What To Do When The Future Seems Overwhelming
The future is something that we never see coming and cannot be planned out. As a young adult, I know first hand why it is so important to have stability or something figured out for the future. College is a big part of our lives and it is what will help us succeed financially and professionally. As soon as you get out of college things that would have otherwise not have bothered us when we were younger have suddenly become very stressful. For obvious reasons, there is the need to financially support ourselves but there is also social pressure. Would it be best if you move to another city? Do you want to change career paths? All these things are things people and society value.
The future is different for everyone but we all aspire for different goals and dreams. Whether it is for a different career, dreams, hopes, or being around specific people, we all want different things. We do not know who to ask or who to ask for advice. From personal experience, people’s advice can only go so far as to help us with our specific needs. The only advice you can truly trust is your own which is a very tricky thing to do but can only come with time.
The reason why the future is overwhelming is that it is not clear and can be really scary when you want guidance. Speaking from someone who was undecided in college and has struggled with finding a job it can be very overwhelming trying to find a way to figure out what the best choice is or isn’t.
Don’t be scared to take risks.
It might seem like common sense but taking risk is something that does not come naturally. The reason why fear is so common when the future is overwhelming is that it’s natural to want to withdraw when you think you are doing. In an effort to make better decisions or from being too hard on yourself for making what you believe to be bad decisions you can start by taking risks. The future is a picture that is far too big to envision even if you tried. If the future starts to worry you to the point where you are stuck then the best way to escape from this by taking a risk. Taking risks can teach that you are in control of your life and give you confidence. Try out something new and different and take a risk so that you are no longer see the future as something that is scary or overwhelming.
Get things into perspective.
If you have social media I guarantee you that you will start to compare yourself on the way or another to someone else. Someone’s else life might not be what you want in your own life but insecurity will start sneaking up on you. Before you know it, you have started to see yourself as someone who is so much smaller than everyone else. Maybe in real life, you are way better than anyone else but distortion of perspective can hold you back.
Getting things into perspective is not the easiest thing to do because you have your emotions to deal with. You can be active in moving things forward but your emotions can tell you otherwise. The best way to get things into perspective is by trying to see things objectively and try to avoid negative people. Removing negative or negativity in your life can really help you see what are the things that you have done and how you keep working on them.
Learn to trust yourself.
The future becomes scary when you do not know in what direction it is going. Trust in yourself is important because it gives you peace of mind and lets you be comfortable with yourself. Perhaps you do have control of what you want in life whether it is financial, academic, or professionally but you do not trust yourself enough believe you are doing things right. When you do not have that trust in yourself to fall back onto when things are rough you can fall into a cycle of hopelessness. Trust in yourself is learned only through times and experience.
Don’t be so hard on yourself.
Finding a balance between what to take seriously and what not to take seriously is incredibly difficult. If you had a bad review at work from your boss or if you have been having issues with your friends it is bad to take either one too seriously. When this becomes a harmful habit is when you start to feel as though you cannot improve yourself.
One thought that is reassuring is that no one knows what the future holds and everyone goes through challenges. Always be true and honest with yourself, if you are overwhelmed with life know that you can open up about it. If you do not know what you do with your life or do not see a future take a break. Sometimes being forgetting about everything (momentarily) is the best way to try again. Challenges in life are nothing to be ashamed of and nothing in real life is set in stone. Regardless of how things in life turn out, know that your value and worth are not measured by material or societal things.
