Throughout your life, you’ve likely experienced feeling lost, out of touch with yourself or like something is missing at some point in your life. It’s an inevitable part of the journey. Although it may feel frustrating at the time – it’s actually a good thing. This discomfort you are experiencing is a wake up call telling you that something in your life – perhaps it’s a relationship, job or something else – is not right. Soul searching is the solution in this situation.
Soul searching – or the idea of nourishing your soul – begins with a desire for something more, to know more, feel more, experience more and have a deeper meaning in your life. Soul searching is the journey of learning what that ‘something more’ is and aligning onto a life path that feels authentic and exciting. It is the process of figuring out your purpose, your motivations, and what you may need to change in your life in order to live in greater alignment with your true self.
Luckily, there are actionable tools and practices you can implement to help you gain clarity around what you truly desire.
Why do we sometimes feel like we ‘lose our soul’?
Before diving into how to start soul searching, let’s quickly discuss what it means to “lose your soul” and why it happens in the first place. To lose your soul means to experience disconnection with you you truly are, what you are here to do, the power available to you and the path the universe has for you.
There are many reasons why you can feel disconnected from your soul’s purpose. Some reasons include settling, not going after new goals, ignoring your intuition, living your life for others, or making decisions based on what you feel you should do.
What are some of the signs you need to do soul searching?
Everyone’s journey is unique to them, but one big obvious sign that you need to do some soul searching is that you’re constantly questioning your path and dreaming about alternative ones, like all the time.
Feelings of being stuck are also a sign. You may feel like you’re not growing or moving forward. Lack of joy, passion, excitement or fulfilment is another sign. It could be that something in your life feels off. You feel like there is something more for you, but you’re not sure what that is yet.
5 WAYS TO DO SOUL SEARCHING
1. Take inventory of where you are now
You don’t need to be in a state of unbalance to go soul-searching. In fact, a regular tune-up (some call this “soul-nourishment”) is a valuable tool to keep your spirit healthy. So, whenever you’re embarking on a soul searching quest, it helps to examine your life in its current state.
First, consider all of the major areas of your life:
- Physical (think: health and fitness)
- Psychological (think: character, emotional, spirituality)
- Partnerships (think: love relationship, family and friendships)
- Parenting (think: your kids or nieces/nephews)
- Professional (think: financial and career)
Within each category, rate how satisfied you are (with a 5 being super happy, couldn’t be better and a 0 being really dissatisfied). And then, write out a few notes of each. What are you happy about? What needs improvement? Write any recent accomplishments and any future goals. Get really honest here. When you complete the above, sit back and assess the gap. The gap is the space in between where you are now and where you want to be to get 5’s in all areas of your life.
2. Strengthen your intuition
If you’ve been living out of alignment, chances are you’ve lost touch with listening to your intuition – that deep inner knowing and wisdom that we all inherently have. Reconnecting with your intuition is what ultimately will help you uncover what you truly want in life and lead you down the right path. Take this opportunity to learn how your intuition speaks to you and practice actually listening to the nudges.
3. Make time for reflection
Spending time in stillness when soul searching is essential. It creates the time and space needed to ask yourself the deep questions and allow insight to emerge. Some recommended practices to clear the mental clutter are: pray and ask for clarity or action steps; and journaling. Some journal prompts include: What do I truly desire? What am I afraid of? How do I want to feel? If anything were possible, what would I do?
4. Explore holistic healing practices
Whether you’re a holistic healing enthusiast or you’ve yet to experience the world of alternative wellness, this is the perfect time to explore different restorative practices to help you heal and reconnect with yourself. Be open and try things like energy work, breathwork, sound bath meditations, reiki, Akashic record readings, or any classes or workshops that interest you.
5. Seek the help of a mentor
Even though soul searching requires a lot of alone time for introspection, it’s not exclusively a solitary activity. It’s helpful to have people around you who can support you throughout your journey. Connect with people who are on a similar path, who feel good to talk to, and who inspire you. Try speaking with an actual mentor or teacher or a mental health professional. You want to look for someone who has deep insight into matters of the soul and can offer you an objective perspective.
The bottom line
If you’re on a soul searching journey, keep going. Something deep within you is pushing you to go after the life you want – and that’s a beautiful thing. While it may not happen overnight, your search will eventually bring you back to yourself, and your soul.
