If you've ever felt like a square peg stuck in a round hole, you understand how it feels to be out of place. You feel a general lack of alignment—the sense that you are intentionally wasting time, energy, and resources can be nearly debilitating.
I know this because I've lived it firsthand—the fear, self-doubt, and worry that takes over, the way your mind may be suddenly filled with negative thoughts, and the wonder of what could have been if you had made different choices.
Recognizing that you feel out of place might be frightening, but like anything in life, it does not have to be permanent.
Here are five actions to take if you're feeling out of place.
1. Acknowledge That Your Feelings Are Trying to Communicate Something IMPORTANT to You
As a Spiritual Advisor, Yogi, and Coach, I've spent a lot of time researching the many ways people receive messages. Some people can pick up on the subtle and quiet messages conveyed to them by the universe, while others must be almost hit over the head with the knowledge.
In the latter case, the Universe will ensure that the message is magnified until it is impossible to ignore. You may be conflicted about your feelings.
For example:
You may have a solid and rewarding career, but you still feel dissatisfied. You feel lost, but it's difficult for you to admit that you're unhappy at work and may need to look into other choices to feel fulfilled.
OR
You are involved in a poisonous or dysfunctional relationship. However, you are more terrified of being alone and having to put yourself out there, so saying that you need to leave that person is too difficult.
These realizations may be tough and take time. Let go of whatever humiliation or shame you feel about your bewilderment or anxiety. People are creatures of comfort.
It is not uncommon to feel some internal resistance when you understand that what your spirit desires and what you are currently happy with are not in alignment.
Recognizing that you're off track is a critical first step toward getting back on track. It takes courage and honesty to admit that you are lost or bewildered. Give yourself credit for taking this crucial first step.
2. Take Time to Meditate on When You Started to Feel Out of Place or Off Track
Everything has a root, a cause, and a beginning point. If you want to move forward, you must first understand where you're coming from.
When utilized strategically, journaling may be an extremely useful tool. I'm not talking about the popular and therapeutic freewriting you associate with journaling, but rather "prompt journaling."
Prompt journaling allows you to focus your attention on specific questions.
Here are some prompts to help you get started.
Journaling, according to studies, can help manage anxiety and reduce stress by providing a healthy outlet for overwhelming feelings.
The act of physically writing helps you achieve clarity by giving you space to prioritize your anxieties or concerns, providing an opportunity for constructive self-talk, and a judgment-free zone to recognize bad ideas and behaviors.
3. Check in With Your Support System
Support systems are critical in determining how, when, and why you went off course in the first place. It can be beneficial to have an objective and external source to assist you handle some of the things you're learning and recognizing about yourself. It may be a lot.
Consider talking to trustworthy friends and relatives, or someone you feel comfortable talking to and know will be objective yet honest with you.
The idea is to enlist the assistance of someone who can help you identify the things you may be avoiding. In some circumstances, it is best to consult with a trusted professional, such as a therapist.
In other circumstances, you only need someone to help you organize your thoughts and develop an action plan. In that instance, you may seek the assistance of a qualified coach or experienced mentor.
Having a support system that will hold you accountable and give you space to go through the process is crucial to getting back on track. This will significantly lessen the negative effects of feeling out of place.
4. Be Grateful
Gratitude is a medicine for the soul. It has the potential to provide us with relief from mental and emotional stress.
When we practice thankfulness, amazing alchemy occurs in our brains. According to studies, spending time reflecting on what one is grateful for can lead to improved positivity, a better outlook on life, an innate drive to exercise, and fewer doctor visits.
Let's be clear. Gratitude is not about ignoring or dismissing what bothers you. Instead, gratitude requires you to become instinctively aware of your surroundings and current experience in order to discover anything—no matter how small—for which you are grateful.
It might be as easy as a beautiful day, a wonderful tangerine, water, or getting up. The thing you express thanks for does not have to be grandiose. It could be simple, tiny, and specific to your experience. The idea is for you to shift your perspective so that you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
5. Visualize Where You Want to Be
Once you've acknowledged your feelings, inquired about when they began, checked in with your support system, and expressed gratitude, the only thing left is to begin visualizing where you want to be.
It's pointless to undertake all of this effort if you don't know where you're going next. Be daring and dream big. Think (or journal) about where you want to be in one month, six months, or a year.
Draw your ideal existence. Create a vision board. There are numerous ways you can bring your concept to life.
We want to externalize these thoughts so that we may simply refer to them when we're feeling overwhelmed. At the present, it's easy to lose track of what we're doing and why. When you have access to a visual representation of your aim. It is more convenient to have it anchor you when things get hard.
A clear vision makes it easier to develop a plan of action. Finally, that plan of action will help you take the required steps to get back on track.
Final Thoughts
There is no easy way to get back on track when you feel out of place in life. You must examine yourself critically and become really curious about what is causing these feelings.
You must want to shift your focus and genuinely wish to reconnect with yourself. There must be a willingness to complete the assignment. You must believe that YOU DESERVE serenity, happiness, pleasure, and joy; otherwise, envisioning the life you desire will be difficult.
Feeling lost is not the end of the world. In reality, it's more of a rite of passage. Remember that it is not permanent, and you may speed up the process by being proactive. You can do it!
