Tuning Into Your Inner Voice
It is incredibly difficult to remain connected with ourselves in a world where we are overloaded with information. We are constantly receiving updates about current events, pop culture and what our friend’s new puppy has been up to. It is no surprise that our minds can often feel like they are going a million miles a minute. We are constantly thinking about what we have to do, ruminating over the past or worrying about the future. Our inner voice is routinely drowned out by this informational deluge. As such, it is essential now more than ever that we develop practical tools that allow us to check in with and tune into ourselves.
Cultivate Present-Moment Awareness
Mindfulness is a great tool for cultivating present-moment awareness. It is the practice of intentionally bringing one’s attention to present feelings, thoughts and sensations without judgment. While mindfulness can be practiced through structured activities such as breath work and meditation exercises, it can be as simple as paying active and open attention to the present. Mindfulness can transform mundane experiences such as cooking dinner into an opportunity to explore what tastes, smells and textures bring your comfort and pleasure.
Listen to Your Body
Western medicine tends to conceptualize the mind and body as separate entities. In reality, however, we experience our thoughts and emotions somatically--i.e. we feel them in our bodies. This is illustrated perfectly by the folk concept of the “gut instinct”. For instance, anxiety is often accompanied by physical symptoms such as palpitations, perspiration, hyperventilation and muscle tension. Similarly, grief can lead to dry mouth, headaches, fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite. It is often challenging to name our emotions in the abstract but our body provides a concrete tool for tuning into our emotional states. Paying attention to our somatic symptoms clues us into how we are really feeling even when our thinking is muddled by external factors.
Spend Time with Yourself
When we enter a new relationship, we go on dates with a prospective partner to understand who they are--their personal philosophy, politics, values, interests and pet peeves. The process of becoming acquainted with your inner voice is no different. It is important to spend some time alone to explore and discover who you are. A great way to do so is to participate in new activities and experiences. This can involve travelling and camping. However, it can include much more modest pursuits such as taking up a new hobby, developing a new skill or reading.
Unplug from Social Media
Social media is a great tool for expanding your sphere of knowledge. It opens you up to a diverse array of viewpoints and perspectives on the world. However, it can also surround you in an ideological echo chamber that makes it difficult to ascertain your own beliefs, values and principles. While being a digital citizen necessarily involves listening to and considering the views of others, honouring your inner voice requires that you also take the time to thoughtfully reflect and formulate your own thoughts and opinions. That is why intermittently unplugging from social media is so important for discovering and remaining connected to who you are.
Connect with Others
Self-discovery is a misnomer. As social animals, our learning and growth occurs largely in the context of our interpersonal relationships. We develop our own opinions, beliefs and values by engaging with those of others. Sometimes, this involves learning from somebody and other times it involves fundamentally disagreeing with another’s perspectives. Closing ourselves off from the world tends to stifle our processes of self exploration and discovery. Given that many of us are working and learning from home, it is important to approximate social interaction through safer and/or virtual means. This can involve engaging in social media. However, it can also involve more direct forms of social interaction such as online classes, special interest groups or book clubs.