 Number one, acknowledge and accept your emotions. In order to stop feeling this lingering, unexplained emptiness, you must acknowledge it and accept it. You may not be able to control every situation, but you can control your attitude and the way you handle the situation. Are you feeling lonely? Do you feel disconnected and oddly numb? Allow yourself to feel that way if you do. Even if it's dulled or hard to reach, it's completely okay to take the time you need to deal with heavy emotions, maybe you buried your bad feeling emotions or tried to ignore them, but the first step of healing is to sit down and process all those feelings, whether they're good or bad. All your feelings are valid and important. Number two, let go of the shame and blame. In the process of reflecting and trying to better understand this lingering feeling of emptiness, you may feel a sense of shame. While struggling with feeling empty, you're also likely to feel a great sense of self-criticism and guilt. Psychotherapist and author, Ema Lowe, states in her article for psychology today that it's important to remember that your numbness grew out of a place of pain and tenderness and was nothing but a desperate attempt to survive. Shaming or punishing for becoming numb in the first place will only reinforce the destructive pattern. Although it can be challenging at first, you will need to eliminate any self-blame so that you can move forward successfully. Number three, identify the root cause of your feelings of emptiness. Now that you've acknowledged the emptiness that you've been feeling, it's time to get down to the root cause of your feelings. What exactly is it that's bothering you? Maybe you feel fatigued and burnt out and are in need of a break. Maybe you feel lonely because you feel isolated from your friends and family, or perhaps you feel numb from going through a recent hardship in life. Whatever the reason may be for numbness, identifying these feelings and more importantly, where they're coming from will help you move forward as you understand the true source of your emptiness. Number four, notice and appreciate what you have. When you feel empty, numb, or hopeless inside, it can be really easy to overlook the positives in life. Take a moment to pause, reflect, and count your blessings. What are some things you're grateful for? What makes you wanna get out of bed every day? What's keeping you going through these tough times? Maybe you're thankful for having a supportive family or a roof over your head. Maybe you're thankful for your pet for always sticking around. Or maybe it's the fact that your body is keeping you alive and running. No matter how trivial or insignificant it may seem, take note of it. Physically write it down or type it up. Visually seeing a list of all the things you're thankful for can really help you gain a more positive perspective and strengthen your mind to fight this dreadful feeling. Number five, create and follow a healthy routine. Refocusing yourself can make a great difference in allowing you to give yourself the opportunity to get back on the right track. Create a realistic, balanced routine that can be achievable on a daily basis. A few important factors you should include in this routine should be some sort of physical activity, plenty of rest, ample hydration, and a nutritious diet. And don't forget to make time for some fun too. You can organize this with the help of a planner, a to-do list, or even reminders on your phone. The little things can add up to make a big difference and being able to check off everything you've accomplished over the course of the day can really give you a sense of achievement. Number six, practice mindfulness. To be mindful, pay close attention and make a careful observation of your thoughts. The Selene Institute highlights how mindfulness is exceptionally beneficial stating that mindfulness calls us to notice when our thoughts have drifted to the past or wandered into the future. And when we're regretting, fantasizing, or worrying rather than engaging with what's right in front of us. Mindfulness can allow you to obtain better clarity, comfort, and tranquility in your thinking. Learning, practicing, and implementing the concept of mindfulness in your day-to-day life will truly be an extraordinary superpower that can help you ride the unpredictable waves of life. Number seven, try to learn something new. Depersonalization along with multiple other mental health issues gets worse when the brain is being under stimulated and inactive. Various neurological studies have shown that learning new skills can significantly improve your brain's competence and proficiency. It can allow you to revitalize your minds while giving you the opportunity to find a productive way to channel your built-up energy. You could try learning a new language, playing an instrument, cooking up delicious meals with new recipes, taking up yoga, hand lettering, or pretty much any other productive activity. The sky's the limit. Give yourself a chance to break out of your shell. And number eight, reach out for external help. One self-help isn't quite working out the way you'd hoped. It's always great to reach out to someone to aid you through your recovery. Internal battles sometimes need some external help and that's perfectly okay. Reach out to a trusted family member, friend, or mental health professional. Having someone to talk to can really help get perspective for your problems. It can be challenging to open up to someone else while you're feeling so emotionally numb but making meaningful connections and asking for help can give you a strong foundation for a true inner transformation. Lastly, here's a friendly reminder that your journey to self-healing and revitalization will not happen overnight. Persistence and continuity is the key to recovery. Remember that every well-intentioned step that you take to get yourself out of this emptiness is a step in the right direction. It could take multiple trials to find out what works for you but the effort will always be worth it. At the end of the day, it's all about progress, not perfection. Please like and share this video if it helped you and you think it could help someone else too. The studies and references used are listed in the description below. Don't forget to hit the subscribe button for more Psych2Go videos and as always, thank you for watching. We'll see you next time.