7 underrated activities that help you reconnect with yourself

Let’s face it—we live in a world that makes it incredibly easy to lose touch with ourselves. Between social media noise, back-to-back responsibilities, and the pressure to always be “on,” finding space to breathe—let alone reflect—feels like a luxury.

But sometimes, the things that bring us back home to ourselves aren’t dramatic. They’re quiet, simple, and often overlooked.

Here are seven underrated activities that have helped me—and could help you—reconnect with who you are underneath the noise.

1. Taking long, unstructured walks

No podcast. No purpose. Just walk.

There’s something about wandering that loosens the grip of mental clutter. I started walking without a destination a few years ago after a trip to Lisbon, where everyone seemed to stroll instead of rush. I’d head out after dinner and just let the streets carry me.

Turns out, there’s science behind this.

A Stanford study found that people produced 60% more creative ideas while walking than when sitting still. And the creativity boost wasn’t limited to walking in nature—it happened even on a treadmill .

When I’m stuck in a rut or need clarity, I don’t push harder at my desk. I go for a walk. And almost always, I come back with something I didn’t know I was looking for.

2. Letting your mind wander

We’ve trained ourselves to be productive every second of the day. Scroll this. Learn that. Respond quickly. Maximize everything.

But that mental white space you get when you stare out a window or zone out during a shower? That’s not wasted time—it’s necessary.

As Sherry Turkle puts it, “When we let our minds wander, we set our brains free. Our brains are most productive when there is no demand that they be reactive”.

I now protect those pockets of unstructured mental time. Waiting in line, I don’t reach for my phone. I let my thoughts drift. Weirdly enough, that’s often when I connect with parts of myself that get drowned out by constant input.

3. Sitting in intentional solitude

Not loneliness—solitude.

There’s a big difference. One drains you. The other nourishes you.

I started embracing solitude during lockdown, when the F&B industry basically collapsed overnight. At first, it was uncomfortable. I missed the buzz, the interactions, the high-stakes pace.

But then something shifted.

In that stillness, I began to hear myself again. And I’m not the only one who’s found truth in quiet. Albert Einstein once said, “The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind”.

You don’t need a cabin in the woods. Just fifteen quiet minutes a day—no screens, no conversation—can do wonders.

4. Letting yourself cry (yes, really)

I know this might seem like a strange one. But hear me out.

Crying isn’t weak. It’s not embarrassing. It’s biology doing what it’s supposed to do.

Leo Newhouse, LICSW, points out that “crying releases oxytocin and endogenous opioids… These feel-good chemicals help ease both physical and emotional pain” .

There’s a reason so many of us feel lighter after a good cry. It’s not just emotional—it’s chemical.

I’ve had moments, especially after burnout or heartbreak, where letting myself break down actually helped me rebuild.

If you’re holding back tears right now, maybe let them out. That release could be the most honest moment you’ve had all week.

5. Reconnecting with your body through movement

Not for weight loss. Not for performance. Just to feel.

A few months back, I read Laughing in the Face of Chaos by Rudá Iandê, and one insight hit hard:

“The body is not something to be feared or denied, but rather a sacred tool for spiritual growth and transformation.”

That stuck with me.

We treat our bodies like machines—fuel it, push it, rest it, repeat. But what if it’s more than that? What if it’s a compass?

Lately, I’ve been doing slower workouts—tai chi, mobility flows, even dancing around my kitchen. Not to get ripped. But to tune in.

My shoulders tell me when I’m stressed. My breath tells me when I need to slow down. My gut often knows what my brain hasn’t caught up to yet.

You don’t have to be a yogi. Just move in a way that helps you listen better.

6. Spending time with plants, soil, or green space

Growing up, I thought gardening was something retired people did. Now, I get it.

Getting your hands in soil—or just being around greenery—does something to your nervous system. It grounds you.

I started keeping a few herbs on my balcony, and tending to them became a morning ritual. Snipping fresh basil for my eggs or watering mint for an afternoon tea became a reminder that life moves slowly and naturally—when we let it.

According to a study in Nature, spending just 120 minutes a week in nature is associated with better health and wellbeing . That’s less than 20 minutes a day.

You don’t need a forest. A plant. A park. Even a tree outside your window will do.

7. Volunteering your time or skills

Finally, doing something for someone else—without expecting anything back—is one of the quickest ways to feel human again.

There was a phase in my late 20s when I felt completely disconnected. My job was demanding. My personal life was chaotic. Everything felt…hollow.

A friend invited me to help serve meals at a local shelter one Saturday. I went, expecting nothing. I left with a full heart.

According to research from Stanford, older adults who volunteer experience lower rates of depression, enhanced cognition, and greater life satisfaction .

It makes sense. When you give, you remember you have something to offer. That reminder? It's everything.

Final thoughts: wholeness lives in the quiet moments

I used to think reconnecting with myself meant doing something dramatic—quitting my job, moving across the world, reinventing my entire identity.

But I’ve learned that most of the time, it’s the small, almost invisible acts that bring us home.

We don’t need another productivity hack. We need a breather. A reset. A reminder that we’re already whole.

Reading Laughing in the Face of Chaos by Rudá Iandê really drove that home for me. His insights pushed me to stop searching for a version of myself that didn’t need fixing—and start listening to the one that’s been here all along.

Because wholeness doesn’t come from crushing goals or chasing aesthetics. It comes from being honest with ourselves—raw, flawed, and fully present.

So if you’ve been feeling a bit lost lately, maybe skip the self-help rabbit hole. Try one of these underrated practices instead.

Chances are, the version of you you’re trying to find is already here. You’ve just been too busy to hear them.