Rediscovering You: Small Steps to Reignite Your Aliveness

Have you ever looked in the mirror and thought, “Who am I?” It’s a disorienting feeling—like you’ve been so busy living for others, fulfilling obligations, and checking off responsibilities that you’ve lost touch with yourself. I know that feeling well. For years, I was almost on autopilot, doing all the things I thought I “should” do; things like build a career, do X amount of social events per week, save for a house, yet I could feel something lacking inside. It wasn’t that anything was necessarily wrong on the surface—I had a good life, a great life even. But there was something niggling that there was more to ‘me’ than I knew.

The turning point came when I began learning about somatics. I had ‘done’ meditation before, and knew about mindfulness, the usual things, but bringing my body into the picture was a new and fascinating way of connection and exploration. I decided to take small, intentional steps toward reconnecting with myself. I didn’t need a massive transformation; I just needed to start paying attention to what I had been neglecting—my own inner world of sensation.

Sometimes, the clearest reflection of who we are comes in the most unexpected fragments. What do you see when you look beyond the surface?

One of the first things I did was create a daily practice of checking in with my body. I’d place a hand on my chest, take a deep breath, and ask: “What do I feel right now? What do I need?” Some days, the answers were clear—rest, movement, laughter. Other days, they weren’t. The act of pausing and listening was enough to start shifting things.

I also began exploring joy in the little things. Dancing in my kitchen while cooking dinner, savoring the smell of my morning coffee before the first sip, standing barefoot on the earth just to feel the ground beneath me. These weren’t grand, life-changing actions. They were doorways—small, daily invitations to aliveness and presence.

As I leaned into somatic and self-pleasure practices, I discovered something even deeper: the power of sensation to anchor me in the present. Instead of being stuck in my mind—clocking what was next, where I was at with work—I let my body lead. The warmth of the sun on my skin, the sensation of breath filling my lungs, the electricity of touch… these became reminders that I was here, now. That life wasn’t something happening around me; it was something I could actively participate in.

“The warmth of the sun on my skin, the sensation of breath filling my lungs, the electricity of touch… these became reminders that I was here, now.”

Reconnecting isn’t about chasing big transformations or waiting for some grand moment of clarity. It’s about embracing the small moments of presence, the micro-shifts that bring you back into yourself. It’s about laughing without self-consciousness, crying without apology, moving without hesitation. It’s in these moments that we remember who we truly are—not defined by roles, responsibilities, or expectations, but as beings with limitless capacity for joy, passion, and self-discovery.

If you’re feeling disconnected, know this: The path back to yourself is always open. You don’t have to do anything drastic. Start with a single breath. A single moment of feeling. A single step toward what lights you up. Trust that each small step will lead you home.

If you are looking for ways to uncover who you are, contact Nikkiema here.