If life has started to feel strange lately, as though the things that used to make sense no longer do, you are not falling apart. You may be waking up.
A spiritual awakening rarely arrives as a flash of light, though it has in some cases. More often it is quiet and unsettling. Old certainties loosen. You notice and observe things you can’t unsee. And for a while it can feel lonely, because the people around you seem to be carrying on as normal.
Here are ten signs that what you are going through is an awakening, and why each one is leading you somewhere good.
The 10 signs
1. You’ve started questioning the source of news stories and events
You no longer take a headline at face value. You find yourself asking, “Who is telling me this, and why?” You notice how much of the news is designed to keep you afraid, and you start choosing what you let in. This is discernment, and it is the beginning of thinking for yourself.
2. You’re in a dark space, the “dark night of the soul”
There can be a period where everything feels heavy and meaningless. What used to motivate you falls flat. This is often called the dark night of the soul. It is not the end of anything good. It is the old version of you dissolving so that something truer can come through. The dark comes before the dawn. But as always, if you’re reading this and in a dark place, please reach out for professional help to support you through this.
3. You notice who really has your back
You start to feel the difference between people who look out for you and people who feed off your energy. You leave some conversations lighter and others completely drained. As this becomes clear, your circle may get smaller, and far more nourishing.
4. You want to be in nature as much as possible
The ocean, the bush, your garden, bare feet on the grass. You crave it. You may have started leaving your phone at home, because the constant noise now feels like too much. Nature has no agenda for you, and in it you remember your own rhythm.
5. Your career might not be the career you now want
The job you worked so hard for may suddenly feel empty. Success as you once defined it stops being enough, and you long for work that means something. This can be frightening, and it is also your inner compass switching back on.
6. You feel exhausted
Awakening is tiring. You are letting go of beliefs and patterns you have carried for decades, and that takes energy. Think about the Lotus pushing up through the mud; this is where you are right now. Your body is asking for rest, so give it permission. (If exhaustion or a low mood lingers, do check in with your GP or naturopath as well. Looking after your body is part of the journey.)
7. Small talk feels hard, and you crave truth
Surface conversation leaves you restless. You want honesty, depth and realness from others and from yourself. Pretending becomes uncomfortable, and telling the truth starts to feel like relief.
8. Old habits are falling away
The things you used to reach for, whether it’s the nightly wine, the scrolling or the shopping, don’t satisfy the way they did. You are less interested in numbing and more interested in feeling. What falls away makes room for what truly feeds you.
9. You feel everything more deeply
Crowds, loud places and other people’s moods affect you more than before. A piece of music or a sunrise can move you to tears. Your sensitivity is not a weakness. It is your intuition coming back online.
10. You sense you’re here for something more
Underneath it all is a quiet pull, a knowing that there is more to you and more to life than you have been living. You may not know what it is yet. You don’t need to. Feeling the pull is enough to begin.
If this is you, here’s what helps
You are not broken, and you are not alone. Many people are going through exactly this right now. A few things make the path gentler:
- Rest without guilt. Your system is recalibrating.
- Get outside every day. Even ten minutes with your phone left behind.
- Be choosy about what you take in. News, social media and company all affect your energy.
- Let yourself feel it. What you allow to be felt can move through and release.
- Find people who understand. Being seen by someone who has walked this path changes everything.
On the other side of this is a calmer, clearer, more peaceful you, living from your own natural energy and no longer from fear.
You don’t have to walk this alone
I’ve been through my own awakening, and I now help others move through theirs with compassion and trust. If you recognise yourself in these signs and would like support, I’d love to hear from you.
Head to www.emma-ritchie.com to book a session and take the next step towards your true self.
