In life, especially if you have a routine or daily responsibilities, it’s very easy to start living on autopilot. That is, you go through the motions of your daily life but you never really feel that engaged or as if you’re making new, rejuvenated decisions. In some ways, this is expected. Our brains tend to become adept at automating the regular habits we have. For example, the first time you found your way to your new workplace, you likely felt very attentive and present. The thousandth time you travelled to work, you probably didn’t think much about pathfinding on the way.
For this reason, and many more, it’s easy to feel out of ourselves or as if our entire life has become automated – and it’s true that we can’t go on an adventure or do something new every single day of our lives. But if you wish to return to that mindset, then it may take a little effort and a willingness to flip the script. Let’s consider some healthy ways to approximate that approach:
Meditation & Stress Reduction
Meditation and stress reduction really does make a big difference as to how present we feel. Why? Because it’s very easy to become lost in our thoughts from day to day. Have you ever had that moment of thinking ‘wow, I haven’t been paying attention’ – or suddenly you feel present when you’ve been on autopilot for a while? If so, don’t worry, many people can feel like this. This is why it’s good to undergo stress reduction and concentration exercises like Vipassana for ten minutes a day, or to use simple measures to become more present like splashing cold water on your face in the afternoon and taking a quick breather away from the desktop.
Self-Care & Rejuvenation
A self-care treatment can help you feel good for a number of days or even weeks after it’s applied. For example, laser skin rejuvenation can help you replenish your skin and feel glowing for quite some time after, while those who undergo massages, especially if they have knots or tension in their shoulders, will feel fantastic after having a professional ‘knead’ that out of them, as unflattering that picture may be.
Goals & Orientation
It’s very easy to feel unmoored in life if we don’t have a direction. Of course, sometimes your direction has already been chosen. If you have a child, then just being a great parent is all the responsibility you need to focus on, and it’s enough to fill a lifetime. But it can also be healthy to keep something we chip away at to help us make autonomous decisions outside of our usual daily life. This may mean writing a small short story for an upcoming competition or deciding to become familiar with watercolors at the end of the year. It will make a profound difference.
With this advice, we hope you can feel the most ‘you’ in daily life, returning back to yourself, and shaking off the continual cobwebs of life.
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