Photo Credit: Charlotte Astrid
How many times have you thought of something before it happened? How many times have you ignored a bad feeling about a person or situation, only to have it come back to bite you later?
After running through this list, we think that our gut feeling certainly has a lot to answer for in the personal regrets department! In hindsight, it certainly seems as though our heart holds the answers to everything in life.
That is, until we think about the number of moments we have been thankful for following our GPS instructions and skipping that turn; of shrugging off our bad feeling and giving that new friend a chance.
On those days, our head certainly won.
Head or Heart?
This week at Clarity Road, we have been battling with the great debate between head or heart. After doing a bit of research we found a mountain of articles singing the merits of logical thinking or praising the value of following your heart. This really didn’t help us at all!
Especially when contemplating a major life change, we were left with no way of differentiating between the two – which, however obtusely, brought us to the conclusion that head or heart are each useful at different stages.
When to listen to your heart
If we are unhappy, our heart will tell us so. However, with the emotional and financial responsibilities related to adulthood, it can become easy to rely on “what we know”. At moments when our gut is screaming at us to throw in the towel and run, our head usually chimes in to list all of the reasons why we should not seek change, quelling our desire for something new and making change feel impossible.
Staying in our monotonous full-time job will keep our incomes secure (and give us something to talk about at weddings). Staying in an unfulfilling relationship will avoid any conflict that could interrupt said monotonous full time job.
Don’t let adherence to social rules trump your well-being. If you are unhappy about your life, listen to your heart and make change.
When to rely on your head
Once you have made the decision to change jobs, to start a family, to leave an unhappy relationship or anything in between, it is time to start using your head.
Although jumping head-first into a life changing event will give you a thrill and a feeling of purpose, with little planning your grand aspirations are in danger of falling apart.
Take an extra week or month to put that brain into action and iron out the basics of what is to come. Will you be able to get by financially? How will you ensure the welfare of your kids? Don’t ignore the basic practicalities in a Thelma and Louise moment and plummet over the edge – we want you to survive your life change, after all!
When to ask for help
If, after some thorough self-reflection, your head and your heart are still not giving you any answers, it is probably time to seek help. Talking an issue out with a friend or family member can help you to see a problem in a different light. If referring to your immediate support network proves unsuccessful, it may be worth seeking professional advice. Our various support services pages list agencies that offer different forms of assistance to those in need, usually free of charge.
Your head and your heart can be each other’s worst enemies or closest allies. Good luck!
The Clarity Road Team
