Many times, even adults who are expected to have their life sorted and untangled, are dealing with multiple hassles of life. It can be a big feat, and we completely understand how difficult it can be. After all, all of us are experiencing this age for the first time and figuring out our ways!
Sometimes this can disrupt our mental peace, and acknowledging these concerns is the first step in improving our mental health.
Are these some of your concerns that you experience too?
It feels like time is running out!
With the normalization of the hustle culture around us, where everyone is busy working all the time and even 24 hours seem to be less to handle the workload, getting burnt out and feeling tired can be a common issue.
It can instil anxiety and cause tremendous amounts of stress, which can lead to reduced performance, the exact opposite of what the person wishes to achieve.
What to do?
It might seem hard to understand for some of us, but perfectionism can be toxic too. One cannot always stick to timelines and meet the strictly set standards that one forms for themselves. Acceptance and flexibility are the answers. Adapting to the situation and giving the best according to the situation is the key.
Practising techniques like mindfulness, meditation, yoga or even small tasks like listening to your favourite music can help to snap out of the stressful times.
Career-related stress
Especially in India, with such a high population the struggle for getting your dream job gets tough. Even if you do pursue a job you like, managing work life and personal life can take a great deal of effort and sometimes may lead to mental issues.
Particularly during the days of lockdown, managing work from home and still being able to have personal time can be very stressful.
What to do?
It is important to understand that a single decision of our life does not determine our future and that new ways keep opening up at every point in time. If it doesn’t feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel, maybe it’s not the end of the tunnel yet!
As far as figuring out the best career option lies, a good amount of research, contacting experts in the field and contacting career counsellors can be beneficial. Using apps like LinkedIn can make it easy too. In a lot of cases, initiatives like Ted Talks can also provide new insights. Strengthening one’s resume has become more convenient with online courses provided on platforms like Coursera, EdX, and Udemy etc. So whenever possible, one can make the best of their time and learn new skills.
Why not sit and get your things planned out and work with a specific aim in mind, to balance working from home? This does sound cliche but works out well for many of them out there. Having an organized day can help to perform better at a lot of tasks, and one can still have time left in hand to catch up with friends and family.
Also, spending time pursuing hobbies and taking planned breaks can prove to be effective in reducing stress.
Mortality of life
Realizing that your parents are getting older and they are not as fit as you, looking at them growing old throughout your life can be harsh. One might notice that they are facing health issues, or that they are getting more irritable and others in many cases, you may find a generation gap. It can be pretty hard to digest and may even be disheartening at times.
While all of us are made aware that death is inevitable ever since childhood, understanding the process of life and acknowledging that you and your parents are getting older is difficult. They might not be the same as they used to be when they were younger, and that is the rule of life. But again, it does not discard the fact that this acknowledgement does not come easy.
What to do?
Step one is to pause and think. Think about your feelings and realize that they are okay. Adapting to change is difficult. The next step is to gradually plan the future and understand your responsibilities. Moreover, it is necessary to understand that your parents might also be facing issues in adapting to the changes they are undergoing. So giving them appropriate space and time is important.
You can figure out some ways to spend quality time with them as this would not only strengthen the bond but also make it an easier process to adjust to.
You’ve got this!
These are some of the many concerns that might bother many of us and make us feel vulnerable at times. We need to realize that these all are very natural aspects of life and handling them is not an easy task. Managing these concerns and finding a balance with a multitude of tasks that come off as duties can be tiresome but they are not bigger than our mental health. Prioritizing and having a resilient mindset is something that will get us through.
Doing things that we like can do wonders in lifting our mood, because although it is the best feeling to trace a way to the solution for our problems, sometimes, one may not always be able to figure out a way to eradicate an issue from its roots. And that’s alright. We learn gradually with time and sometimes, temporary solutions work as well.
Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and diet helps to keep our body and mind fresh! Calming ourselves down by using music or aromatherapy can do wonders too along with multiple other things like following a hobby or playing a sport.
Temporary solutions do work but may not be the best for you and therefore, asking for help is the best way. One can always share their worries and concerns with friends and dear ones to feel better but it is very important to keep in mind that they might be experiencing certain difficulties too and they have their own set of worries. This makes it even more important to pick yourself up and dust yourself off whenever you feel like you’re going down.
However, at the same time, do not forget that accountability is important. You make people realize that they are responsible for their actions and for that matter, even you. Shedding blame on others can not at all solve the problems that you are experiencing. Instead, owning up and looking up for solutions would take you one step closer to dealing with the issues and healing.
Especially, as an adult, it can be overwhelming to have to deal with things by yourself. And this process can be easier when you have a strong support system that has got your back. Sometimes just sitting and sharing mental space with your dear ones even without speaking anything is all one needs to feel uplifted and in a better place. So, it is always great to hold your friends, and loved ones close and have their support (don’t forget to be there for them too, whenever they need it!).
And if any of this doesn’t seem to work out for you, or you want further assistance regarding this, do not hesitate and talk to a professional because Mental Health Matters!
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