When You’ve Forgotten Who You Are (How To Get Back On Track)

When life gets off track it can feel like you’ve forgotten who you are.

Despite our best-laid plans life has a way of taking its own course and you find yourself going down an unfamiliar path. Your days become a race against the clock trying to steer things back on course.

When this happens we can get so distracted it’s hard to remember what happened yesterday, how we felt, what we saw or heard, even what our dreams were.

It’s not long before you don’t feel like yourself. Life has become so complicated, you feel like you’ve forgotten who you are.

It’s like driving in neutral, you can’t move you’re stuck because you’re no longer sure which direction to turn in.

How To Get Back On Track When You’ve Forgotten Who You Are

At this point, you may be wondering how your life got to where it is. When this happens it’s time to get out of neutral and move. Here are 6 things that will turn you in the right direction when it feels like you’ve forgotten who you are. 

1. Create Space

Simplify, simplify, simplify. Or to simplify, you need to simplify! When life is overwhelming the best thing you can do for yourself is simplify your life as much as conceivably possible. This means creating space in your life where ever you can. 

I’m just gonna be honest with you. This is not easy, especially when all you want to do is hide from life or feel overwhelmed. But the benefits are immense if you want to start moving forward.

When everything is piling up and feels urgent the result is that nothing is clear. Everything becomes a distraction because you don’t have the space to figure out what you should be doing.

Set aside one full day to clear some space. I’m talking about your living space, your workspace, and your calendar.

Remove as many distractions as you are able to so that you can give yourself some room to breathe and start thinking clearly. If nothing else you’ll be able to catch your breath because you’ll have accomplished something and started moving forward even if it’s just clearing some space.

2. Spend Time Alone

Once you’ve created some space and can catch your breath a little bit, make every effort to make some alone time!

Regardless of whether you’re an introvert or an extrovert, EVERYONE needs alone time now and then. This is never more true than when you’re feeling overwhelmed by life to the extent you’ve forgotten who you are.

In a perfect world, a weekend or night away with just you would be amazing. But I know circumstances don’t always allow that to be possible.

In that case, arrange for a day or afternoon away. Find a babysitter if needed or trade babysitting with a friend.

A drive to the beach or just sitting on a bench in a beautiful park would be refreshing. Even a local coffee shop alone will allow you to clear your head and focus on the things that will move your life forward.  

Spending some time alone is the best way to gain some clarity and get back to who you are. 

3. Let Others Remind You

When you get into that rut of feeling low and down on yourself to the extent that it feels like you’ve lost sight of who you are, having someone to remind you of your awesomeness is essential!

The thing is you have to be willing to allow others to remind you of all you’ve accomplished. This isn’t always easy to do but it’s so helpful to bring you back to that place of seeing things a little more clearly.

We all have moments when we need someone to be the voice of reason and truth, reminding you it’s not all doom and gloom. Having someone to tell us they are proud of us and remind us that we are brave and strong and loved means everything during this time. 

Just remember you need to be open to sharing how you’re really feeling. Be willing to let them know you’re struggling to get back to who you are. 

4. Remind Yourself

Even if you feel like you’ve forgotten who you are, the fact remains that no one knows you better than you know yourself.

What you’re dealing with in your life at this exact moment doesn’t define who you are. Remember the last time you felt like yourself. What were the things that brought you joy? Think about the things that made you proud of yourself. 

To get back to your old self remember your favorite things to do and start doing them! 

5. Let Go Of Safety Nets

I am not saying this flippantly. I recognize this can be so hard. It is especially hard when life is so complicated that it makes you feel like you’ve forgotten who you are. 

But the truth is our safety nets are often the exact things holding us back. When you reach this point it’s most likely that you’ve stopped trusting yourself and are struggling to make decisions. This is why you may not be moving forward.

One of the biggest problems with “out safety nets” is we go to them when we are feeling fearful and unsure. Well-meaning friends and family give advice to help because you’re feeling stuck. In turn, because you’re feeling stuck and unsure it becomes easy to just do what they say. 

The problem then arises when you start feeling like your life is not your own because it’s being dictated by others’ opinions and suggestions.

Getting back on track involves re-learning to trust yourself. This may also mean willingness to stand or fall on your own. When you do, you’ll be reminded of just how strong and capable you are!

6. Take Action

Taking action gets you out of a neutral position and propels you forward. The key is being intentional with those steps. 

It’s time to stop overthinking and do something. The longer you allow yourself to sit in the stage of uncertainty the harder it becomes to move forward.

You do not have to have everything figured out to do something. Do one thing you’ve been procrastinating on, write out a new goal, make a coffee date with an old friend. It doesn’t matter what you do, the point is to do something that will help you get back on track.

It’s all about taking action!

Consider Professional Help

When life is extra complicated remember to be patient with yourself. It may take time to get back to where you are. If you are continuing to struggle don’t be afraid to seek out help from a professional. 

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration national hotline may be a good place to start.