Becoming disconnected from yourself is one of the worst yet easiest things that could happen. While some people do not have this issue, there are many people who do yet choose not to admit it nor speak up about it for various reasons. Feeling disconnected from your inner self can cause your life to seem as if all of the days and life events mesh into one continuous cycle. It can be difficult to enjoy what is around you and truly embrace all of the joy that life has to offer when you are stuck feeling lost, confused, and nearly empty. Feeling this way can be the result of past trauma, grief, emotional invalidation, suppressing your emotions, being conditioned to be strong and “hold it together,” and more. It is a given that professional help could guide you in overcoming this barrier, but when it really comes down to it, you are in charge of your own thoughts. Living like this is not a way to live, so here are ways to help you identify if you are disconnected from yourself, and some solutions to help you find your way back home.
Here are some direct signs that indicate you could be disconnected from yourself:
- You often feel extremely overwhelmed by your emotions.
- You do not feel like your normal self, but can’t name your emotions or pinpoint what you’re feeling.
- You constantly feel annoyed or irritated by people or your surroundings.
- You dislike yourself and constantly speak negatively about yourself (whether it be out loud, or in your head).
- You can’t remember what you did throughout your entire day.
- You feel like you don’t have a relationship with other people.
- You are scrolling through your phone throughout the majority of your day.
If you have read this far, I am sure you are either thinking that this has nothing to do with you or thinking that this article just read you like a book. The R.A.I.N. Technique is a way for you to figure out the root of these emotions, and a way to finally process them in order to set yourself free. Here’s a breakdown:
- Recognize (R): Identify the emotion you are feeling. If you can, name it.
- Allow (A): Accept and allow the feeling to simply exist as is.
- Investigate (I): Investigate the emotion with curiosity. Where does it come from? What event took place to cause these emotions? When did these emotions begin?
- Non-identify (N): Separate yourself from the emotion. Remember that it is what you feel, not who you are.
This technique seems simple, but there is a lot of uncomfortable thinking that is going to have to happen in order to truly solve the issue. The truth is that feeling disconnected from yourself is something that happened due to either a very strong event, or a series of unfortunate events. It is for this reason that it is going to require a lot of extremely hard work and patience in order to overcome the disconnection. It won’t happen instantly, but if you continue to work toward the bigger picture, you will soon reconnect with who you truly are and who you are meant to be.