Why Don’t I Feel Like Myself Anymore? How to Find Yourself Again When Life Changes

I just don’t feel like myself anymore.

I hear versions of this quite a lot.

Nothing is dramatically wrong.

Life is carrying on.

But somehow you don't quite recognise the person living it.

And our instinct is often to start adding things.

I need to exercise more.

Lose weight.

Get out more.

Find a hobby.

Sort my sleep out.

Get my motivation back.

But before adding another thing to your life, try asking a different question:

What changed?

And don't just look at the last few months.

Who were you before work, children, relationships, caring, loss, responsibilities and years of being the person everybody could rely on?

Go right back.

Who were you as a child?

What could you disappear into for hours?

What made you laugh?

What fascinated you?

What did you do simply because you loved doing it?

You don't need to turn this into inner-child work or analyse yourself.

Just choose one thing you loved.

Music. Animals. Drawing. Dancing. Books. Being outside. Making things. Singing. Mud. Sport. Daydreaming.

And sometime this week, give that part of you ten minutes.

Not because it's good for your nervous system.

Not because you're healing.

Not because it's another bloody thing you should be doing.

Because you used to love it.

Then notice how it feels.

Maybe when we're asking “Who am I now?”, we don't always need to start by looking forward.

There may be a few breadcrumbs behind us too.

Sue x