How to restart your life? Just find a new purpose and work towards it. Sounds easy? Sure! But how do you actually do it? There is no 1 perfect recipe (because people and their goals are so different!) or a list of “Do this and you are 100% guaranteed a restart!”. However, here, in this post, I have compiled ideas (with examples!) of what all the restart activities have in common (according to my experience and research).
In just a few seconds let’s discuss the 7 ideas on how to restart your life in more depth (if you are very impatient, you can scroll down and start with them right away). But if you are a curious person like me, let’s start with a little bit of a backstory of how you got here in the first place.
The most common reasons for the need to restart life
I know you want the “hows” and it’s great! But sometimes knowing the “whys” can also bring loads of freedom (and guidance), so here it is.
Reason 1 – NOT living according to your values and beliefs
Part of feeling stuck and wanting a life restart is not living according to your values and beliefs. You might feel at the core that your actions do not align with your thoughts. Or the other way around – your thoughts don’t align with your actions.
- Maybe you value keeping your word but for some reason, you don’t keep yours.
- Maybe you value family, but somehow work always comes first.
- Maybe you value honesty, but yet you don’t stand up for what you believe in.
All these discrepancies slowly eat you up from the inside leaving you a hard shell. And since it happens slowly over time, it sneaks up on you and one day you are like “What the heck? Why do I feel so unhappy and stuck? I need a restart!”
Reason 2 – Avoiding progress
We always have growth opportunities in life. Growth makes us feel strong, determined, and like we are moving forward. All the good stuff. But we as humans are also sneaky little elves – we try to avoid discomfort and challenges as much as possible. And when we do that, we deny our progress possibilities. Denied opportunity after denied opportunity piles up into resentment and emptiness, that grows into wanting a restart.
Change always happens in discomfort so be open to feeling scared, uncomfortable, and stupid. As long as you keep choosing what is truly best for yourself, you will be on the right path.
Reason 3 – Bouldozering over yourself
Another recipe for wanting a restart is not listening to your inner truth. Either you did everything someone else said (parents, teachers, role models), or maybe you tried to fit in with a friend group (and suppressed your beliefs and opinions). Not putting yourself first and always trying to be something for someone often leads to burnout and emptiness. Which leads to wanting a restart.
Reason 4 – A dramatic event
Dramatic events like a breakup or something even worse can push us into needing a life restart. Since these are forced situations and usually are accompanied by a different mindset, in this article we won’t focus a lot on this reason.
That said, if you are looking for a restart because of reason 4, I am sure you can get some good ideas out of this article anyway! Just keep in mind, that it is more adjusted for situations when we have created reasons for a restart ourselves.
7 ideas on how to restart your life – let’s dive in!
Even though there is not one recipe for everyone, let’s explore what usually helps people to get a good restart.
1. How to restart your life: Mindfulness and inner work
Since the need for a restart can be triggered by a lack of mindfulness, inner work, and mindfulness are among the first things to pay attention to when a person is ready for change and a restart.
Ways to practice mindfulness and inner growth:
- Meditation. YouTube has some great, free options you can start with!
- Learning mindfulness techniques
- Attending courses about self-exploration
- Starting psychotherapy. Look up a specialist in your area or try the popular BetterHelp.
- Reading self-help books
- Being with yourself. Cut down on distractions – TV, social media, etc.
- Going on walks. Preferably in nature when possible.
2. How to restart your life: Adjusting thought patterns and self-image
A restart needs a rewiring and tweaking of your self-image. In a way, restarting divides your life into before and after, and you need to start acting and thinking like the “after” person as soon as you can.
How to change thought patterns and self-image:
- Use visualization techniques. For example, visualize yourself in the future where you want to be. Embody that person – see the future through your own eyes, not looking at yourself like in a movie.
- Learn about manifestation
- Create a vision board and personify it. Use Canva to create a collage or just pin images on Pinterest!
- Listen to videos with people you usually don’t watch
- Read books that you don’t usually pick up
- Be in the company of people who inspire and lift you up
- Exit environments that don’t benefit you anymore
3. How to restart your life: Discipline
Everything is possible with discipline. Discipline is the frame that will drive you into a successful restart. You fill the frame with activities – meditation, courses, healthy foods, workouts, etc, but you need the discipline frame to be successful. In life and in restarting life.
Discipline is easier when you don’t overthink it.
How to practice discipline:
- Set good-for-you yet achievable goals. Use the ladder technique – know your end goal, but set smaller goals that move towards the end goal.
For example, if you have an end goal of having a $ 500,000 company, set the first goal of earning $100 in the next month. And move up from there. - Make your habits into a no-thinker – prepare in advance. Plan out what you will do and when. And when the time comes – don’t argue with yourself, go on autopilot and just do it.
For example, if you want to start working out, when the set time comes, put on workout clothes (that you have prepared in advance) and just go work out. Don’t analyze how you feel and don’t negotiate with yourself. - Just show up – no matter the mood, weather, or anything else. As an example, even a bad workout is a workout.
- Accept mistakes. When you are just starting out – most likely you will fall off the discipline wagon. Don’t overdramatize it – just get back on the track! Think about your goal and what’s best for your future self.
- Use habit stacking (and other habit hacks). Discipline is just good habits piling up. Add a habit you want to achieve on already existing habit!
For example, if you want to take your vitamins daily, put them next to your toothbrush and “link” vitamin taking with teeth brushing. - Don’t overdo it. Start small. For example, in the gym, you wouldn’t start with the maximum weights. You would be training with the minimum weights for a while, then add a few pounds, then a few more, and more.
The principle applies to habits and discipline. Add one thing to your routine – consolidate it, then add the next.
4. How to restart your life: Changing routine
Life restart is a change of lifestyle. To change one’s lifestyle, you need to change your existing routine. Usually, a restart is needed when the existing routine doesn’t serve you. To remedy that add to your routine some good additions and explore different possibilities!
How to change routine:
- Try new hobbies and activities. Try different dance classes like tap dance or flamenko, try sports like rock climbing or shooting, try painting, Ikebana (Japanese flower art), or something else creative, or learn a new language.
- Taste new dishes and visit new restaurants. Make your mission to try the World cuisine!
- Take a different path to work, home, or while walking a dog
- Wake up an hour early and go to bed an hour early
- Use that morning time to read a book, exercise, or prep meals for the day (or anything else that excites you really).
- Brush your teeth with the other hand
- Volunteer for something that you have never done and find intriguing
5. How to restart your life: Prioritizing health
Health is the foundation of our body. And our body is a foundation for us. By prioritizing health you make yourself feel good, strong, and energetic. And it is always a good state to be in when you are in the middle of restarting life.
How to prioritize health:
- Choose healthy foods. For example, salads, vegetables, fresh fruit, baked not fried food, food without added preservatives and sugars, etc.
- Do a health check-up. For example, for vitamin deficiencies.
- If needed – add pharmacy vitamins to your diet.
- Try nutritional supplements as an addition to a healthy diet, for example, collagen or protein powder, and see how it makes you feel!
- Drink water
- Minimize caffeine intake
- Work-out regularly
- Choose stairs, skip the elevator
- When possible, walk not drive. Or bike.
- Have a good night’s sleep
- Attend a massage therapist
Remember about mental health as well:
- Leave environments that are downgrading. You don’t have to stay if it makes you miserable. Leave or plan for a leave as soon as you can!
- Choose yourself! And don’t gossip.
- Invest in self-discovery. For example, psychotherapy, self-help, courses, masterclasses, etc.
- Be honest with yourself. Helps you move faster forward.
- Talk yourself up. Be your first new friend and supporter!
- Learn to feel and process emotions
6. How to restart your life: Enduring emotional discomfort
Changing familiar to something new always comes with some resistance. Sitting through the discomfort and choosing to enter uncomfortable situations is key to restarting. We can also call them the “growing pains” since restarting in some ways is just growing.
Situations where you could meet up with discomfort:
- Trying something new (from a restaurant to an activity)
- Meeting new people
- Entering unfamiliar environments
- Standing up for yourself
- Learning new perspectives on life and other topics
- Changing routine
- Adding new habits
- While working out
- After a workout (muscle pain, stiffness, etc)
- Changing thoughts about yourself
How to endure emotional discomfort during life restart:
- Sit with your emotions. Emotions cannot hurt you! So you can let them run. They will lose intensity in just a few moments.
- Do it anyway. We are programmed to be scared of discomfort but it actually is not something to be feared. So, be scared and uncomfortable, but do it!
- Expand your comfort zone gradually. For example, go out to that new event, but promise yourself that after that you can snuggle at home with a book right back in your comfort zone.
- Give yourself the grace to make mistakes. We often fear looking silly, but when trying new things, it is something that can happen. Don’t judge yourself for that! See it as proof that you are trying something new and expanding yourself and your comfort zone.
- Push through. Sometimes you just have to be tough with yourself and push through some resistance you have created for yourself. Be mindful though, and push only when you know the outcome will benefit you.
7. How to restart your life: A clear idea of values and goals
Restart is all about a new beginning, but you need to know what the new beginning is for. So, you need to know your goals and the best goals are those that are aligned with your values.
Values are principles you believe in. From characteristics like honesty to actions like caring for the environment. More or less, it can be anything that you find important and what feels right to you.
Values make us who we are. It is our integrity and our strengths. It is also our guidance to life and how we want to live it.
There can also be some anti-values. Something you know you are against. For example, you don’t support casual drinking and your goal is to find a new job. In this case, you won’t even consider a job in a big winery even if it sounds like your dream job. Because it doesn’t align with your values.
If it aligns with your anti-values, it doesn’t align with your values.
It is also normal if goals and values change over time. Maybe your value for a while was to get as much money as you could but now you are leaning more towards family life. That’s normal and part of life to change values and with that your goals.
Restarting life… in the middle of life
Starting from scratch sounds perfect when you desperately want to leave your old habits, lifestyle, and even maybe relationships behind. Throwing out all the drafts and starting fresh from a blank page like nothing ever happened, just your new life and the new version of you.
However, that’s not how a restart usually looks or even feels like.
Restarting your life is usually messy, hard, and full of setbacks. It can also get painful and lonely.
But restarting can also be inspiring, full of life, and uplifting. It can contain the joy of finding yourself again, the joy of reconnecting, and the joy of growth. And the pride in yourself for staying true to yourself and your beliefs in becoming the best version of yourself.
Looking for the blank page
If you are moving countries or states you can get a more “blank page” feeling. Physically you are not in your old living space, you don’t see your family and friends (aka your social circle), and if you are moving to a different climate zone you are naturally changing your visual appearance (aka clothes).
It is even proven with scientific research (Pubmed, npr.org) that the environment plays a huge role in changing one’s behavior – the existing environment can pull us back into old habits while a new environment can support new habits. So, starting fresh in a new place really is a great advantage. But don’t be fooled. It is just that – an advantage. A new place doesn’t make you “new” and an old place doesn’t mean you need to stay stuck.
If you want to restart your life right where you are – in the existing apartment, with the same social circle available in minutes, with the same job and responsibilities, it is possible! It all anyway depends on you.
In conclusion
If you are reading this article, it means you are ready for a restart. Don’t stop yourself! Take a blank paper or go for a walk – figure out what you want, what’s important to you, and how you want to feel. And then look for answers, take action, and give yourself time! It is going to happen – I believe in you, just believe in yourself too, okay?
Just find a new purpose and work towards it. Sounds easy? Sure! But how do you actually do it? There is no 1 perfect recipe (because people and their goals are so different!) or a list of “Do this and you are 100% guaranteed a restart!”. However, here, in this post, I have compiled what all the restart activities have in common (according to my experience and research).
“Thinking about restarting your life? Finding a new purpose and working toward it sounds simple, right? In theory, sure! But in reality, how do you actually make it happen? There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, no magic checklist that guarantees a perfect life reset—after all, everyone’s journey and goals are different. But in this post, I’ll share key insights and common threads I’ve discovered from both personal experience and research that can guide you on your path to a meaningful restart.”
In just a few seconds let’s discuss these ideas in more depth (if you are very impatient, you can scroll down and start with them right away). But if you are a curious person like me, let’s start with a little bit of a backstory of how you got here in the first place.
The most common reasons for the need to restart life
I know you want the “hows” and it’s great! But sometimes knowing the “whys” can also bring loads of freedom (and guidance), so here it is.
Reason 1 – NOT living according to your values and beliefs
Part of feeling stuck and wanting a life restart is not living according to your values and beliefs. You might feel at the core that your actions do not align with your thoughts. Or the other way around – your thoughts don’t align with your actions.
- Maybe you value keeping your word but for some reason, you don’t keep yours.
- Maybe you value family, but somehow work always comes first.
- Maybe you value honesty, but yet you don’t stand up for what you believe in.
All these discrepancies slowly eat you up from the inside leaving you a hard shell. And since it happens slowly over time, it sneaks up on you and one day you are like “What the heck? Why do I feel so unhappy and stuck? I need a restart!”
Reason 2 – Avoiding progress
We always have growth opportunities in life. Growth makes us feel strong, determined, and like we are moving forward. All the good stuff. But we as humans are also sneaky little elves – we try to avoid discomfort and challenges as much as possible. And when we do that, we deny our progress possibilities. Denied opportunity after denied opportunity piles up into resentment and emptiness, that grows into wanting a restart.
Change always happens in discomfort so be open to feeling scared, uncomfortable, and stupid. As long as you keep choosing what is truly best for yourself, you will be on the right path.
Reason 3 – Bouldozering over yourself
Another recipe for wanting a restart is not listening to your inner truth. Either you did everything someone else said (parents, teachers, role models), or maybe you tried to fit in with a friend group (and suppressed your beliefs and opinions). Not putting yourself first and always trying to be something for someone often leads to burnout and emptiness. Which leads to wanting a restart.
Reason 4 – A dramatic event
Dramatic events like a breakup or something even worse can push us into needing a life restart. Since these are forced situations and usually are accompanied by a different mindset, in this article we won’t focus a lot on this reason.
That said, if you are looking for a restart because of reason 4, I am sure you can get some good ideas out of this article anyway! Just keep in mind, that it is more adjusted for situations when we have created reasons for a restart ourselves.
7 ideas on how to restart your life – let’s dive in!
Even though there is not one recipe for everyone, let’s explore what usually helps people to get a good restart.
1. How to restart your life: Mindfulness and inner work
Since the need for a restart can be triggered by a lack of mindfulness, inner work, and mindfulness are among the first things to pay attention to when a person is ready for change and a restart.
Ways to practice mindfulness and inner growth:
- Meditation. YouTube has some great, free options you can start with!
- Learning mindfulness techniques
- Attending courses about self-exploration
- Starting psychotherapy. Look up a specialist in your area or try the popular BetterHelp.
- Reading self-help books
- Being with yourself. Cut down on distractions – TV, social media, etc.
- Going on walks. Preferably in nature when possible.
2. How to restart your life: Adjusting thought patterns and self-image
A restart needs a rewiring and tweaking of your self-image. In a way, restarting divides your life into before and after, and you need to start acting and thinking like the “after” person as soon as you can.
How to change thought patterns and self-image:
- Use visualization techniques. For example, visualize yourself in the future where you want to be. Embody that person – see the future through your own eyes, not looking at yourself like in a movie.
- Learn about manifestation
- Create a vision board and personify it. Use Canva to create a collage or just pin images on Pinterest!
- Listen to videos with people you usually don’t watch
- Read books that you don’t usually pick up
- Be in the company of people who inspire and lift you up
- Exit environments that don’t benefit you anymore
3. How to restart your life: Discipline
Everything is possible with discipline. Discipline is the frame that will drive you into a successful restart. You fill the frame with activities – meditation, courses, healthy foods, workouts, etc, but you need the discipline frame to be successful. In life and in restarting life.
Discipline is easier when you don’t overthink it.
How to practice discipline:
- Set good-for-you yet achievable goals. Use the ladder technique – know your end goal, but set smaller goals that move towards the end goal.
For example, if you have an end goal of having a $ 500,000 company, set the first goal of earning $100 in the next month. And move up from there. - Make your habits into a no-thinker – prepare in advance. Plan out what you will do and when. And when the time comes – don’t argue with yourself, go on autopilot and just do it.
For example, if you want to start working out, when the set time comes, put on workout clothes (that you have prepared in advance) and just go work out. Don’t analyze how you feel and don’t negotiate with yourself. - Just show up – no matter the mood, weather, or anything else. As an example, even a bad workout is a workout.
- Accept mistakes. When you are just starting out – most likely you will fall off the discipline wagon. Don’t overdramatize it – just get back on the track! Think about your goal and what’s best for your future self.
- Use habit stacking (and other habit hacks). Discipline is just good habits piling up. Add a habit you want to achieve on already existing habit!
For example, if you want to take your vitamins daily, put them next to your toothbrush and “link” vitamin taking with teeth brushing. - Don’t overdo it. Start small. For example, in the gym, you wouldn’t start with the maximum weights. You would be training with the minimum weights for a while, then add a few pounds, then a few more, and more.
The principle applies to habits and discipline. Add one thing to your routine – consolidate it, then add the next.
4. How to restart your life: Changing routine
Life restart is a change of lifestyle. To change one’s lifestyle, you need to change your existing routine. Usually, a restart is needed when the existing routine doesn’t serve you. To remedy that add to your routine some good additions and explore different possibilities!
How to change routine:
- Try new hobbies and activities. Try different dance classes like tap dance or flamenko, try sports like rock climbing or shooting, try painting, Ikebana (Japanese flower art), or something else creative, or learn a new language.
- Taste new dishes and visit new restaurants. Make your mission to try the World cuisine!
- Take a different path to work, home, or while walking a dog
- Wake up an hour early and go to bed an hour early
- Use that morning time to read a book, exercise, or prep meals for the day (or anything else that excites you really).
- Brush your teeth with the other hand
- Volunteer for something that you have never done and find intriguing
5. How to restart your life: Prioritizing health
Health is the foundation of our body. And our body is a foundation for us. By prioritizing health you make yourself feel good, strong, and energetic. And it is always a good state to be in when you are in the middle of restarting life.
How to prioritize health:
- Choose healthy foods. For example, salads, vegetables, fresh fruit, baked not fried food, food without added preservatives and sugars, etc.
- Do a health check-up. For example, for vitamin deficiencies.
- If needed – add pharmacy vitamins to your diet.
- Try nutritional supplements as an addition to a healthy diet, for example, collagen or protein powder, and see how it makes you feel!
- Drink water
- Minimize caffeine intake
- Work-out regularly
- Choose stairs, skip the elevator
- When possible, walk not drive. Or bike.
- Have a good night’s sleep
- Attend a massage therapist
Remember about mental health as well:
- Leave environments that are downgrading. You don’t have to stay if it makes you miserable. Leave or plan for a leave as soon as you can!
- Choose yourself! And don’t gossip.
- Invest in self-discovery. For example, psychotherapy, self-help, courses, masterclasses, etc.
- Be honest with yourself. Helps you move faster forward.
- Talk yourself up. Be your first new friend and supporter!
- Learn to feel and process emotions
6. How to restart your life: Enduring emotional discomfort
Changing familiar to something new always comes with some resistance. Sitting through the discomfort and choosing to enter uncomfortable situations is key to restarting. We can also call them the “growing pains” since restarting in some ways is just growing.
Situations where you could meet up with discomfort:
- Trying something new (from a restaurant to an activity)
- Meeting new people
- Entering unfamiliar environments
- Standing up for yourself
- Learning new perspectives on life and other topics
- Changing routine
- Adding new habits
- While working out
- After a workout (muscle pain, stiffness, etc)
- Changing thoughts about yourself
How to endure emotional discomfort during life restart:
- Sit with your emotions. Emotions cannot hurt you! So you can let them run. They will lose intensity in just a few moments.
- Do it anyway. We are programmed to be scared of discomfort but it actually is not something to be feared. So, be scared and uncomfortable, but do it!
- Expand your comfort zone gradually. For example, go out to that new event, but promise yourself that after that you can snuggle at home with a book right back in your comfort zone.
- Give yourself the grace to make mistakes. We often fear looking silly, but when trying new things, it is something that can happen. Don’t judge yourself for that! See it as proof that you are trying something new and expanding yourself and your comfort zone.
- Push through. Sometimes you just have to be tough with yourself and push through some resistance you have created for yourself. Be mindful though, and push only when you know the outcome will benefit you.
7. How to restart your life: A clear idea of values and goals
Restart is all about a new beginning, but you need to know what the new beginning is for. So, you need to know your goals and the best goals are those that are aligned with your values.
Values are principles you believe in. From characteristics like honesty to actions like caring for the environment. More or less, it can be anything that you find important and what feels right to you.
Values make us who we are. It is our integrity and our strengths. It is also our guidance to life and how we want to live it.
There can also be some anti-values. Something you know you are against. For example, you don’t support casual drinking and your goal is to find a new job. In this case, you won’t even consider a job in a big winery even if it sounds like your dream job. Because it doesn’t align with your values.
If it aligns with your anti-values, it doesn’t align with your values.
It is also normal if goals and values change over time. Maybe your value for a while was to get as much money as you could but now you are leaning more towards family life. That’s normal and part of life to change values and with that your goals.
Restarting life… in the middle of life
Starting from scratch sounds perfect when you desperately want to leave your old habits, lifestyle, and even maybe relationships behind. Throwing out all the drafts and starting fresh from a blank page like nothing ever happened, just your new life and the new version of you.
However, that’s not how a restart usually looks or even feels like.
Restarting your life is usually messy, hard, and full of setbacks. It can also get painful and lonely.
But restarting can also be inspiring, full of life, and uplifting. It can contain the joy of finding yourself again, the joy of reconnecting, and the joy of growth. And the pride in yourself for staying true to yourself and your beliefs in becoming the best version of yourself.
Looking for the blank page
If you are moving countries or states you can get a more “blank page” feeling. Physically you are not in your old living space, you don’t see your family and friends (aka your social circle), and if you are moving to a different climate zone you are naturally changing your visual appearance (aka clothes).
It is even proven with scientific research (Pubmed, npr.org) that the environment plays a huge role in changing one’s behavior – the existing environment can pull us back into old habits while a new environment can support new habits. So, starting fresh in a new place really is a great advantage. But don’t be fooled. It is just that – an advantage. A new place doesn’t make you “new” and an old place doesn’t mean you need to stay stuck.
If you want to restart your life right where you are – in the existing apartment, with the same social circle available in minutes, with the same job and responsibilities, it is possible! It all anyway depends on you.
In conclusion
If you are reading this article, it means you are ready for a restart. Don’t stop yourself! Take a blank paper or go for a walk – figure out what you want, what’s important to you, and how you want to feel. And then look for answers, take action, and give yourself time! It is going to happen – I believe in you, just believe in yourself too, okay?
This is such a lovely post! Everyone goes through phases where they feel horrible and these are some really good suggestions to help! I know a trip always makes me feel better.
Tish | thesundaydiary.co.uk
Thank you! :) That’s true – we all go through tough times once in a while. And having trips is always the best! <3 :)
Amazing post! Very helpful <3
https://octoberslallu.blogspot.qa/
Thank you! :) <3
These are some great tips! I’ll definitely be keeping these in mind next time I’m having one of those days.
x Kara | http://karascloset.net/
Thank you! :) If the days come, hope these tips will help! ;)
M
A couple of weeks ago, I was feeling terrible because I had to make a really big decision in regards to my university course and was thinking about it for hours and hours, getting scared about the direction my life was going to go in… I unknowingly implemented some of these tips, such as going on a trip abroad and going to different events where I spoke to new people and got their opinions on my situation, and managed to find a solution/ get out of a low point in my life. Hence, it is amazing that you took the… Read more »
So happy to hear you got out of the low point situation AND that you took action to make it alright! :) Ahh, university decisions are always hard.. :/
Thank you so much for the kind words and for sharing your experience! :) It really helps to know that things that work for me, work for others too. :)
Lots of love,
M