Do you sometimes feel like you’re playing a role?

This may seem weird to admit, but sometimes when I write posts I feel like I'm playing the role of what I think a life coach should be. I know I'm a good coach - and sometimes my mind tells me when I write posts I'm playing pretend. I start to feel crunchy and a little stuck, and when I feel this way, I listen and follow where that crunch is coming from. The source is usually shoulds and untrue stories / inner critics I’ve given a louder voice to.

Sometimes we can get stuck feeling like we're playing pretend in our different roles - even in our jobs, as spouses, parents, children, or friends. And it can feel yucky, especially if we're living under the rules of shoulds - or what's not with what's aligned with what we truly want or need. And if we're recovering people-pleasers or perfectionists, this can seem an even bigger feeling of yuck and imposter-like because we feel pulled all sorts of ways and have a hard time feeling what's true to us.

Shoulds and feelings of impostor syndrome can be really fun - not! 🥴 And guess what - we all feel this from time to time.

When I’m feeling this way, I take some time to settle into my body and feel into what feels off. Yeah, it feels uncomfortable and I have compassion for that part of me - and still give myself time and space to work through the crunch. To feel into where I'm out of alignment. I journal. I walk. I process. I know it's not going to be perfect and it's not going to be just a one-time thing. But even giving myself the space and time to reflect feels relieving. I know it’s not forever and I know that it’s part of leveling up in some way.

What about you? Do you sometimes feel like you're playing a role? What shoulds are you telling yourself? What's one small thing you can do to shift closer to something that aligns with what you want or need?