Our inner voice is something that we may or may not be always conscious of. Most of the time people are not. When they're not aware of that, oftentimes they're not heeding the advice of their inner voice. Is it possible that your internal voice is on automatic pilot? It just kind of runs itself outside of your awareness. It’s very important to have a conscious attention to that inner voice.

Sleepwalkers are people who are not aware of that inner voice. They don't think of the value of having balance in their life, mind, body, and spirit. In a very general way, that balance in your life is very important. There is a relationship between your thoughts, your feelings, and your behaviors, your actions. Imagine what it's like not to be conscious of your inner voice and its impact on your behaviors and your feelings. 

As a result of not being aware of your inner voice, sleepwalkers are sometimes caught up in patterns, repeating the same negative challenging events in their lives over and over again. Some of these may be quite detrimental to not only themselves, but others in their networks, like family members.

Here are some of the signals that someone may be a sleepwalker, living his or her life in this way, and the downsides that come from this inaction.

1. Emotional Reactivity

• Quick to anger or frustration: Without awareness, people often react impulsively to situations, letting emotions like anger, frustration, or sadness drive their actions.
• Overreaction to minor issues: Small inconveniences or setbacks are blown out of proportion because they aren’t processing situations mindfully.
• Lack of resilience: We all have bad days, but emotionally strong people can bounce back faster. For sleepwalkers, it can take longer to get back on track and feeling good after something negative occurs.

2. Living in Unconscious Habits

• Repetitive negative behaviors: Engaging in harmful habits like overeating, substance abuse, or procrastination without understanding why they keep doing it. These can have further negative health impacts.
• Stuck in routines: Routines can be helpful when they optimize our time, like taking care of housework on a repeated schedule, but it’s important to be intentional about finding a routine that’s supporting your success. Living through the same routine day after day without questioning its purpose or modifying it as needed can inhibit growth.
• Avoidance of change: Sleepwalkers may stick to comfortable but unproductive habits. This can make it more challenging to handle when involuntary change occurs in their life, risking the chance of turning to negative coping mechanisms.

3. Disconnection from Emotions

• Numbing behaviors: They might rely on distractions like excessive TV, social media, or mindless activities to avoid dealing with uncomfortable feelings or confronting difficult thoughts.
• Suppression of emotions: Rather than acknowledging and processing emotions, they suppress them. This can lead to stress, anxiety, or unexplained dissatisfaction.
• Not understanding emotions: A lack of awareness of their own feelings makes it hard for them to understand why they act the way they do, or how to respond appropriately to their emotional needs.

4. Mindless Decision-Making

• Impulsive decisions: They make choices based on immediate gratification or habitual responses, rather than considering the long-term consequences or their personal values.
• Not questioning beliefs: They adopt societal, familial, or cultural beliefs without critically examining them, leading to actions that may not align with their true selves.
• Lack of intentionality: Decisions are made out of convenience or habit rather than consciously deciding what will actually lead to growth or fulfillment.

5. Chronic Discontent or Boredom

• Feeling unfulfilled: They may experience a constant sense of dissatisfaction, boredom, or a feeling that something is missing in life without understanding why.
• Unclear purpose: Without self-reflection, they may drift through life without a sense of direction or meaning, unsure of what they truly want or what gives them joy.
• Living for the future or past: They may dwell on past regrets or future anxieties, rather than being fully present in the current moment, leading to chronic dissatisfaction.

6. Poor Relationships

• Lack of deep connection: They might struggle to form meaningful relationships because they aren't fully present or aware of their own emotions, leading to shallow or superficial connections.
• Hindering existing relationships: For the same reasons above, sleepwalkers may damage existing relationships, even with close friends or family, growing distant and eroding their network of support.
• Inability to communicate needs: When disconnected from their emotions, they find it difficult to express their true desires or needs to others, resulting in frustration or misunderstandings in relationships.

7. Overwhelm and Burnout

Some sleepwalkers are highly productive members of society, but that productivity comes at a cost. This might look like:

• Overcommitting: Without conscious awareness, people often say "yes" to too much, leading to overwhelm, burnout, and stress because they don’t recognize their own limits or values. Trying to juggle all of our obligations in life is tough even for people who are checked in. Overcommitting can turn into a spiral of not having enough energy to show up but not having the energy to make the changes needed to get back on track.
• Difficulty prioritizing: They may feel scattered by not knowing where to invest their time in the things that will balance meeting their immediate needs with what will bring long-term fulfillment. 
• Running on autopilot: Burnout can also result from continually going through the motions of life without taking time for self-care, reflection, or rest.

8. Fear-Based Living

• Fear of failure or change: Unconscious living can make people risk-averse, as they are often driven by fear of the unknown, rejection, or making mistakes, rather than a desire for growth and discovery.
• Avoidance of discomfort: Sleepwalkers may avoid challenges, growth, or any situation that causes discomfort, limiting their potential and keeping them in a safe, but stagnant, space.
• Scarcity mindset: Operating from a mindset of lack—whether in terms of money, love, or opportunities—rather than abundance, they may make decisions that keep them feeling insecure or unworthy. This might look like 

9. Blaming External Circumstances

• Avoiding personal responsibility: Without self-awareness, they might blame external factors—people, circumstances, or luck—for their problems, instead of recognizing their role in shaping their life.
• Resentment and bitterness: Holding on to grievances and past hurts, because they are not aware of how their own thoughts or reactions contribute to their suffering.
• Stuck in negative loops: When problems arise, they repeat the same unproductive behaviors or thought patterns without recognizing how they could change or take control of the situation.

10. Self-Sabotage

• Unconscious self-doubt: They may engage in behaviors that undermine their goals, such as procrastination, neglecting health, or pushing away opportunities, without realizing that they are driven by underlying fear or insecurity.
• Undervaluing achievements: They might achieve success but fail to acknowledge or appreciate it, always feeling like it's not enough or they’re not good enough.
• Imposter syndrome: Feeling like a fraud despite accomplishments, because they lack a deep sense of self-awareness and confidence in their own abilities. This can hold a sleepwalker back from seeking new opportunities that reflect their true skill set and worth.

These patterns tend to reinforce themselves because, without awareness, people remain stuck in reactive loops, repeating behaviors and thought processes that keep them in a state of dissatisfaction or suffering. 

It doesn’t have to be that way. You can learn a way to wake up to that true voice, inner voice of yours, and let that guide your life. Cultivating self-awareness, mindfulness, and emotional intelligence can help break these cycles and lead to more fulfilling, conscious living. It’s totally possible - but you have to make the choice, seek out the resources to guide you, do the work to make change, and stay disciplined.

Check out my book, Sleepwalking on a Tightrope, or join the Gavin’s Village community to work on your holistic wellness with others on the same wellness journey.