. Distance yourself from anything that causes you stress. While it is understandable that stress can’t be totally avoidable, especially when the cause of stress is your job or a family member, try to still distance yourself from other situations that trigger stress or anxiety, whether it is a gather-up you don’t want to attend to, a meet up with people who make you feel bad. The goal here is to minimize stress as much as possible.
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