Identity is you. It’s how you express yourself, your personality, what you wear, your hobbies etc. It can be personal, cultural, creative, all three and more. Identity makes us who we are but sometimes it’s hard to find that identity.
When finding your identity, be aware that you don’t have to fit into a box and realize that your identity changes as you become older. Be the one to write your identity. It’s how we identify with the world.
How can identity affect your wellbeing?
Well-being and identity is something that can be linked. If you are struggling to find your identity, your well-being can be affected negatively. However, if you are comfortable with your identity, your well-being can improve.
Your physical and mental health can deteriorate, your relationships with people can go down hill. You can feel alone, not yourself and feel like you’re an outsider. However, finding yourself as a person can take time, so don’t blame yourself and try to take every day as it comes.
Your identity can be affected when you’re in school, at your workplace or in your own home. This is because you can change your identity to fit in with others, to hide certain aspects away from friends and family and there may be some peer pressure to be someone you’re not.
How can you find your identity?
- Try new things and see what fits best for you
- Step outside of your comfort zone
- Find people who enjoy the same things as you
- Observe your feelings
- Ask yourself, who do you relate to and look up too
- What are your core values
Perceptions from other people on your identity
There will always be judgement from others, whether it is on purpose or not, it will always be there. Before diving deep into other people’s perceptions, let go of your own judgement. Both of yourself and from others. If you receive any judgement, switch your focus to the positive and don’t take personal offence. As well as this, things may get heated when people judge you, so leave the situation to cool down. Lastly, focus on the people that care about you.
Overall, everyone has a different opinion on identity. Some people say that it is who you are when nobody’s around and some people say it’s the opposite where you show your true self to people around you. However, sometimes people struggle with showing you they are because of the perceptions from others.