Where Do You Feel Most Like Yourself?

(soft music) Headspace Studio. (soft music) Hey, it's Dora and welcome to Radio Headspace. So have you ever noticed that the way we show up can change depending on where we are? Maybe it's your voice, the words you choose, your energy, even the way that you hold yourself. And it can happen so subtly that we don't always notice it in the moment. This actually came up recently in one of my teacher trainings. The student asked a really thoughtful question. I said, "Why do we code switch? And is it possible to just be ourselves in every single space we're in?" And I remember pausing with that because it's something I've noticed in my own life too. There are spaces where I feel open, relaxed, and fully myself. And there are other spaces where something shifts. Maybe I'm a little more quieter or more aware of how I'm coming across. And for a long time, I used to think that meant that something was wrong, like I wasn't being authentic, like I should just be the same version of myself everywhere. (soft drizzle) But I started to see it a little differently, because when we look at it, that shift doesn't come out of nowhere. It's often a response to the environment, to the people around us, to what feels safe and what doesn't. I think about my mom in these times. She has a thick Kenyan accent. And growing up, I would notice how sometimes when she was at the bank or on the phone, her voice would change. She would soften her accent, speak a little differently. And of course, back then I didn't think about it too much, but looking back, I can see what was happening. There was this desire to be understood, to be taken seriously, to be received in a certain way. And I think many of us do this in our own ways. We adjust. We shape shift just a little, sometimes to belong, to feel safe, or just to move through a space more easily. (soft music) And in seeing that and noticing when that happens, something begins to transform. Maybe it's not that we're being fake or betraying ourselves. Maybe it's that we've learned how to navigate different spaces and how to protect ourselves when we need to. And that doesn't make us inauthentic. It just makes us aware. So for today, it might be interesting just to notice how you feel in different environments. You might notice certain spaces where you feel more open, more at ease and like yourself. And in other spaces, notice where you begin to shrink. Maybe there's a little more effort and instead of judging that or trying to force anything to change, just notice it gently and kindly. In that awareness, there's already a shift that takes place. Over time, you begin to see where you feel safe enough to come back to yourself, even in small ways and in small moments....