Have you ever been sitting at your desk and been struck with the desire to sell your car and go live with indigenous tribes in the Amazon? Or to an ashram in India? Or even the beach, the mountains, the park, anywhere but…here.
Ah, wanderlust. That itch to go, to move, to dive in and take a risk, see something new, sometimes anything will do, just to get out of your routine. Maybe you used to just jump up and embrace spontaneity whenever you were inspired, but now life isn’t so simple. Maybe you’ve never really taken that leap. So how can we manage the restless energy when it bubbles up? What do we do with it?
Often the feelings of restlessness are overpowering because they manifest so physically in our bodies. They’re hard to ignore. The toe tapping, the fluttering heart beats, the drumming fingers, difficulty concentrating are all very strong indications of what’s going on under the surface. We literally can’t sit still when we get lost in the fantasy of elsewhere. The trick to working and managing this energy is to tap into our physical self and determine the root of our feelings. Difficult as it may be, these are the moments to really sit and observe. Notice your breathing, and take stock in your reaction when you consciously slow the breath.
There is something to be said for being fearless, for jumping in and doing that thing you’ve always dreamed. Be brave, be extreme. Maybe it’s not the Amazon, maybe it’s quitting your job and venturing out on your own career path. You’ve been thinking about it for so long and suddenly it just feels like now is the time to act.
On the other hand, having wanderlust is part of the ever-seductive lure of otherness. “My life would be so perfect if only…” Maybe instead of acting rash, we need to hunker down and examine our commitments. Sit with the feelings and allow them to settle. How do we know when the time is right? The ants in our pants can sometimes lead us to act impulsively without thinking through the steps.
This is where making space to tune into the physical body can be your road map. By listening to your inner self, clarity and confidence will well up, just as the restlessness has. From that point, your decision, whether to go for it or to hold off, becomes an embodied truth, an action you own and take responsibility for. Really what wanderlust is then, is an opportunity to step back and take stock of how our life is moving along. What a welcomed opportunity to evolve.
