If Life Feels Hollow, These 6 Self-Love Rituals Might Be Exactly What You Need
How to dig yourself out of that hole.
Ina Passler | Unsplash Do you feel lost in life? Do you feel lonely, even when others are with you? Are you unable to express your feelings and emotions? Do you feel that life is passing you by and you’re just a silent spectator? Are you feeling empty inside?
You breathe, but you don’t feel alive. You exist, but you don’t live your life. Everything feels detached and lacks any meaning. The emptiness inside can be a dark, lonely place that you can’t describe or explain to anyone. You feel so alone and disconnected that the world around you stops making sense. Most of us struggle with feelings of emptiness from time to time, and we don’t even understand why.
The truth is, life is a unique experience of complicated emotions. According to one study, our emotions impact our mindset, our motivations, and our quality of life. Hence, it is normal for us to experience intense emotions that leave us feeling empty and suck out all the happiness and fullness of our lives.
Regardless of how successful, attractive, and popular you are, there will be times when you will feel something is missing from your life. Something that is valuable to you. Sometimes, these feelings of emptiness arise due to certain negative experiences or situations. Once you know what exactly is making you feel empty, you can understand how to fight and overcome it. Here are a few suggestions you can follow to get started and live your best life.
If life feels hollow, these 6 self-love rituals might be exactly what you need:
1. Start talking to yourself like someone you love
Your feelings will tell you everything you need to know about how you treat yourself. The first step to get rid of this emptiness inside starts with loving yourself. Be mindful and aware of your thoughts, emotions, and body. Instead of engaging in self-abandoning behavior, talk to yourself with compassion and kindness like you would with a friend.
Remember, you are your own best friend. So, treat yourself accordingly. It means paying attention to what your thoughts and emotions are telling you and taking responsibility for doing what’s necessary.
2. Let yourself feel what you're actually feeling
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Self-love also means opening up to uncomfortable feelings, like loneliness, heartbreak, and pain, and allowing them to heal, simply by letting them pass naturally, instead of holding on to them. Learn to embrace your emotions and yourself. Your feelings are a reflection of you at this moment.
The more you pay attention to your feelings and emotions, whether positive or negative, the better you will be able to connect with your authentic self. So, allow yourself to grieve and mourn if you need to, as it will help these difficult emotions to pass. Be compassionate with your feelings without judging them.
3. Carve out real time to be alone with yourself, no distractions
Instead of investing in unproductive activities and unhealthy addictions like TV, computer games, alcohol, and drugs, look inside and just spend some quality time with yourself. Focus on what makes you feel excited about life, what your passions, dreams, and desires are, and what you are afraid of.
Sit with yourself and identify what needs you have and how you can fulfill them. Do things that you enjoy or used to enjoy when you were younger. Write, paint, exercise, cook, or whatever you may find interesting. Meditating can also help you understand your needs and refocus on yourself. This will help you find more meaning in your everyday life.
4. Start noticing what's already good in your life
Another excellent way to overcome your emptiness is by practicing gratitude. Psychological studies have revealed that practicing gratitude can help you imbibe positive emotions and feel a lot more satisfied and happier in life. It allows you to develop better social skills and build stronger relationships.
By appreciating who you are, what you have, and being thankful for your life, you will gain a whole new perspective on life. You will stop taking good things for granted and shift your mentality from a scarcity mindset to an abundance mindset. You will start focusing more on what greatness is already present in your life, instead of all that you don’t have.
Gratitude will help to reduce your stress and anxiety, enable you to enjoy the little things in life, and make you more open to receiving blessings from the universe.
5. Do something you've never done before
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According to studies conducted by neurobiologists, learning new things and engaging in new experiences can help you feel a lot happier and more motivated in life. It has almost similar effects to dopamine and can help you experience emotional arousal. It is also a great idea to give your living space a makeover and change your living environment. Even the most minor changes, like getting new furniture or bed sheets, or even new lighting, can have a great positive impact on your emotional and mental health.
6. Ask for help if it still feels like too much
If you are still having problems coping with your feelings of emptiness, seeking professional help can be a great idea. Sometimes, self-analysis might not be the best path to take. In these cases, getting help from a therapist can help you find all the reasons and solutions for your inner void. A good therapist can give you the exact help you need to start living a fulfilling and meaningful life once again. Love yourself to find fulfillment.
The first step to start filling your emptiness is to love yourself. When you love yourself, you will be more kind and compassionate to yourself, you will find new interests in life, you will pursue your dreams, you will attract more people, you will build deep, meaningful relationships, and you will find your own happiness. Everything great in life starts with self-love.
There is no need for you to carry on living like this, where you feel a vacuum inside you. Build a better relationship with yourself and give yourself the love you truly deserve. Once you have this figured out, everything else will fall into place by itself. It’s not that hard to live a meaningful life filled with purpose. All you need to do is believe in the universe. And yourself.
If you or somebody that you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, there is a way to get help. Call SAMHSA’s National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357) or text "HELLO" to 741741 to be connected with the Crisis Text Line.
Theo Harrison is an artist, blogger, writer, and former contributor to The Mind's Journal. He writes primarily about mental health, pop culture, and relationships.
