"We are each gifted in a unique and important way. It is our privilege and our adventure to discover our own special light." — Mary Dunbar According to a 2013 study conducted by Carnegie Mellon University, they found an indication that a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction program can reduce perceived loneliness, and encourage greater engagement with others.
What does connecting with yourself mean?
Amidst all the chaos and our hectic schedules, we tend to lose ourselves, the essence of who we are. It is rightly said that there is no relationship more important than the one you have with yourself. Connecting with yourself basically refers to getting to know the real you, your thoughts, feelings, and emotions in detail and with more clarity.
It also involves falling in love with yourself. It is a sense of knowingness and wisdom that is completely unique to yourself. It also means that you regularly keep your physical, mental, and emotional health in check, knowing what your body needs at a given moment. You know your priorities, and you feel fulfilled and satisfied both in the moment and in the big picture. Here, mindfulness also comes into play because it focuses on the present. It refers to a state where you are fully aware of what is happening around you, and also focuses on what you are feeling and sensing at the moment. It cultivates an attitude that is not judgmental, and promotes awareness.
Importance
Connecting with yourself is essentially important for ourselves, and for the people around us. It is highly significant for our well-being, and also to maintain healthy and happy relationships with others. If you connect to yourself, then it promotes self-love and growth. To feel connected to others, it’s very important that we feel connected to ourselves.
By connecting to ourselves, we are able to recognize our needs and feelings which is important for our well-being. Imagine being your own best friend, taking care of yourself physically and mentally, because you know what you need, and loving yourself. That will help you from spiraling down, and will also help you to deal with everything in a more effective and fruitful way.
It makes you independent of the opinions of others. Also, by knowing who you are and what you stand for, gives you a sense of confidence, and also helps you to gain insight, which facilitates in better decision-making skills.
Benefits
Clarity
One of the benefits of connecting with yourself is that it gives you clarity in your thoughts and feelings. It refers to having a focused and a clear state of mind. It is very important because it encourages us to deal with all sorts of problems effectively without putting too much pressure on ourselves, and also helps to make all major decisions in a better way, because all our thoughts and feelings are known to us and are kept in check.
Health
When we connect to ourselves, our overall health also significantly improves. This happens because we know what affects us, we are able to deal with conflicts, and steer clear of all sorts of negativity. As a result, our sleep cycle also improves. A study by the Universities of Exeter and Oxford has found that taking part in self-compassion exercises calms the heart rate, switching off the body's threat response.
Peace
Another benefit is that it promotes peace, and helps you in staying calm and composed. It helps you to deal with your inner demons, which cause you immense stress and pain, and helps you to put all of that aside, and look at everything from a new and different perspective because you know what is best for you. Thus, there is peace, comfort, and happiness. It ultimately results in a healthier mind.
Balance
When we connect to ourselves, we are able to look at the world with more ease, and are able to understand every facet of life with clear understanding and conscience. We are also able to fully appreciate all the relationships in our lives, and are able to strike a balance between them and finding time for ourselves, and fully focus on our well-being. it also helps us to find the confidence and stability to move on with our lives, and achieve our true potential.
Growth
When you truly get to know yourself, you realize that you truly are in control of how each day goes by. You get to decide what is best for you. It helps to seek out a better you. You become more mature, and more decisive. This is the magic of developing a connection with yourself. It also helps to deepen or create fresh bonds with people.
Strengthening your connection with yourself
"The only journey is the journey within."
- Rainer Maria Rilke
Meditation
It is highly effective as it helps to focus on ourselves, and keep us calm and composed. It helps to remove all sorts of negativity, and let our thoughts flow. It helps to become more self-aware, we gain a new and fresh perspective on stressful situations, and also come up with better strategies to deal with stress. Try to meditate every day for 15-30 minutes, and let all your thoughts and emotions flow. Feel everything, that is the only way how you will get to know what you need.
Check in with yourself
It is extremely important for you to know what you are feeling or going through at a given moment. So, check in with yourself regularly, no matter how happy/sad you are. Tune in with your body and pay attention to what your body is trying to tell you.
Be grateful and kind to yourself
Practice gratitude. Be grateful and kind to yourself, for everything you have endured. It is a very big step in connecting with your true self. It might be overwhelming at first, but gradually you will start to appreciate yourself. You will begin to realize the true beauty that lies with yourself, and that will help to forge a deep connection with yourself.
Journal
If you’re feeling disturbed or frustrated, vent your feelings out by writing. Make it a habit, let all your thoughts and emotions flow as you write, let everything out. After that go back and read what you wrote, often the answers we want to find are hidden within ourselves, so it will give you clarity, and you will be able to understand how your thought process really works.
Acknowledge setbacks and do something new
One of the most important lessons we learn is from failure and setbacks. It helps us to realize where we went wrong, and thereby helps in unleashing our true potential. It helps us to introspect and prepare ourselves, thereby makes us stronger. Another important thing to do is to try something new. We might not know what we like and are capable of until we step out of our comfort zone, and try something new. Set goals, and when you finally accomplish something, it will boost your confidence, and will help you to get to know yourself better.
Takeaway Message
Often people forget that having a relationship with yourself is the most important relationship in our lives. It makes us better as a person, and encourages us to strive and accomplish our goals. Be true to yourself. Acceptance is important, get to know yourself. Love the beauty that lies within, and shine because YOU matter.
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