Posted by Be You Counseling on April 8, 2019
Who are you?
Sometimes it can feel so hard to know the true answer to that question. After all, it’s a matter you can approach in so many ways.
We play a lot of different roles in life. Furthermore, we take in a lot of information, which can sometimes cloud our ability to hear our own inner truth.
There is a beautiful, wonderful, authentic self that wants to thrive. Unfortunately, all too often, we quiet that self. Instead of listening to what it needs, we go on autopilot.
We go through the motions. We check things off of our to-do lists. If we behave this way, then who we are becomes the sum of our daily habits.
The good thing about this, though, is that we can change our habits. If we eliminate bad habits in favor of healthy ones, then we can become our true selves.
Get Rid of Habits That Numb You to Yourself
Many of the habits that we engage in are numbing habits. If we do them then we become emotionally numb. Put another way, we zone out.
As a result, we can’t hear the truth of our inner voice. Therefore, those habits prevent us from being our true selves.
Here are some of those numbing habits:
Unhealthy eating including sugar, processed carbs, and foods that make us sluggish
Unhealthy drinking including caffeine and alcohol
Negative eating habits including undereating, overeating, and emotional eating
Problematic sleep habits including sleeping too much or not enough
Excessive media consumption including TV, news, gaming, and social media use
Take the time to think about your daily habits. Which ones occupy your body and mind so that you don’t have to think deep thoughts? Eliminate or reduce them if you want to be your true self.
Eliminate Habits That Place Others’ Needs Ahead of Yours
Many of us use others as an excuse not to be our true selves. For example, we say that we can’t do the things that we want to do because we are too busy at work. Similarly, we have so many errands and tasks to do for our families that we don’t attend to our own needs.
This is a sneaky way of avoiding our own truths. It’s sneaky because it seems altruistic. However, if we aren’t our true selves, then we aren’t giving our best to the world.
Take a look at your habits. How many of your daily tasks are things that you do solely or primarily for yourself? Compare those to the tasks that you do primarily because of others. Shift your habits to include more of the former and less of the latter.
Increase Healthy Habits for Revealing Your True Self
The best way to get rid of troubling habits is to replace them with healthier ones. There are many good habits that really allow you to see and know your true self.
Choose some from the list below and use them in place of current habits that you want to eliminate:
Ask yourself a daily question and listen for the answer.
Eat the foods that make you feel your best.
Get your body moving.
Learn and practice mindfulness.
Make a list of things you want from life.
Make time each day for creative activity.
Practice daily prayer or meditation.
Practice gratitude.
Spend time in nature.
Spend time with the people who make you feel your best.
Try new things that excite you.
When you first begin a habit, it’s not a habit yet. Therefore, you need to actually schedule it. Make time for it. Commit to it. Then follow through. Take time to find your reasons for wanting to form these habits. If your reasoning does not hit an emotional cord and make forming these habits a must, spend more time defining your reasons until they do. Over time, they will become habits, and you will become your best you.
Schedule a free consultation today or check out my awareness counseling page to find out how counseling/therapy can help you get clear on your goals and habits.