.png)
The daily stresses, chatter, traffic, workload, and multiple electronic distractions of life seem to stifle our inner voice. Opinions and propaganda are spouting out at us from every direction. We see so much on social media and hear so much from office rants and friendly gossip that it drowns out our own natural expression. We keep our calendars filled and any downtime spent looking through any number of social outlets all powered by other people and their voices. Even our upbringing may be a contributor to a stifled inner voice. It’s not healthy or conducive to a blissful life. So, how do you drown out the rubbish and find your voice within?
Permission
Giving yourself permission to have a voice is either the easiest or hardest step to the process. Some of us naturally have the urge to speak our mind and communicate our wants and needs. Others tend to be more passive and aren’t sure if voicing those needs holds any value. It’s important that you give your inner voice permission to express itself. Let it be heard first by you.
Zone Out
We live in an overly stimulating world where we are constantly trying to stay in the loop. Most of us work long hours and try to maintain a healthy work/life balance. There are times that even making time for a social life or family time seems to add additional unexpected stress. It is absolutely necessary to check-out at least once a day.
Checking out of your day to day routine and stresses don’t require checking into a resort. It actually doesn’t cost you a thing. You only need to set aside some time that is specifically for you. Time for your mind to think. This means no distractions, no computer, no cell phone, no noise; just you and your thoughts. Close your eyes and relax. Most often your mind will direct you straight to what your inner-self has been screaming from your internal rooftop all day.
Listen to Your Inner Voice and Take Note
At first, it is likely that your voice will lead you to the biggest worries or projects on your plate. It’s only natural for those things to float near the top. But, if you keep listening you’ll find that there are many things that you may be avoiding or haven’t been taking the time to listen to. When situations or moments continue to surface pay attention to why those seem significant.
Is there a particular feeling associated with them that you want to duplicate or avoid? Are there unresolved issues that your inner voice wants to address? Once you start really listening and taking note of where the focus is you’ll start to understand what your inner voice is trying to tell you.
Take Action
It takes time and discipline to really step away and listen to ourselves. It should be the easiest and most natural thing in the world but, as humans often do, we overcomplicate it and suppress it with things that are unnecessary to our overall wellbeing. How many times has something insignificant caused you to completely lose control and feel an emotion such as anger or sadness that almost seemed to come out of nowhere?
Piling stress and life on top of your inner voice without allowing it to breathe is a recipe for an explosion. Once you allow yourself to decompress and start to hear your inner voice you’ll need to take action to prevent a volcanic eruption. Make a plan to take steps towards resolving issues that are bothering you. Let your inner voice prioritize your hurdles and stresses. Think about the traits that your inner voice takes pride in and ways that you can demonstrate those to others. Use past experiences and defeats to prepare for the next instance in which your inner voice can roar.
Looking for more great tips? Check out our other blogs here!