7 Reasons Why You’re Feeling Lost in Life (and How to Solve It)

Like the post? Share it!

Feeling lost in life happens to each one of us, sooner or later.

Sometimes, that comes after a big life change – like changing jobs, a breakup, or moving to another country.

Other times, it builds up slowly and then hits you all at once: that’s why you might think “What am I doing with my life?” on a random Tuesday night while folding your laundry.

Acknowledging you feel lost is already a good sign: it means you have enough self-awareness to realize something isn’t right with your life.

But, knowing without doing won’t lead you anywhere…

That’s where my article comes in handy! In this blog post, you’ll find out the 7 most common causes of why you’re feeling lost in life and what you can do to fix it.

So, are you ready to finally turn your life around? Then, let’s get started!

DISCLAIMER: This blog is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission (which won’t affect your final price). I only promote products that I consider valuable and beneficial for you. If you decide to purchase something – Thank you for buying me a cup of coffee! xx

Things You Should Know About Being Lost in Life

You might think you’re the only one feeling this way.

No one gets you, no one feels like you. Right?

Well, no. Before we start, let me share some truths:

• Actually, no one has it all figured out
• Everyone, sooner or later in life, will feel lost 
• While it’s normal to feel this way, it’s not ok to not do anything about it
• Feeling lost is not necessarily a bad thing
• You won’t feel like this forever

Even if, when you look around, everyone else (but you) seems to have their sh*t together, they probably don’t!

They’re just faking it (until they make it). To them, you also look all put together! (If they only knew what was really going on…)

The good news? Feeling lost is not the destination, but the starting point! 

The even greater news? If you’re lost, it means you can go wherever you want to!

This is your time to explore, try, fail, then try again, and experiment with your life. Because this is YOUR life. You’re the one sitting in the driver’s seat. You’re the one making all the decisions. So…own it!

📌 SHORT ON TIME? PIN IT FOR LATER! 📌

The 7 Reasons Why You Feel Lost in Life

To change something, the first and most important step is to understand why it’s happening in the first place.

So, here are the 7 most common reasons and meanings behind your sense of being lost in life:

1. You Fell Into the Comparison Trap

“Comparison is the thief of joy”

– Theodore Roosevelt

Social media are a double-edged sword: while they allow us to be more connected, they also increase the number of people we constantly compare ourselves to.

If only a couple of decades ago we only knew about our neighbors’ lives, now this is not the case anymore.

With just one click, we can have full access to the daily routines of millions of people.

This changed not only the extent of our comparisons but also the standards we now have for ourselves.

I mean, we can now have a sneak peek into the lives of those who are living their dream life while we’re here, sitting on the couch, feeling purposeless…

2. You Don’t Know Yourself

Another common reason why you feel lost in life is that you don’t know yourself.

You don’t know what you like (and what you don’t). No hobby or activity lights you up. You don’t know what your passion is, what makes you laugh or cry, or what are the things you’d die for. 

No wonder why you feel so lost…

But, since no one teaches us how to get in touch with our deepest selves, it’s up to you to figure that out!

Getting to know yourself starts with asking the right questions…That’s why I’m sure you’ll love this FREE “30-Day Journaling Prompts for Self-Discovery”:

3. You Live in Fear

Fear is a common aspect of everyone’s lives. 

What’s not normal is when fear stops you from going after what you really want and living the life of your dreams.

Fear is the normal reaction to anything unknown and unfamiliar. But fear can also easily become that familiar feeling we decide to use as a shelter, as a safe port.

What’s the price to pay? Not living the life we want…

4. Your Overcomplicate Life

The truth is that, too often, we create our own misery. Life doesn’t have to be complicated. Yet, we have this tendency to create problems where they don’t exist.

We unconsciously complicate our lives. That’s one of the worst forms of self-sabotaging.

So, if you’re feeling lost right now, it might be because you’re making things hard when they don’t have to be. 

5. You Live for Others

Feeling lost in life might be a strong signal that you’re not living a life that’s true to you.

You’re not in alignment with your deepest desires and wants.

You’re not being your most authentic self. 

It’s not easy to realize and admit – both to yourself and others – that you’re not happy with your life.

It takes courage to go against what everyone else thinks it’s right, only to go after what you know it’s right for you.

But this is your life, not theirs. At the end of the day, the only person you need to make happy and satisfied is yourself.

6. You’re Not in Control of Your Time

The most precious thing in life is time. 

Once you realize that how you spend your time is one of the most crucial elements determining your level of happiness in life, you’ll start to want to invest it more wisely. 

If you’re giving your time away, wasting it on social media, spending it with people you don’t like, or doing things you hate…well, then that’s the reason why you feel so lost.

7. You Live in Your Head

The final reason why you feel lost in life is that you live too much in your head, and too little out there.

When you’re stuck in your head, you forget to embrace and appreciate the beauty that’s all around you.

Because, the truth is there’s beauty in anything, but one must be paying attention to notice it.

You can find beauty in that first sip of your morning coffee, the sunshine making your skin feel warm, or the laugh of a kid. 

All these beautiful moments of life will pass you by if you get sucked into your own head. 

How to Solve it?

Well, now that we’ve got clear on the 7 reasons why you feel lost and you’ve identified the one(s) that most resonate with you, it’s time to start fixing the problem at its roots!

So, here are 7 actionable steps you can take to counterbalance each of the problems we’ve just explored above:

1. Reduce Social Media Time

To avoid the comparison trap and also to stop wasting your time, you need to reconsider the amount of time you spend online.

If you go look at your average daily screen time, how much is it? 

The more you expose yourself to a wide range of people who seem to be living the perfect life, the more sad you’ll feel about your life.

So, what you have to do is to reduce your social media time. How can you do that?

Here are some tips and tricks to help you break your social media addiction:

• Set screentime rules – like “No phone in bed”
• Replace mindless scrolling with one healthy habit
• Set time limits on your apps – and stick to them!
• Turn off your notifications
• Delete any apps you haven’t used within the last month
• Make it a challenge not to use your phone when you’re with others
• Schedule your social media time to avoid mindlessly scrolling for hours

2. Define Your Core Values

If you don’t know yourself that well is probably because you don’t know your core values. 

Your core values are the guiding lines of your life: they tell you which direction to take when you feel lost, and help you make proper life-changing decisions.

Since “setting your values” might sound daunting and scary – I want to make it super easy for you!

Here’s my FREE “Set Your Values” workbook that, in only 10 minutes, will help you define what your core values are.

If there’s one thing you can do today to start feeling less lost in life, that would be to get clear on your values. So, what are you still waiting for?

3. Reframe Your Fear

As mentioned earlier, fear is a common and natural response to the unknown.

If you want to grow and evolve in life to become a better ‘you’, you’ll have to face uncertainty and discomfort almost daily.

That’s why you must start reframing your concept of ‘fear’.

Feeling fearful is our most natural, primordial reaction rooted in our basic need for survival.

But today, unlike in ancient times, the number of life-threatening episodes we experience is very little.

The problem? The body hasn’t adapted as fast as our environments, which explains why you feel like dying when you have to speak in front of 10 people.

Instead of viewing fear as something ‘bad’ and that you should limit as much as possible in your life, why don’t you shift your perspective?

Experiencing fear means that you deeply care about something.

Sometimes, fear wants to indicate to you the path to your true calling and deepest desires. 

So, my best advice here is:

“Feel the fear and do it anyway”

– Susan Jeffers

4. Take It Easy

Don’t make life complicated – it doesn’t have to be! 

Whenever you feel like you’re making a big deal out of something, I want you to ask yourself: “Will this matter in 5 years?”.

If the answer is no, then why are you still wasting your precious time over something insignificant?

We live on a floating rock. 100 years from now, you’ll be gone and no one will remember what you did.

This can be depressing but also so freaking liberating!

It means you’re free to do anything you want and desire! 

You only have one shot at life. Make it count.

5. Define Your Dream Life

If you’re not clear on what your dream life looks like, you’ll never have it.

Most people feel lost in life because they feel unsatisfied with their current reality.

Then, when you go and ask them, “So what would make you happy?”, they can’t find an answer.

That’s the problem: unclarity!

So, if you want to stop feeling so lost in life, you need to get crystal clear on what it is that you exactly want. 

Here are some questions that will help you define your dream life:

• What are you doing on a random Tuesday?
• If you win the lottery, what would you do with all the money?
• What would you do if you knew you couldn’t fail?
• Whose life do you envy, and why? 
• What would you do, no matter if you knew you’d fail?

Suggested: Read here “This Is How You Find Your Path in Life [+ Journal Prompts]”

6. Take Charge of How You Spend Your Time

It takes courage to recognize when you’re wasting your life away. Many won’t even admit it to themselves.

Your life will be a result of the actions you take, not the dreams you have.

It is ultimately what you do to determine your future, not what you intend to do (and then don’t).

Are you dreaming of launching an online business, but every night you come home from work and watch Netflix for 3 hours? Then it will only be a dream.

It all comes down to how badly you want it.

Most people will blame it on being too busy, not having enough time, or not having enough energy. Well, those are excuses.

Oprah has the same 24 hours a day as you do, don’t you think she’s busy too? Yet you still complain that the reason why you’re not running a successful blog is because you’re “too busy”…

7. Live in the Present

Finally, to stop living in your head and appreciate life more, you need to make mindfulness part of your daily life.

Living in the present moment is the key secret to living a happier, more fulfilling life.

Oftentimes, when you feel lost in life is because you are either living in the past or stressing about the future.

The present is the only moment that matters – that’s where your power lies.

You can’t change the past, or predict the future. But you have power over what you decide to make of this moment, right here, right now.

How can you stay more grounded in the present moment?

Here are some of my favorite mindfulness techniques:

• Practicing daily meditation
• Focusing on my breath throughout the day
• Following breathwork practices
• Practicing mindful eating
• Tuning in with my body now and then
• Avoiding multitasking
• Engaging in a relaxing activity, such as reading and journaling

📌 LIKED THE POST? SPREAD YOUR LOVE! 📌

---

That’s all for me today!

I hope this post helped you figure out the reason(s) why you’re feeling lost in life and provided you with the right tool to stop that.

You deserve to live a life you’re happy and proud of. It takes courage and hard work, but you can do it.

You got this!

Q: “From the list above, were you able to identify the reason why you’re feeling lost in life? What is it?” – Let me know in a comment!

Until next time,

Like the post? Share it!