Rediscovering who you are is a process of getting back in touch with your real self, reflecting on your values, and remembering your strengths. This can help you become more secure, honest, and content in life. There are several approaches to rediscovering yourself, but here some common steps that may be helpful:
Recognize the scenarios that impact your self-esteem. How you feel about yourself and your competence is known as self-esteem. Situations such as failing, being turned down, experiencing an argument, or going through a transformation can make you doubt yourself and your abilities. Try to recognize when these events occur and how they influence your feelings and ideas.
Counter negative thoughts and feelings that come up during these situations. Often, they are inaccurate, irrational or exaggerated and can make one feel bad about themselves or keep them from taking a positive course of action. Try to challenge those beliefs and replace them with more realistic, positive, or neutral ones instead. For example, swap out the thought “I’m a failure” with “I made a mistake, but I can learn from it and do better next time”.
Practice self-compassion and self-care to help you cope with stress, heal emotional pain, and nurture your general welfare. Talk to yourself like you would a friend; be gentle and understanding of your emotions without judgment; give yourself permission to take breaks for fun; do things that make you happy or relaxed; eat well; sleep enough; and exercise regularly.
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- Revisit your values and goals: Values are what matter most to you in life. Goals are what you want to achieve or accomplish. Sometimes, you may lose sight of your values and goals due to external pressures, expectations, or distractions. Some questions to help you revisit your values and goals are: What do I value most in life? Are my actions aligned with my values? What do I want to achieve or accomplish in the short-term and long-term? How can I make progress toward my goals?
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- Celebrate your achievements and strengths: Achievements are the things you have done or accomplished that make you proud or satisfied. Strengths are the qualities or skills that you have or can develop that make you unique or valuable. Some ways to celebrate your achievements and strengths are: keeping a journal of your successes, giving yourself compliments or rewards, sharing your accomplishments with others who support you, learning new skills or improving existing ones.
I hope these steps can help you regain yourself and feel more positive about yourself and your life