If you’d like to know the question to this title’s statement, head back to the previous writing: 10 Signs you’re on the right track- “Living or Existing?”.
Ever found yourself setting these visions for how your life is going to look like, filling them with endless possibilities, only to be dragged down by life itself? Me too. It happens, and that’s okay. We understand that in the midst of hardships, everything seems impossible. Giving up might be the only option your mind decides to come up with. That’s why it’s important to stress on the fact that these small hiccups don’t make you a failure (even if that’s what it feels like at the moment), they make you human. Remember that the process of actually living requires experiencing hurdles along the way, which may take you back a few steps. But you know what? Sometimes we need those few setbacks to help us see things clearer with a new set of fresh perspectives. And like the many remedies you can look up online to cure the hiccups, here are some that include life-based ones (slip-ups). Now that we have an idea of some of the pointers that show you’re heading in the correct path, it’s time to share how we can get back on track if we feel that we’re not in our intended one.
To start this off, we’d like to share how needed it is to be aware of all the areas in your life (relationships, career, health, spirituality, etc.), and how you are dealing with them now in the present moment. Creating a life audit/review is solely based on you. You are the designer. If a diagram, list of questions, or even taking a life assessment can help you see things clearer, then go ahead! The important thing here is to feel that you have some control over your life. That you at least know how you’re assessing every aspect of it (identifying root causes) so you can start making needed changes to get back on track in the areas you see need it the most. Some questions to ask yourself when conducting your life audit:
Let’s say you already know the parts of your life that seem to have swooped you off that right track. Now what? Notice that everything you do in life requires you to give your energy in, even in the simplistic moments like texting that friend back. The bottom line is, your energy is precious. It’s valuable. Don’t waste it all on the wrong, draining aspects of your life. Prioritize those that mean something to you. If fixing that un-easy relationship, you have with your mom will get you peace of mind, then let’s work on that! If learning self-love is something that’s been affecting your growth, then let’s seek help! You are in control, so be keen on where you’re putting your energy in.
So now you’ve, let’s assume gave some areas (that caused you setbacks) some priority and are willing to exert some of your energy on them to try to get back on track. What about the other stuff that’s weighing you down but you don’t even seem to care that much about it? They’re causing you discomfort and even fixing them won’t seem beneficial in any way. Cut them out! Sometimes, letting things go makes your life better. I’ve bet we’ve at least once got rid of those toxic people, places, or things and felt like a weight has been lifted
off our shoulders. Not until this can happen can we feel that we’re once again back on track.
Quick story: most of the times when I find myself sad and off track, I begin to replay that old mixed tape in my head which usually is filled with all the bad moments that I’ve ever been a part of. It’s scary that I can sometimes go way back to my childhood even and begin replaying all the sad-off track days I felt. But the positive outcome I can confidently end this short story with is that now, it’s different. The more I acknowledged the fact that my mind loves to play these loopy games on me, and the more I felt how much it caused me to go so off track, the more I finally thought about how I can deal with all of this in a constructive way. The answer is to think about the now moment. The present. The here and now. Whatever you might call it, reliving all past sad days is never healthy and will only throw you off guard. That’s when you have to try to focus on where you are now and how the present moment is the only moment that truly matters for growth.
Side note: in certain situations (like in therapy), sometimes it is felt that remembering past moments can be beneficial for your character development and dealing with life in general. We’re not opposing the idea of past events; we’re just trying to avoid them taking over our current life by dwelling on them.
Self-care is tricky, but so important. When you find yourself in the midst of those hiccups along your life’s journey, don’t forget to check in with yourself. Take some time out of your day to take care of yourself and of your mental health. This can look something like:
All these examples do revolve around committing to things we enjoy doing, but you know what else is considered self-care?
And so much more.
The thing is, we can sometimes lose ourselves when hurdles are in our way. We can easily feel off-balanced when searching for how to hop on back! So, try to remember that you are important too. Self-care is the core machinery that moves us. How you treat yourself reflects greatly on all your life’s situations. So, whether you decide to take time off with participating in an activity you like or start taking a stance on things you believe in, always remember that taking care of yourself will reflect afterwards. It means you love and care for yourself enough to get back on track with your life.
“Easier said than done” is a phrase that has been used in those seemingly unreachable moments. Reading a couple of tips and tricks to bounce back on track is easy. Understanding and grasping the idea behind them is doable. Implementing action is the challenging part, achievable but challenging. Therefore, for the sake of maintaining a healthy, well-balanced track journey, try to take things one step at a time. Change and growth don’t have to be super noticeable with huge gestures and life-changing events! Small meaningful steps are important too. The effort you put in to get back on the right path is important too. Falling off of it and steering your way back on it over and over again is bound to happen (it’s okay). So, whenever you feel that you’re not where you want to be now: take a step back, breathe, know that it is normal to experience hiccups along the way, check in with yourself, and just get back to this writing! Maybe it’ll help.
