Reclaiming the “You” Beneath the Noise

In a world full of constant input, it’s easy to lose sight of your own inner voice. Somewhere between the notifications, routines, advice columns and productivity hacks, many of us slowly disconnect… not with drama, but quietly, subtly, over time. It begins as a small dulling, a sense of not quite being yourself, and before long it can feel like you’re living on autopilot, moving through the motions but without real clarity or conviction.

This isn’t uncommon. In fact, it’s increasingly the norm. The average adult is exposed to thousands of marketing messages every single day, not to mention the endless scroll of social media, societal expectations, and well-meaning advice from all directions. It’s no surprise that beneath all of this, your true needs and desires can get lost in the noise.

Research from the University of California has shown that this level of cognitive overload doesn’t just affect how we think: it influences our ability to make decisions, retain information, and feel emotionally present. The more information we absorb, the harder it becomes to discern what’s actually important, or more specifically, what’s actually important to us.

This is where coaching can offer something radically simple: space. Not space to become someone new, but space to return to yourself. To slow down, peel back the layers, and reconnect with your own pace, your own preferences, your own way of thinking. When we remove the noise, what remains is often far clearer than we imagined.

At Aerie Living, we sometimes begin not with goals or plans, but with questions. What do you genuinely enjoy? What restores you? What are you doing because it matters, and what are you doing simply because it’s what you think you should be doing? These aren’t always easy to answer straight away, especially if it’s been years since you truly asked. But with time, and some gentle curiosity, the answers tend to come.

Psychologists refer to this process as self-authorship, the act of defining your own beliefs and path, rather than absorbing those of everyone around you. It’s a crucial part of emotional development, and one that many of us are only just beginning to reclaim in adulthood.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected, flat, or uncertain, know that nothing is wrong with you. It’s entirely possible — and completely normal — to feel a little lost when life has pulled you in too many directions. The important thing is knowing that you can come home to yourself at any point.

Not by doing more. Not by chasing another solution. But by listening, slowly and gently, for what’s been waiting underneath the surface.