Connect With Yourself: Why You Should Stop Hiding Behind A Mask
Struggling to connect with the real you? Constantly hiding behind a mask. Throw that mask away and start connecting with yourself.
Hi Trish Davies here from Build Your AU. A fundamental pillar of Build Your AU is authenticity and to stop hiding behind a mask. It’s time to let loose the real you!
An alarming number of people in today’s society are afraid to show the world who they really are and what they really feel. Everyone seems to be putting on a facade and pretending to be something that they’re not.
This is especially true with millennials, who have been dubbed the “Me” generation because of how self-obsessed they are.
Everyone hides behind a mask at some point, but we should all aspire to break out of this habit more often. Why?
Because when you stop hiding and start living an authentic life, you unlock your potential for happiness and success in every area of your life.
When you learn how to connect with yourself, you can begin unveiling your real self. Also stop being afraid of judgement from others or being seen in a negative light.
Keeping up this facade is exhausting, stressful and unfulfilling. There’s no need to go through life feeling like that about yourself.
Here are some ways you can break through those walls you’ve built around yourself.
Stop Hiding Behind A Mask – Talk To Trusted Friends Or Family
If you’re feeling blocked or feeling like you can’t express your true self, talk to someone you trust. You don’t have to go into specifics, but just let loose and let it out:
- First – What’s bothering you.
- Second – What you feel.
- Third – What you want to say.
Getting these thoughts out of your head and into the open air can be an extremely liberating experience. Ask your friend or family member how they feel about what you said.
If they don’t respond, don’t take it personally: they’re just as shocked as you are. Also they are processing the information at the same time as you are.
The important thing is not to get defensive or angry if they disagree with you or respond in a way that you didn’t expect.
You don’t have to agree with them on everything. However it is good to get differing perspectives on your situation and some new ideas on how you could think about the problem in a different way.
Meditate & Clear Your Mind
Another great way to get in touch with yourself is to clear your mind. There’s a lot of research that shows meditation can have significant positive impacts on your health and well-being.
One great thing about meditation is that it doesn’t have to be an hours-long session every day. Just 20 minutes with no interruptions will do wonders for your mental health.
Meditation is all about focusing on your breathing and nothing else.
If your mind wanders and you find yourself thinking about other things, don’t get frustrated or mad at yourself. Just gently bring your attention back to your deep breathing and focus on nothing else.
When you meditate, you’re not trying to stop thinking completely. You’re just trying to not let your thoughts take over your entire focus.
Exercise Regularly
This one might seem an odd choice for getting in touch with yourself, but it works wonders for your mental health. Exercise has been proven to help with a myriad of mental health issues, such as anxiety, depression, insomnia and more.
It also gives you an outlet to let go of your frustrations and deal with your emotions in a healthy way. Exercising regularly doesn’t have to mean hours in the gym or rigorous physical activities.
There are many ways to get fit that focus more on your mental state than physical strength. If you’re new to exercise, it’s not too late to start. Just walk a little more every day than you usually do or try a different form of exercise like yoga or tai chi.
Hiding Behind A Mask – Confront Your Fears Head-On
This is something that should be done regularly. Not just when you feel like you need to get in touch with yourself, but it’s an especially effective way to do so when you’re feeling blocked.
Go out and try new things where you’re likely to face your fears and insecurities. If you’re afraid of public speaking, go speak at a public event or give a short speech at your workplace.
Try to do something every month where you face one of your biggest fears. This will help you get better at dealing with your anxieties.
Also you’ll feel more in control of your life when you regularly put yourself in uncomfortable situations and conquer them anyway.
As your confidence grows, you’ll find that you’re more likely to let loose and be yourself when you’re around people.
Don’t Be Afraid To Take Risks
Taking risks is a great way to get in touch with yourself. It can help you discover more about yourself and find out what you really want out of life.
It can also help you get over your fears and insecurities, as you’ll be forced to confront them head-on when you take a risk.
Take every opportunity you can to take a risk. Go for that new job even though you’re worried about getting it or being good enough for it. What’s the worst that could happen?
If you fail, you can always try again, and you’ll learn from your mistakes. Even if you don’t risk anything, you’ll stay the same. If you don’t take any risks, you’ll never know what could have been.
Conclusion
There are many ways to connect with yourself and feel more comfortable in your own skin. The most important thing is to break the pattern of hiding and living unauthentically.
Once you do that, you’ll feel so much better about who you are and what you bring to the world. When you’re honest with yourself and others, you open up new doors and opportunities for yourself.
You can finally let your true self shine through and let go of the stress that comes from trying to be someone you’re not.
Connecting with yourself will help you live a more fulfilling life and let you be happier with who you are.
Stop hiding behind a mask!
Helping you build your authenticity, authority and audience.
Trish Davies
Build Your AU
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