What to Do When You Feel Lost: Rediscovering Self-Guidance
- Yolanda Durrah
- Mar 9
- 7 min read
Updated: Apr 21
Feeling lost is more than just a moment of confusion. It’s a deep, unsettling experience that shakes your core. You might be wondering, Who am I now? after years of putting others first—after motherhood, caregiving, or surviving difficult relationships. You’re not alone. I’ve been there too. And today, I want to walk you through rediscovering self-guidance—finding your way back to yourself with clarity and purpose.

The First Step: Embrace the Feeling of Being Lost
When you feel lost, the first thing you might want to do is run away from that feeling. But here’s the truth: you have to sit with it. You have to acknowledge it. It’s okay to feel this way. It’s okay to admit that you don’t have all the answers right now.
Think of it like being in a dense forest without a map. You’re disoriented, unsure which path to take. But the forest isn’t your enemy. It’s a place of growth, of discovery. The feeling of being lost is your invitation to slow down and listen to your inner voice.
Pause and breathe deeply. Don’t rush to fix everything.
Write down your feelings. What’s swirling in your mind? What hurts? What scares you?
Allow yourself to be vulnerable. This is the soil where new growth begins.
Rediscovering Self-Guidance: How to Find Your Inner Compass
Now that you’ve accepted your feelings, it’s time to reconnect with your inner guidance. This is the heart of rediscovering self-guidance. You have a compass inside you—it’s your intuition, your values, your dreams waiting to be heard again.
Here’s how to start:
Identify your core values. What matters most to you? Honesty? Freedom? Creativity? Write them down.
Set small, clear intentions. Don’t overwhelm yourself with big goals. Start with simple actions that align with your values.
Create a daily ritual. It could be journaling, meditation, or a quiet walk. This ritual helps you tune in to your inner voice.
Limit distractions. Social media, noisy environments, and constant busyness can drown out your intuition. Create space for silence.
Ask yourself powerful questions. What do I want to feel? What brings me joy? What scares me the most?
Remember, rediscovering self-guidance is a process, not a one-time event. It’s about building trust with yourself again.

What Does It Mean When You Feel Like You Lost Yourself?
Feeling like you lost yourself is a profound experience. It means you’ve been living according to others’ expectations, roles, or survival modes for so long that your own identity feels buried or invisible.
This can happen after:
Difficult relationships or divorce where your needs were sidelined.
Motherhood or caregiving where your identity became “mom” or “caretaker” first.
Years of putting everyone else first and neglecting your own dreams and desires.
When you feel like you lost yourself, it’s not that you’re gone. You’re just hidden beneath layers of obligation, pain, and exhaustion. The good news? You can peel back those layers.
Here’s what it looks like:
You feel disconnected from your passions.
You struggle to make decisions because you don’t know what you want.
You feel numb or empty inside.
You question your worth and purpose.
This feeling is a signal, not a sentence. It’s your soul’s way of saying, It’s time to come home to you.
Practical Steps to Rebuild Your Identity and Confidence
So, what do you do when you feel like you lost yourself? Here’s a practical roadmap to start rebuilding your identity and confidence:
1. Reconnect with Your Passions
Think back to what made you feel alive before life’s demands took over. Was it painting, writing, dancing, or something else? Make time for these activities again, even if it’s just 10 minutes a day.
2. Set Boundaries
You can’t pour from an empty cup. Learn to say no without guilt. Protect your time and energy fiercely.
3. Seek Support
You don’t have to do this alone. Find a community, a coach, or a trusted friend who understands your journey.
4. Celebrate Small Wins
Every step forward counts. Did you say no to something that drained you? Celebrate it. Did you spend time on a hobby? Celebrate it.
5. Practice Self-Compassion
Be kind to yourself. Healing takes time. You’re not failing; you’re growing.
6. Visualize Your Future Self
Spend time imagining who you want to be. What does she look like? How does she feel? Use this vision as motivation.
7. Create a Personal Mission Statement
Write a simple statement that reflects who you want to be and what you stand for. Keep it visible as a daily reminder.
By taking these steps, you’re not just surviving—you’re thriving. You’re reclaiming your power and your story.
Moving Forward with Purpose and Power
Feeling lost is tough. But it’s also a powerful opportunity. It’s a chance to rewrite your story, to rediscover your true self, and to live with intention.
You might still wonder, What do I do when I feel like I lost myself? If you want a deeper dive into this, check out this helpful resource on what to do when you feel like you lost yourself.
Remember:
You are not broken.
You are not alone.
You are worthy of love, joy, and fulfillment.
This journey is yours. Take it one step at a time. Trust yourself. You have everything you need inside.
You are ready to stop surviving and start living. Your authentic self is waiting. It’s time to show up for her.
You’ve got this. Keep moving forward. Keep rediscovering. Keep shining.
Take my FREE Survival Persona Quiz @www.theidentityrebuild.com
Join my Skool Community @https://www.skool.com/living-it-back-6592/about
Book Your First Step Home with Coach Yolanda
THE FIRST STEP HOME™ A 60-Minute Private Reset Session with Coach Yolanda Denise Investment: $127
READ THIS BEFORE YOU SCROLL PAST.
You found this community for a reason.
Not by accident. Not by coincidence. Because something in you is tired.
Tired of waking up and not recognizing the woman in the mirror. Tired of saying "I'm fine" when you are anything but. Tired of carrying everything for everyone while nobody asks if YOU are okay. Tired of feeling like you're living someone else's life and wondering how you got here.
That tiredness?
That's not weakness.
That's your real self knocking on the door. Telling you she's still in there. Telling you she's ready. Telling you it's time.
I take a limited number of these sessions each month so I can show up fully present for every woman I work with.
When the spots are gone — they're gone.
If you've been sitting with this decision — stop sitting. Start building.
You've probably been researching this for a while.
Googling "why don't I recognize myself." Watching videos about healing at 2am. Reading posts that make you feel seen for 30 seconds before the feeling fades.
Information didn't fix it. Because information was never the problem.
You don't need more content. You need one honest conversation.
This is that conversation.
This session is that door. 🏠https://www.yolandadeniseco.com/book-online
HERE'S WHAT MOST WOMEN DO INSTEAD:
They stay in the community. They read the posts. They take the quiz. They say "this is exactly me" — and then they close the app and go back to pretending.
Not because they don't want to change. Because change requires ONE moment of deciding.
This is that moment.
WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP HOME™?
It's a 60-minute private 1:1 session — just you and Coach Yolanda — where you stop performing okay and start getting honest about what's actually going on.
No lecture. No judgment. No long drawn out process.
Just you. Me. A short guided workbook. And 60 minutes of finally telling the truth.
HERE'S WHAT HAPPENS IN OUR 60 MINUTES: https://www.yolandadeniseco.com/book-online
🏠 Minutes 1–10: What's Actually Going On Not the version you tell people. The real one. We start by getting honest about where you actually are right now — not where you wish you were.
🏠 Minutes 10–25: Where You've Been Leaving Yourself We look at the specific ways you've been abandoning yourself — the patterns you normalized, the needs you buried, the version of yourself you've been pretending doesn't exist.
🏠 Minutes 25–40: What's Underneath It Every pattern has a root. We find yours. Not to dwell in it — but so you finally understand WHY you keep ending up here. Understanding the pattern is how you stop repeating it.
🏠 Minutes 40–50: What You Actually Need Not what everyone else needs from you. What YOU need right now. This might be the first time anyone — including you — has asked this question seriously.
🏠 Minutes 50–60: Your One Next Step You leave with ONE clear, specific, personalized next step. Not a list. Not homework. One thing you can do — starting today — that says "I am choosing myself."
WHAT YOU WALK AWAY WITH: https://www.yolandadeniseco.com/book-online
✅ Clarity on what's actually been going on beneath the surface
✅ A name for where you've been abandoning yourself
✅ An understanding of the pattern that keeps bringing you back to this place
✅ ONE personalized next step from Coach Yolanda that you can actually trust
✅ A direct recommendation for where to go next inside The Living It Back Method™
✅ The First Step Home™ workbook — yours to keep and return to at any time.
THIS SESSION IS FOR YOU IF:
✔ You've been saying "I'm fine" for so long you forgot what fine actually feels like
✔ You know something is wrong but you can't quite name it
✔ You've tried to figure this out alone and keep ending up in the same place
✔ You're done surviving and ready to start building
✔ You've been waiting for a sign that it's time — this is it
THIS SESSION IS NOT FOR YOU IF:
✖ You're looking for someone to tell you what you want to hear
✖ You're not ready to get honest
✖ You want a magic fix without doing any of the work
This session requires your honesty. That's the only prerequisite.
WHY $127?
Let me be honest with you.
You have spent more than $100 on things that didn't change your life. The dinner out. The online shopping cart. The subscription you forgot about.
$127 for 60 minutes of finally getting honest about your life?
That's not an expense. That's an investment in the woman you're becoming.
And unlike everything else you've spent money on — this one comes with a next step. A real one. One that leads somewhere.
HERE'S HOW TO BOOK:https://www.yolandadeniseco.com/book-online
Step 1 — Click the link above You'll choose your date and time and complete your $127 payment. Thursday 7pm, Friday 7pm, and Saturday mornings are available.
Step 2 — Check your email You'll receive a confirmation with your Google Meet link and your workbook. Review the workbook before we meet.
Step 3 — Come with one honest sentence "The thing I've been pretending is fine is ___." That's all you need to bring.
Step 4 — Show up as you are No need to have it together. Just come ready to get real.
Step 5 — Walk away with your first brick 60 minutes from now you'll have clarity, direction, and a next step you can actually trust.




Comments