While the ongoing pandemic ravages the globe and
political turmoil are felt across nations, it’s not hard to see why you may be
feeling lost, confused, or out of place in life. The extent to which the
Covid-19 Global Pandemic has affected your mental health, emotional stability,
and overall confidence cannot be underscored enough. The United States is an
excellent case study of the deleterious effects this pandemic has had on the mental
health of most people.
From January to September 2020, the United States
experienced a consistent uptick in adults reporting feelings of depression
and/or anxiety. As a result, the US saw a 62% increase in depression screenings
and a 92% increase in anxiety screenings. Unless you have been hiding in a
cave without tv or internet and have everyone you love with you, COVID-19 has
impacted your daily life in some negative way.
Life has completely changed forever. But that
doesn’t mean that there’s something wrong with you. It makes sense that you are
trying to figure out a new way to navigate through this uncertain landscape.
Here are the 3 things you need to remember that will
help you start figuring out life in this new post-corona reality.
1. Feeling Lost Is Normal
You’ve lost your way. While it may feel completely
overwhelming, it isn’t novel. Millions, perhaps each of the billions of people
on the planet, have lost their way at some point during their lifetime. Feeling
lost doesn’t mean that there is something wrong with you.
Admitting that you do not feel right will help you
realize that you are unclear about:
- what you
should do next,
- if you are
on the right track,
- f you should
stay the course,
- if you made
the choices that led you to this moment,
- and why you want to continue or discontinue this course of
action.
When you find that you are questioning yourself
about fundamental things in your life, then that is a good indication that
something is up, and you should inquire further.
Once you have made this critical admission with
yourself, don’t rush to generate answers. Give yourself some time to sit with
the question. It’s easier said than done. However, the data that comes from
intentional reflection on these important questions is more valuable than gold.
Understand that this process of intentional
reflection may take some time. You will have to be very gentle with yourself.
Know that there will be times when the process may feel uncomfortable ad hard.
Remember to give yourself a lot of grace throughout the process, especially
when you feel like giving up.
The fact that you have lost your way is an
indication that you have arrived at an important moment in your life. You are aware
that things feel out of alignment, and you want to do something about it.
Ultimately, taking the steps to find yourself offers you an opportunity to
learn more about yourself.
2. Stop Clinging and Let Go
The chaos of feeling lost can be intoxicating.
Escaping its grip is not easy, but the process is simple. Stop clinging to the
discomfort, sadness, and uncertainty and let go. In other words, don’t be
afraid to surrender. You must let go of the things that you cannot control
externally if you are to find yourself again.
Letting go of the things you cannot control is one
of the most difficult things a person can do. Each lived experience is not only
a memory but is also an archived recollection of your individual perception of
an event.
In those moments of awareness that no one has
control over external forces, everyone reacts differently. Some internalize it
feeling as though they must protect themselves from external forces by trying
to control as much as they can. Others detach from it, adopting the mentality
that they can only control themselves and their behavior. They may be able to
influence external forces, but they accept that they can not control them. The
second group has adopted more of a surrender approach.
There can be no freedom without surrender.
Regardless of what you believe—whether there’s really something wrong with you
or not—we can agree that when you permit yourself to surrender to the “greater
plan” or “go with the flow,” it makes your load a little lighter. You
worry a little less, you breathe a little deeper, your patience grows a pinch,
and you feel more grounded in the knowledge that you have stopped clinging to
the hope of an outcome that is out of your control.
Surrendering can be the most powerful tool you have
to find yourself because it will free you from the shackles of other people’s
opinions. You will no longer be restrained by the external influences that once
forced you to fight against yourself, constantly exhausting yourself
energetically. You can embrace the process of learning the truth of who you are
right now with compassion and
unconditional self-love.
3. Rest Is Essential
The hard work of getting found is exhausting. Rest is
essential to your ability to think clearly, face the hard truths you discover,
and take really good care of yourself along the way. Whenever you feel like
there is something wrong with you, rest is the important medicine you take
daily to help you operate at the highest level.
When we think of rest, most of us think of sleep.
Whether you nap during the day, occasionally rest your eyes or are very
disciplined about getting your 6-8 hours nightly, there is no denying that
sleep is one the most effective forms of rest. However, it’s not the only form.
Rest can take many
other forms. Rest can be meditation, relaxation, going to nature, laying down
without sleeping, turning off all TV/radios for a few hours, listening to
non-verbal music, taking a day of silence, or going to be in a secluded
environment.
It can also be a massage, pedicure, time coloring,
or watching your favorite show. Rest allows you to turn your brain off and come
back to the center while reconnecting with yourself. Intentionally resting will
give you time to reflect on the new information you are learning about yourself
as you find yourself.
If you have some resistance to the idea of rest,
that’s understandable. Depending on where in the world you live, rest can
either be seen as an essential part of every day like it is in many European
countries or as a luxury for the lazy. Regardless of what society tells you,
rest is essential to your personal revolution.
Final Thoughts
Feeling lost is par for the course, especially in
this ever-changing post-pandemic world we are living in where each day feels
more and more like a lost episode of the twilight zone just released from the
archives. The quicker you realize that there is nothing wrong with you feeling
lost, the quicker you can start to do the work of learning about yourself in
the “right now.”
Surrendering to a “higher power” or “the flow” can
be really helpful as you move through this challenging work. Clinging to past
ideas of who you thought you were or what you thought you had to do will only
make the process of learning yourself now—today—more difficult. Letting go will
give you the freedom to worry less and be present more for journey of finding
yourself.
Finally, rest, rest, rest! Don’t take the
intellectual knowing of what this experience should look like for granted.
Taking the time to intentionally find yourself is exhausting. Sleep, eat well,
be kind and patient with yourself, and protect your energy.
When you are connected with yourself, you are
proactively finding yourself daily. Each time you allow yourself to
intentionally reflect, you are detached from what you cant control while
prioritizing connection with yourself and rest—you win. Its hard to get lost
when you are taking the time to really know yourself.
Remember that there would be no “Amazing Grace” if
the composer was not first lost and went on the journey to become found.
Source: https://bit.ly/2LVud55
About the author
Awilda
Rivera is a Success Coach, Author, Yogi &
Spiritual Advisor. She empowers Baby Boomers, Gen X’ers & Millennials to
use the power of self-determination to redefine and achieve success on their
own terms. Read the first chapter of her book SUCCESS MATH: A Millenial's
Qualitative Approach for FREE and get inspired! Visit www.AwildaRivera.com to
sign up for her mailing list to stay in the know!
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