feeling lost?

#lost #nodirection

Feeling lost can be different for everyone. It’s a complex emotion with no clear, clinical definition. However, there are signs we can point to that may suggest we are feeling lost. Let’s explore what feeling lost can mean and how we can relate to the symptoms.

Often feeling lost can come from recently experiencing a major life event that was unexpected and traumatic. For example, the divorce of our parents, or the death or illness of a family member or friend. This may leave us also feeling empty inside.

These events don’t have to be unexpected and traumatic. It’s sometimes difficult to pinpoint when these feeling started or what has caused us to feel lost. You might just go about your life and one morning you’re lying in bed wondering what it all means, questioning why you need to get up and go to school or work.

Feeling lost can also mean feeling stuck. This can come from experiencing an emotional situation but one we can’t really make sense of. Maybe a friend moved to a different country or you’re failing exams and assignments.

These feelings can also be accompanied by rumination. This means to think about something constantly or excessively in a sad, painful or negative way.

Some of the most common symptoms of feeling lost include:

Feeling stuck, numb or directionless
Not being sure what to do
Feeling empty or helpless inside
Feeling aimless, just floating to task to task without direction
No longer recognising yourself
Not feeling as if you fit in anywhere
Having difficulty concentrating
Feeling lonely or isolated

If these symptoms are familiar to you, we suggest them click here to read our blog about how to help them cope with feeling lost.

If you want them to speak to someone about how you’re feeling, then click here to book a session with a MaxiMinds psychologist.

Can’t wait to speak to someone? Call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Remember, if it’s an emergency, please call 000.

References

Klonsky, E. D. (2008). What is emptiness? Clarifying the 7th criterion for borderline personality disorder. Journal of Personality Disorders, 22(4), 418-426.

McGoldrick, M. (2018). Therapists' understanding of the client-reported phenomenon of feeling stuck (Doctoral dissertation, City, University of London).

Simon, N. M. (2013). Treating complicated grief. Jama, 310(4), 416-423.
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Learn more about feeling lost

finding your direction

#direction #future
#purpose

When we feel lost, we may feel like they have lost their sense of direction in life. Finding direction first involves gaining greater self-awareness about themselves, including their habits, tasks, activities, achievements and thoughts.

This can involve encouraging them to do a series of small activities which can give them greater awareness. We recommend them to start taking action today by doing one or more of the following activities:
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Healthy habits – write down daily activities to maximise their healthy habits & minimise their unhealthy habits
Routine tasks – record daily, weekly and monthly tasks to structure their life in a productive and healthy way
Favourite activities – write a list of activities that they are good at, interested in and enjoy doing (& doing them!)
To do & ta da – balance your morning ’to do’ list with a nightly ‘ta da’ list to reflect on the day’s achievements
Journalling – journal their thoughts and feelings to declutter their mind & develop greater self-awareness

Once they have gained greater insight into where they are spending their time, energy and resources, they are able to assess where they want to go for the future. This can involve doing a number of activities, including:
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Wellness wheel – draw my wellness wheel (current & future state) across multiple domains to determine ‘where to next’‍
Ikigai – find their ikigai; what they are good at, what they like doing, what the world needs & what they can get paid for
SMART goals – write down 3-5 SMART goals to determine their future hopes, dreams & desired achievements

Remember that they can fail from doing nothing, but they can’t fail from doing something!

Learn more about helping find your direction

lost then found

#direction #future #goals

Year 12 was a whirlwind for me. I remember having lots of fun and learning a lot but I also remember being stressed for most of the year. There was so much to do and so little time to do it. In just one year we had to fit in 40 weeks of classes, homework, assignments and assessments, while making time for friends and family, extracurricular activities, work and social events. As if that wasn’t stressful enough, there was always the thought in the back of my mind, a thought that influenced what classes I picked, how hard I would work on my assessments, how much time I could spend with my family, how often I could see my friends...

“What am I supposed to do next?”

Just thinking about the future stressed me out because, deep down, I just felt lost. I knew I wanted to go to university, but I didn’t know why or what for. I can’t tell you the amount of times I deep dived through university websites, browsing every single degree they offered, and the amount of pros and cons lists I drafted up comparing degrees, universities and jobs. It was such an overwhelming time and I remember wanting to put a pause on life for a bit, just to figure everything out and get back on track.

I didn’t know it then, but I’ve since realised that I’m not the only one who felt that way, almost everyone I know felt lost in some way during the last years of school, and that’s completely normal. Looking back on it, I wonder how as 16- or 17-year-olds we were supposed to know where we want to be or what we want to do in 10 years’ time? Even now I don’t know what the future will look like for me and that’s still completely normal. But now, almost 5 years later, I know that there is support and tools and strategies that can help me manage these feelings of unease.

Online psychological services are a less intimidating way to access the help needed without having to walk into a psychologist’s office. MaxiMinds is a unique psychoeducation platform which offers immediate strategies and resources to recognise and manage the challenges we can face and help overcome the feelings that prevent us from thriving mentally.

Here are some of the useful tools that MaxiMinds recommends for use when feeling lost or directionless.

Journalling. It sometimes takes time to recognise and digest what’s happening and what you’re feeling. Keeping a journal can help declutter what’s in your mind and change your thoughts by taking a more rational perspective to any situation.
Ikigai. These feelings and thoughts can be so overwhelming that you might become feeling drained, exhausted and just unmotivated. To bring back that drive, try to find your “ikigai”—your life purpose. Your ikigai is the overlap of what you’re good at, what you like doing, what the world needs and importantly what you can get paid for. Finding this can inspire you and recognise your unique value and impact on the world.
Bite size tasks. Too much on your plate? Too little time to do it all? Break down that overwhelming list into bite-sized chunks so you have one big task, three medium-sized tasks and five smaller ones. Reframing this can alleviate that overwhelming feeling by making what you need to do more achievable and giving you greater control over them.

Tools such as these are easy to practice and effective in managing when you feel lost, unmotivated or overwhelmed.

Do you recognise this experience and want to practice strategies to manage these feelings? Or just wanting to improve your mental wellbeing? Click here to find out what Maximinds can do for you.

Learn more about overcoming feeling lost

MaxiMinds is not an emergency mental health service. If you or someone you know are in urgent need of help, please present to the emergency department at your nearest hospital or contact the following mental health crisis teams.

Emergency 000 | Mental Health Line 1800 011 511 | Lifeline 13 14 11