Have you noticed that you’re having trouble making simple decisions, unsure of how you feel about different things or not wanting to connect with the people in your life? Even the most confident people have times when they’re not feeling super grounded and connected. There are some things you can do to boost your self-awareness, security and overall mental health. Try seeking experiences that help you become aware of your body, feel present at this moment in time and find your joy. You might revisit things that remind you of who you are, such as going to familiar places, rereading your journal, watching your favorite movies or rereading spiritual texts.
No one is immune to life changes, stress, depression and other challenges that may interfere. Feeling like yourself again isn’t something you can force — a gentle, compassionate approach works best. In this article, we’ll share nine things you can do to reconnect with yourself when you’re feeling “off.”
9 gentle ways to reconnect when you’re “off” and don’t feel like yourself
Self-concept is a complex system that shapes how we feel about ourselves, combining self-image, self-esteem and ideal self. Our self-concept affects our everyday lives through our emotions, behaviors and attitudes. It may seem easy to write off “fun” activities like making art and indulging in simple pleasures as unimportant. From a mental health perspective, these activities are essential to maintaining a vibrant and healthy self-concept.
Try one or two of the following activities to rekindle your connection with yourself:
Return to simple pleasures.
What are the simple, everyday joys that instantly light you up? Is it an iced coffee, your favorite cuisine or cute animal videos? Find something small you can do for yourself, or a few things. It’s especially powerful if you can find a way to engage with your inner child.
Engage your senses mindfully.
Sight, sound, touch, taste and smell can offer fast and powerful ways to ground yourself. Try using an essential oil diffuser with a calming scent like lavender. Listen to calming binaural frequencies on your headphones. Grab your coziest blanket and wrap yourself up or take a bath.
Spend time in nature.
Getting outside near trees, water or wildlife can be very restorative. Research has proven that grounding or earthing by simply walking barefoot on grass can help you feel a sense of well-being — and provide a number of other health benefits.
Practice self-compassion and take breaks to rest.
You can show yourself compassion by setting realistic expectations, giving yourself breaks when you need them and speaking to yourself with kindness. Think of it as treating yourself with the kindness you’d show a friend.
Reconnect with your values.
Identifying what truly matters to you can help you reconnect with who you are and make decisions that are aligned with your self-concept. This is a great way to create long-term grounding and stability.
Engage in gentle movement.
If you’re feeling physically off, gentle and joyful movement can help you feel more comfortable and relaxed in your body. Put on some calming music and sway back and forth or do some light stretching. Or find a yin yoga video and follow along.
Reach out to trusted people.
If you ask the people who are closest to you what your best qualities are or why they love you, you might be surprised at the influence you have on their lives. Give it a try and see what they say. This may make you feel vulnerable at first, but it’s almost guaranteed to have great results.
Create something.
Most people have at least one form of creative expression that they connect with. It could be drawing or painting, writing, cooking, making things with clay, playing an instrument, or something else. Virtually anything you can make with your hands will count.
Reflect and practice gratitude.
Taking time to let your feelings come to the surface and sort out your thoughts may help you reconnect. Many of the activities on this list can help set the mood for introspection. Even on our most “blah” days, there’s usually something to be grateful for. Focusing on that thing for a few minutes can change your perspective.
When feeling “off” persists, get help understanding your feelings
Life is most satisfying when you’re self-assured enough to be fully present and engaged. The reality, however, is that everyone feels “off” sometimes. To reconnect and maintain a good relationship with ourselves, we need to cultivate self-compassion and spend quality time doing activities that make us feel alive. If these feelings hang around for more than a week, or if you’re noticing other symptoms, consider talking with a licensed clinician.
Seeing an outpatient therapist can help you gain perspective and learn how to navigate your thoughts and feelings effectively. Higher levels of treatment are also available to help with symptoms that are interfering with your life.
At Lightfully, we take a whole-person-focused approach to mental health care. This includes getting to know yourself well and learning how to respond to your thoughts and feelings in helpful ways. Our clinicians use a framework called Precision Care Model (PCM) to ensure you get exactly the treatment you need, focusing on the basic processes of thoughts, emotions, behaviors and relationships.
Are you looking for treatments that go beyond outpatient therapy to address your anxiety? We can help. Reach out to our Admissions Concierge Team today.
