We often don’t live like our authentic selves in our day to day because of societal programming. It’s in our nature as human beings to try to be liked by others; in the past, this is how we survived. Today this isn’t the case, in fact, society thrives and is pushed forward by people who are different. These people are living as their authentic selves unapologetically.

Signs that you aren’t living authentically can be frequent arguments with friends and family, feeling anxious and/or depressed, feeling unhappy with life, feeling like you aren’t aligned with your purpose or don’t know what your purpose is at all. When I was diagnosed with Crohn’s and PTSD, I had this looming realization that I didn’t know who I was and couldn’t understand my body. I blamed my body for not taking care of me, when I should’ve been taking care of it.

If you are feeling this way, even if for a day or two, it doesn’t hurt to try to reconnect with yourself. Here are some tips for re-discovering your authentic self:

1. Sit down and meditate with a journal. Ask your subconscious or God to show you what lessons and guidance you haven’t been receiving. Even if nothing comes to you or you feel like you can’t focus, write steam-of-consciousness style in your journal before quieting down.

2. Take an hour to practice self care. I recommend quieting your brain with at least three cycles of boxed breathing deep into the belly. Some of my favorite ways to reconnect with my body and authentic self is through dry brushing, a face mask, steaming my face, and/or a bath.

3. Do an activity you love. My favorite is horseback riding. For me, there is nothing like the thrill of galloping across a field to jolt me back into my body and remind me of how strong and powerful I can be.

4. If it’s in your budget, plan an unplugged weekend in the woods, or simply unplug for the weekend. We all know how damaging social media can be; our phones are just tiny societal programming machines. Taking a weekend to clean the house, take a bath, go for walks, watch an old movie, all while ignoring the outside world can tune us back into what we want in life.

Sit down with your journal and ask yourself what truly matters in life. If you do nothing else, do this. Take inventory and check in: how do you spent your time? If you find that it’s hard to dive into this, it’s probably because you’re currently filling your life with things that don’t align with you. Start small, make an effort to do a hobby that makes you happy by scheduling it into your calendar. Whatever you find yourself gravitating towards, do more of it and start seeing if you can make it into a side business that might blossom into a full time thing. You never know! I truly believe God and the Universe put us on earth for a reason and once we connect with it, everything else will fall into place. Being our authentic selves takes bravery and determination. I believe in you!