5 Tips From Someone Under Pressure

We  all have bad tendencies to follow certain expectations. Maybe you don't even notice that you are doing these things. Well, it's okay because a lot of us do these things too. But if we acknowledge these habits and try to reduce, replace, or even stop them, maybe just maybe we will feel a little better each day. Don't get me wrong, not all habits are black and white. There are some gray areas too. Some are strange and some  are just silly. But these habits I am going to be talking about are toxic ones. So grab yourself a notepad (or your phone), and let's write down some bad habits we can all do without.

    1. Comparing Yourself To Others

While we are not perfect, we are not bad for not being perfect. Social media and societal standards have corrupted our vision of what we should be. Especially for us women. We are constantly told to eat, drink, dress, look, walk, and talk a certain way. What I will say to that is there is no need to please the system if you are not happy. When you compare yourself you are saying, "I'm not good enough." That's it. But it's harmful to tell yourself that. At the end of the day your happiness is the most important.

    2. Going To College Because You Were Told To

Now this one is for specifically those who have friends, family, or even teachers who said that if you don't go to college you will fail. They are wrong. I will say, you have to have something in your life that fulfills you as a person, but that doesn't HAVE to be college. You can volunteer, go to trade school, work,  have kids, get a dog, etc. there are many ways to feel complete in life without needing to do what everyone and their mom wants to do. Personally I've been there where I have been told to study art as my major although that was not my academic passion. So I can relate.

    3. Being An Over-Consumer

According to the article written by Professor of economics Clair Brown, Why Over-Consumption Makes Us Unhappy, she wrote "Buying stuff can make you happy for a short time. But you will revert to needing another happiness boost by buying even more stuff." Being a consumer in this day and age, it's hard to not buy things. Especially when everyone is upgrading to the newest iPhone or we got a vacuum that cleans for us?! Don't mind if I do! 

    But there is a point when we are consuming not to make life easier but because everyone else is consuming.  For example: you don't need to keep upgrading your phone, every time they release one with a bigger camera. You don't need the newest cutest Stanley cup because someone else got it. Not ton say you CAN'T get those things, but it has to mean something to you or have some use in your life. Real use. I used to buy and buy. Consume and consume. All to try and feel something. But when I realized the more harm than good it caused, I learned to replace that habit of buying with hobbies. Which I will happily discuss in another article.

    4. Following The Trends

Maybe this one wouldn't be so toxic if many of the trends weren't so dangerous. Like the coronavirus challenge back in 2020. or romanticizing criminals like Wade Wilson. As you may know by now, the trends are ridiculous. Just for that I encourage ignoring some of these.

    

    5. Starting A Family/Relationship

Now this one is for those who feel like they don't want to start a family but are only doing it to please someone or to fit in. If you are happy being independant and solo, great! But don't give that up for anyone. Unless YOU want to change that. That is no one else's call but yours. I say this because I have felt like everyone around me had some sort of relationship or family going for them. But I don't feel like i want that anytime soon in my life. i just wanted to fit in or feel like I belonged.   

    In conclusion, you don't need to keep up with societal standards to be happy. And you don't need to not do all of these things. These are just some things I find myself struggling with. As long as you are a good person and don't hurt anyone including yourself, you don't need to live like everyone else. Because the uniqueness is what makes you special.