12 Powerful Steps To Take When You Feel Lost In Life

Have you ever faced those moments when you feel lost in life? Moments when you would wake up to this feeling of constant longing for something else or something more but you don’t really know what that something is.

So you just keep going through the motions of life on autopilot. Feeling stuck and empty inside. I’m certainly no stranger to this feeling.

I can’t even begin to tell you the number of times I found myself in the same situation.

It felt like I was just wandering through life aimlessly. Feeling so confused, and without any purpose.

I definitely know how frustrating that can be and to be perfectly honest, sometimes feeling lost can also be so isolating and lonely.

Especially when everyone around you just seems to have everything figured out and they are just handling life like a pro, while you’re here just stumbling your way without any clue about where you’re going and what you’re here for.

And because of that, you start to feel mentally drained and hopeless, thinking that life will never get better for you and that you will never be able to find your way.

I used to believe that too but of course, I was wrong. I want you to know that feeling lost doesn’t mean that you’re doomed. It’s not a sign of weakness or that you’re not good enough.

We all go through moments like these and the important thing to remember is that while it may be uncomfortable and difficult, we can take small steps that will help us navigate this season and find clarity and purpose.

In this post, I will be sharing with you the steps I took that have tremendously helped me find my way when I felt completely lost and alone. I’m hoping that these steps will help you navigate your journey too.

What To Do When You Feel Lost

1. Take A Deep Breath

One of the most important things that you have to do is to allow yourself to take a deep breath. Allow yourself to press pause on the chaos and noise of life and just breathe.

When you feel lost in life, it’s so easy to get consumed by the feeling of overwhelm. When I was going through this season, there were so many days when I felt suffocated by everything.

It honestly felt like the world was closing in on me. It felt like life was just passing me by while I was just standing still, stuck, and unsure of what I really wanted to do and where I wanted to go.

That’s why in moments like these it’s so important to slow down and just take a deep breath. Doing this may seem like a very simple thing but it can make such a huge difference.

Taking a deep breath not only allows us to take a step back, slow down and gather our thoughts. It also allows us to untangle our thoughts and worries and just let calm and peace wash over us.

It is like pressing the reset button on everything that we are thinking and gives us the moment of clarity that we were looking for to help us gain a new and helpful perspective.

2. Give Yourself Time To Reflect

Self reflection plays an important role in helping you find your way when you feel lost in life. When I was going through this season, I started to question almost everything in my life. All the decisions I’ve made. All the opportunities I’ve let slip away.

If I was even on the right path and ultimately, what my purpose was. Everything in my life just felt hazy and I just didn’t know where to go from there.

This is where self reflection comes in. Often we get so caught up in checking things off our to-do list thinking that productivity is the only way to help us navigate our way back to a sense of purpose and meaning that we fail to check in with ourselves and ask ourselves how we are really feeling.

By allowing yourself the time to reflect, you are giving yourself space to explore your thoughts, and feelings and most importantly, ask yourself the hard questions. What is it that makes you really happy? How do you define fulfillment?

It’s important to be honest with yourself in answering these questions. Doing this will help you step back and figure out if your actions are still aligning with your goals, values, and beliefs.

3. Take It One Step At A Time

When we want to make big changes in our lives, it’s so easy to continuously push ourselves to do everything at once. But the problem with doing this is that it often leads to us feeling so overwhelmed and paralyzed that we end up giving up easily.

One of the valuable lessons that I’ve learned while I was navigating this journey is that there is certainly nothing wrong with taking it one step at a time. There’s nothing wrong with making small changes every day instead of taking huge leaps.

Remember that finding your way back is not always a straightforward process. There will be days when your motivation will be challenged. Days when you feel down and hopeless.

On days like those, the important thing to do is to just take each day as it comes, focus on the present moment, and on the next small step that you can take to move forward.

Remind yourself that you don’t always have to look at the big picture and figure everything out at once. You are allowed to take it step by step and know that by doing this you will eventually gradually find your path and rediscover your purpose.

4. Seek Out Things That Motivate And Inspire You

When you feel lost in life, it’s so easy to start doubting yourself and your abilities. It’s easy to feel hopeless and get caught up in the negativity. You start to feel like you’re stuck in a rut and slowly you lose sight of the things that truly excite you and make you happy.

That’s why it’s important to actively surround yourself with motivating and inspiring things. It could be diving into a motivational book, or listening to an inspiring podcast.

Basically, anything that’ll lift your spirits and remind you that you have the power and strength to push past this and to keep going. Remember that sometimes all it takes is a small dose of motivation and inspiration to help you light that fire within you and remind you of your capabilities and passion.

So keep looking for that inspiration. Surround yourself with it and keep cheering yourself on.

5. Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help

I know that when we are going through difficult times, we are often hesitant to reach out and ask for help. I’m certainly no stranger to this feeling.

When I felt so lost and confused, I was afraid to let anybody know how I was really feeling thinking that I will just be burdening them with my problems.

I believed that since this is my life then I have to figure this out on my own. But let me tell you, I was wrong for believing that.

Remember that we all go through seasons of confusion and feeling lost and you don’t have to go through it alone. Asking for help will not make you a burden, especially to the people that truly love you.

Asking for help will never be a sign of weakness either. I truly believe that opening ourselves up to other people is a true sign of strength and courage.

Remind yourself that it’s okay to not try to figure out everything on your own for once. It’s okay to let people in and offer you support and encouragement. More often than we would like to admit, it’s actually what we need to help us gain a new perspective and remind us of our strengths and boost our confidence.

6. Learn Something New

Learning something new when you feel lost in life is a great way to help you discover new passions and expand your perspective which can ultimately help you find inspiration in discovering your purpose.

When we’re feeling lost, we tend to find ourselves stuck in a rut and unmotivated to do anything or go after anything. We tend to just go through the motions of life, feeling empty and bored by the monotony.

By allowing yourself to learn something new, you are giving yourself the chance to break free from autopilot and start rekindling your sense of excitement and determination.

So don’t be afraid to allow yourself to dive into new creative pursuits and fresh challenges to help awaken your enthusiasm for life.

7. Remind Yourself That Feeling Lost Is Temporary

When you feel lost in life or when life gets hard, it’s so easy to believe that life will always be this way for you.

It’s easy to get caught up in the negativity and start believing that things will never get better and that regardless of what you do, everything will only ever go from bad to worse.

I was guilty of this belief too and I held on to that belief for the longest time. When I was going through the lowest point of my life, feeling so lost and empty inside, I allowed myself to start believing that this was going to be my forever.

I felt so mentally and emotionally drained that I started believing that I will never be able to turn my life around. But man was I wrong.

Please know that regardless of how difficult and foggy things may seem right now, this is not permanent. Life is full of ups and downs. What you’re going through now is not going to be your forever.

You have to keep reminding yourself that feeling lost is temporary and that tough times don’t last. Use this reminder as a constant reassurance that things will get better soon. This too shall pass.

Use this reminder to find strength and hope even in the darkest times to help you keep moving forward.

8. Give Yourself Love And Patience

There’s no better time to give yourself compassion and love than this time. When you feel lost, I know how easy it is to beat ourselves up for it. We constantly criticize ourselves for all our mistakes and failures and everything that we have done that has led us to this state.

We think that by beating ourselves up and constantly criticizing every little flaw and mistake we are keeping ourselves accountable and more responsible. Don’t get me wrong, I know sometimes we all need some tough love.

But the thing is when you are already going through so much and when you are already feeling so low, constantly beating yourself up and being hard on yourself is only going to make you feel worse.

It’s only going to negatively impact your confidence and self-esteem leading you to start doubting yourself and your capabilities.

Please know that feeling lost doesn’t diminish your worth or your capabilities. By giving yourself patience and love during this crucial time, you are reminding yourself that you are worthy and deserving of love and acceptance, especially during hard and uncertain times.

Remember that we are all a work in progress, we are all bound to feel lost sometimes, we are all bound to make mistakes, make bad decisions, and fail. The important thing is to be patient with yourself. Give yourself the same love and kindness that you so freely give to others.

Remember that it is through loving ourselves and believing in ourselves that we’ll help find the strength and courage to navigate this journey toward a fulfilling life.

9. Remember That Feeling Lost Is A Normal Part Of Life

When we are going through tough times and feeling stuck in a rut, it’s easy to start believing that the reason why we are going through this is because we were just not good enough.

We start to feel like a total failure. We blame ourselves for making mistakes that have led us to this point in our lives and we start to believe that we don’t have what it takes to achieve our goals and live a fulfilled life.

This is where this reminder becomes so crucial. By remembering that feeling lost is a normal part of life, we are freeing ourselves from self-criticism and from thinking that we are not good enough or worthy.

Because the reality is, life will always be full of twists and turns, and feeling lost is a part of those. It’s a season that all of us will experience at some point in our lives.

To be perfectly honest, I have found myself in this season countless times and I’ve learned that one of the best things that we can do for ourselves during this time is to acknowledge the fact that feeling lost is a normal part of life’s journey.

Instead of looking at it as something that diminishes our capabilities and value, we must learn to embrace it as an opportunity for growth and transformation.

10. Engage In Acts Of Kindness

When I was going through a season of confusion and uncertainty, one of the valuable lessons that I’ve learned and that I have always taken with me is that regardless of how lost and down you may feel, you still possess the ability to make a positive impact in the lives of others, regardless of how small it may seem.

When you let kindness be your superpower regardless of how tough times are, you are not only brightening someone’s day but you are also allowing yourself to zoom out on your worries and stress and shift your focus to something positive.

It allows us to build deeper connections with other people who are also struggling and going through stormy seasons. It can act as a gentle reminder that regardless of how hard life may seem sometimes, you are never alone in this battle.

You are never alone in navigating the ups and downs of life. Being kind doesn’t always have to be a grand gesture. It could be as simple as lending a listening ear and offering a helping hand.

In a world where there is so much hate and negativity, embrace the opportunity to make a positive difference in someone else’s life. I’ve learned that by spreading compassion and kindness, you are not only lifting someone’s spirit but you are also paving the way to rediscovering your purpose and living a meaningful life.

11. Trust Yourself

I think it’s safe to say that trusting yourself is so much easier said than done, right? When you feel lost in life, it’s so easy to get consumed by the feeling of self doubt.

It’s easy to start doubting your capabilities and start questioning your decisions and choices in life. I was certainly guilty of falling into this trap.

But another crucial lesson that I’ve learned through that phase in my life is that trusting yourself and believing in your abilities is a vital step in helping you find your way and rediscovering your purpose.

When you trust yourself, you are not only empowering yourself and reminding yourself of your strength and wisdom. You are also recognizing your worth, courage, and the number of times that you were able to pick yourself back up regardless of what life throws at you.

Acknowledge the number of times that you were able to overcome obstacles and handle difficult and stressful situations. Trust that regardless of what setbacks you are faced with, you have the power within you to bounce back and continue moving forward.

12. Embrace Change And Uncertainties

Change and uncertainties can be daunting. I have never been good with either of them. For the longest time, I was guilty of trying too hard to control every little detail of my life just so things will stay the same.

I’ve always had a plan B, C, and sometimes even D, because I was so afraid of having to let go and just face the uncertainties.

When I was navigating my way through a more fulfilling life, I realized that part of that journey is about learning to embrace change and the uncertainties that come with it.

Because the reality is if we continue to fear change and choose to just stay still, we are not only robbing ourselves of the chance to live a more meaningful and fulfilling life but we are also hindering our personal growth and limiting our potential.

Yes, change and uncertainties can be scary. I would be lying if I will tell you that I’m no longer afraid of those things because frankly, I still am. So if you are afraid, please know that that’s okay.

It’s normal and perfectly okay to be terrified about it but you must not also forget to recognize the fact that regardless of what uncertainties you may face from embracing change, you have such invaluable strength within you that will help you navigate through those challenges and difficulties.

Remember that it is through embracing change that we are able to open ourselves up to new possibilities that can help us rediscover our purpose and find a renewed sense of direction.

Here’s a blog post from Declutter The Mind that help you learn how to embrace change.

Final Thoughts

If you’re currently feeling lost in life, please know that you are not alone in this journey. Countless people who felt lost have eventually found their way and I know that you can too.

Remember, you have the power within you to navigate through this phase. Before I end this post, I want you to also know that ultimately, this is your journey.

There is certainly no one-size-fits-all solution to feeling lost in life. Each journey is different and we all have to take different paths, so don’t forget to allow yourself to navigate this season at your own pace. Choose what works best for you.

When you’re navigating your way through this phase, please know that there is nothing wrong with experiencing setbacks or taking it one step at a time. The important thing is to keep persevering and keep moving forward. You can do this.